Happy Little Coffee: Kyoto sightseeing (2nd and 3rd Day)

Souuu pretty much the second day we run around Kyoto for sightseeing~

1st. we went to the golden pavilion (金閣寺、kinkaku-ji). You get there from the Kyoto station via bus lines: 101, 205 (I used the google-maps ALL the time, cause it shows u where and with what to go~ recommended^^). The pavilion will cost u 400 yen (adult) and thankfully there wasn't that much walking :) Worth going^^

Entrance to the golden pavilion~

The golden pavilion

Spotted a bird^^

They have a paper fortunes and good-luck charms in the golden pavilion (japanese, english, korean and chinese~ I tried the korean one^^)

2nd. we visited the Thousand gates (伏見稲荷大社、Fushimi Inari-taisha). You don't have to pay anything to go there, though I would suggest u reserve at least couple of hours for this (maybe more), cause it takes quite a while to walk up to the top^^' We made it about 40 minutes.... Or an hour~ not too sure >.<' XD You can also fo the "shorter one" by going only through the first double gates till the small shrine area and come back^^ There will be toilets and food/snack places once in awhile next to the path :) Still, good shoes (NO high heels!) and dressing is recommended, cause we got really sweaty (at least me) on a sunny day with our winter jackets..^^' to get there, you can use the (JR) Nara line from Kyoto station to Inari station. The entrance is located right in front of the Insri station :)

the entrance to the thousand gates~

When u get in (remember to was at least your hands when going in the shrine) u can wish for good luck (or whatever u want) by throwing a 5-yen-coin, shaking the "bell", clapping 2 times and putting your hands together for praying~

The first gate

The small gates~

More small gates~

The double gates end here (the small shire area), which after starts the REAL climbing^^'

The map, TOTALLY not in right scale!! The first part (under "circle") is NOT the same size as the upper circle... >.<' Be prepared!!

After u get here, the upper "circle" starts~ GO right: easier/shorter way to the too, GO straight(in the pic on the left): longer, more up-down-up-down way to the top OR GO left (not in the pic): this doesn't take u to the top and u have to come back, but go up the stairs and find your way on the back-side of the cemetery u see when going up~ the view is pretty good^^

The view from the back of the cemetery~

Still going up^^'

FINALLY up!!^^ we climbed up at the same speed as the teo japanese girls so we took a pic with them to remember this day :)

..and then down~

We.. Happy but tired^^'

There is a short-cut while caming down :D

3rd. we went to eat in the place called "Sweets of NINJA". It's kind of the same as the Sweets paradise, but there is also (more) food and the specialty is BLACK CREPES! It cost 1,580 yen per person, u can stay for 90 minutes and eat/drink all u want (though u can only have one "order", meaning the crepes~). The place is in the Teramachi shopping street in Kawaramachi (east end) near Kawaramachi metro station.

The sweets of ninja~

The staff is dressed as ninjas and the place isnreally cool^^

Desserts (part of it :D)

Black crepes~

Mine (ZEN)

Rache's (RETHU)

ira, me and Rachel leaving~

The funny stairs^^ The calories for each step were calculated in the steps~

That was all for the fist day^^ I was so tired after that.. I just passed out when we got to the hotel^^'

THE THIRD DAY~^^

About the busses and fees: all the bus lines inside the Kyoto city are 220 yen (adult) and u pay when u get out (u get IN from the middle of the bus and OUT from the front!). The mount of money has to be exact (that's why, if u don't happen to have 220 yen, u can break a bigger money in the money-changing mashine in fornt of the bus next to the driver (and the payment machine).

1st. we went to the Nijo Castle (二条城、Nijou-jou). You can get there from Kyoto station via bus lines: 101, 9. It is a small palace/castle with a garden and the entrance fee is 600 yen (adult).

Entrance of the palace~

The garden

The palace/castle

2nd. we went to the Arashiyama (嵐山) to see a Togetsukyo bridge(渡月橋) and the Bamboo groves/forest. U get there from Kyoto station via bus lines: 11, 28 (240 yen) and via JR Sanin Main line (230 yen, though the train will be stopping at Saga-arashiyama station, 10min. walk from the bridge).

The birge or the forest won't cost anything, but for example the Monkey park Iwatayama (550 yen) and Tenryuji Temple (500 yen) cost a little.