No Regrets!

Another early morning, another temple. While waiting in line to enter Kinkaku-ji, I caught sight of the most vivid rainbow I’ve ever seen. We didn’t get inside quickly enough to capture it arcing over the temple. That would have been spectacular.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, covered in real gold leaf and blazing in the morning sun, is beautiful. There’s a single path through the grounds, which I always appreciate, but the grounds are quite small. I wish I had known this because I breezed through it, and I would’ve liked to stay longer and take more photos.

From there, we hopped in a taxi to Arashiyama, a part of town with three highlights: Tenryu-ji Temple Garden, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Iwatayama Monkey Park. The morning rainbow proved to be a harbinger of things to come, as a cold rain put a damper on our walking for the rest of the day.

After first dropping some yen to visit the wrong temple garden, we found the right temple garden and found it to be only slightly more impressive. The Bamboo Grove is magical but also an Instagram hotspot. The place was completely overrun with tourists jostling for photos, like many of the other attractions we’ve visited. We did our best to take photos.

Dave is showing increasing contempt for tourists, especially the ones who show the slightest disrespect or indecisiveness. I’ve joked around with Dave that he is well on his way to becoming a crotchety, “get off my lawn” old man, and I think he’s owning it.

Then a healthy walk to the Monkey Park, with an unexpected climb up the mountain that was a bit rough for Dave. Like the deer at Nara Park, these snow monkeys (Japanese macaques) seem to be wandering the trees freely and without borders. They are the same species as the famous hot‑spring bathing monkeys in Nagano. I hopped around with the monkeys and got some fun photos.

The Monkey Park offers a view over Kyoto. Much more sprawling than I thought, but I was right that it’s lacking a city center with giant buildings. The Kyoto urban sprawl is gray and mostly flat.

The steps down the mountain already had Dave on edge when a woman stopped in the middle and impeded his progress. Dave slipped as he tried to dodge her. “I almost punched that bitch in the throat,” Dave snarled.

Lunch was at the famous Burger Revolution. As we waited in a quiet alley, we were surprised by a mini parade celebrating Culture Day, Japan’s national holiday honoring the arts and academic achievement.

With a serious hankering for a burger, Dave and I had been looking forward to this meal for days. The burger came with a garnish that tastes like Bic Mac sauce, fries that tasted like McDonald’s, and chicken nuggets that tasted just like McNuggets. The burger, though, was something unique. My double patty cheeseburger with avocado was absolutely massive, needing a stick right through it just to keep it upright. I finished it, because I love burgers, but I wasn’t blown away by it. I’d give it a 7/10. Dave enjoyed the burger more than I did.

We spent the rest of the day trying in vain to walk off the burger, which sat in our stomachs like a cheese-covered cinderblock. Philosopher’s Path was not what I expected. Basically just a path, an unremarkable one, lined with souvenir shops, cafés, and residences along a canal. Not sure why it’s a thing. Certainly doesn’t seem philosophical. Perhaps cherry blossoms or fall colors or a dusting of snow brings a magical beauty to this place, but there was none of it today.

Nearby was Eikandō Temple, where we went for a quick walk around. Lots of Japanese girls in traditional dress posing for photos.

Next, we zipped through teamLab Biovortex Kyoto. Much like teamLab Planets Tokyo, another explosion of light, color, and sound. Some really creative exhibits, with the balloon tornado room being our favorite. Unfortunately, we were in a bit of a rush to get through it, as we had a dinner reservation to make. Dave’s stress level increased as we navigated a maze of Escher-like staircases trying to find the exit.

We barely made our dinner reservation at Menbaka Fire Ramen. This is a really cool place witha fun, casual vibe. The draw is the huge explosion of fire when they pour oil into your ramen. Great gimmick. The place is smartly rigged for social media, with phone holders in place to facilitate videos and offers from the staff to take photos for you. Fantastic marketing strategy, as high-quality photos on social media will only drive their business more.

When the actual fire comes, they have very specific rules in place to prevent you from setting your hair or the restaurant on fire. I couldn’t get photos of the fire in my face, but I got some fantastic photos of fire blazing up in front of some Russians who were sitting next to us. When it was our turn, I had to keep my hands back and wear a rig around my neck with a phone holder. Lame, but they have their reasons.

Back to the hotel, which is beautiful but not all that social. The only people who take a trip like this and stay at the Four Seasons are 65+. The hotel would be more aptly named the 260 Seasons.

These action packed days are leaving us both exhausted. Another early night.

Tomorrow is our last day in Kyoto. We plan to do a little wandering, a little shopping, and then hit Pontocho for a big finale.