Kyoto

This past weekend I went to Kyoto for nakayasumi, a four day vacation between terms here at PII. After the brief time I spent there, I have to say it is one of the best cities I have ever visited.
The photo to the left was taken at Kiyomizudera, one of the many busy temples around the city. Like almost all of the other sacred places we visited, kiyomizudera was packed with tourists and merchandise aimed at tourists. Somehow, every temple managed to separate itself from the secular clutter of the huge city, and at the same time embrace the throngs of people that walked through their gardens each day. Of the places we visited, Kiyomizudera had the most beautiful views, but Ryoanji was far and away the most tranquil and spiritually satisfying spot. I am constantly astounded at the power of shared, thoughtful silence. Ryoanji, with its famous rock garden, managed to find that silence no matter how many people chose to sit within it. Unless the people were part of a large, Japanese tour group, in which case they totally ruined the Qi.
While I liked the temples, the best part of Kyoto was the city itself. It managed to feel both exciting and safe; overwhelming and manageable; a tourist mecca and a hometown. Everynight, we went out until past three in the morning. My friend from Swarthmore, Arthur, had a friend who was living in Kyoto, Lily. She was able to show us around the less famous parts of town. She also introduced us to Japanese people, who actually live in Kyoto. On Friday night, five of us (two kyotans, two swarthies, and one yalie) sat in a quiet bar for some three hours talking. The picture above is me with the two nihonjin, Komoe and Mami. We practiced our second languages, while enjoying the Nomihoudai. The next night, we wondered around the nightlife district and happened upon many Japanese people who had drunk themselves to oblivion, or at least pissing in the canal. And it was the most fun I've had in Japan.
Here's how I planned my Nakayasumi. I took the bus to Kyoto. I bought the tickets for 6600 yen roundtrip out in front of Kanazawa Eki. I stayed at the Budget Inn, a ten minute walk from the station. It cost 25oo yen a night to stay in a dorm with five other people. The building was clean, and the people were nice. That's about all I did before hand.
Next time, I'll talk about dealing with my ear infection, since that story is ongoing.