Zen meditation and tea ceremony.

After lunch it was off to a restored Japanese wooden townhouse for zen meditation. A buddhist monk explained the buddhist philosophy and the principles of meditation. We then had a go…

Kyoto is the tea ceremony centre of the world. The tea ceremony is an age-old ritual in Japan. We experienced one, with the ritual being explained step by step.

We received a bowl of tea each and then two volunteers were called for to prepare tea. Janette was the first.

Next, on to Kiyomizu-dera. This is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. Kiyomizu-dera literally translates to Pure Water Temple and was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in 780.

The temple is famous for its wooden stage that juts out 13 metres above the hillside.

There are three 'streams' of water that are said to grant a wish if drunk from:-
The left one - pass exams.
The middle one - meet a girlfriend /boyfriend.
The right one - longevity.

You can only drink from one so choose carefully.

There was quite a queue, so I went thirsty.

Dinner tonight was in a restaurant a few minutes walk from our hotel - roast chicken served to the table, then buffet style.Read more