For our first full day in Kyoto, we decided to follow Ryokan Shimizu's suggested "greatest hits" route traveling between three sites by bus. It was raining when we woke up, and the rain was forecasted to last all day, so I put on my raincoat and my spare shoes. We walked to Kyoto station, bought a one day bus pass for 600 yen each, and boarded route 205 for our first destination of the day - Kinkakuji, also known as the Golden Temple - and hit a snag immediately. After two stops, the English recorded announcement on the bus informed us that the next stop would be the last on that route. We'd boarded the correct bus route but in the wrong direction! We got off the bus, crossed the street, and boarded another 205 bus headed the other direction.
It took 45 minutes to get to Kinkakuji. After alighting the bus, we walked to the temple along with a swarm of other people from the bus, and we were dismayed to see a horde of people - many recently disembarked from tour buses - and a sea of umbrellas in front of us. We paid the entrance fee and followed the directional signs. The temple itself was pretty, and it was set in the middle of a lake. The grounds were really pretty. But, the crowds and the umbrellas spoiled the whole experience somewhat.
JapanKyotoKyōtoKinugasaKinkaku-ji35°2’22” N 135°43’42” E
JapanKyotoKyōtoKinugasaKinkaku-ji35°2’22” N 135°43’42” E