Kyoto: A Whirlwind of Temples and Tea (and a Little Chaos)
okay, so i just got back from kyoto. wow. just...wow. it's not the place you see in movies, you know? it's more like a really old, really beautiful city that’s still figuring things out. the data said it’s around 1.4 to 1.5 million people, which feels…right for a place like this. i just checked and it's...well, it's pretty warm right now, 12.22 celsius. feels like 11.14 though. hope you like that kind of thing. i'm definitely going to need a hot drink to recover.
kyoto is seriously built in a valley. the data mentions the Yamashiro Basin, which is basically a gorgeous, hilly area. it’s like the city just grew out of the landscape. and the grid street pattern? it’s so unique! seriously, it’s like someone took a city plan from ancient china and plopped it down here. i walked around for hours just trying to understand it. it's a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually kind of mesmerizing.
they say it used to be the imperial capital for over a thousand years. crazy, right? it’s like a living history book. temples everywhere! i saw a ton of them, really tucked away in little corners. and the gardens… oh god, the gardens. i’m not even sure where to start. they’re so meticulously crafted, so peaceful. it’s like stepping into another world. something someone told me was that the whole city layout was designed with feng shui in mind - the emperor’s palace facing south, which explains the Ukyō (eastern) and Sakyō (western) designations. i don’t know about that, but it’s cool to think about.
and the food? well, the data said green tea is a big thing. i didn't get to try a lot of the traditional dishes, but i did find a little tea house where i had the most amazing matcha ice cream. it was…weird, but good weird. i’m pretty sure there are some really amazing local dishes i missed out on.
if you get bored with the temples and gardens (which you won't, honestly), if you get bored, osaka and nara are just a short drive away. you could easily spend a week just exploring the Kansai region. it’s a real mix of old and new, traditional and modern. it's not a city that tries to be anything it's not. it’s just…kyoto. so…get ready for a lot of hills, a lot of temples, and a lot of green tea. it’s definitely worth it.
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