Ride Kyoto, Ride

While Kyoto's bus system will get you to and from all of the popular attractions, I'd recommend renting a bike and seeing the city like the locals do.  Kyoto is famous for it's cycling culture*. Almost everyone had a bike and almost every sidewalk had a bike lane.  If the sidewalks were busy it was easy to ride in the street, as motorists treated cyclists with an unprecedented, (at least by my experiences in the states), level of respect.

*It's the major form of transport.  I'd caution any visitor to look both ways before exiting onto a sidewalk.

The best part about deciding to ride through Kyoto was the amount of ground we were able to cover, allotting us even more time to explore the city, (Kyoto's streets are based on the grid system, making navigation extremely simple). This was especially critical because we only planned 2.5 days in Kyoto and the main attractions are mostly scattered along the outskirts of the city center.  

We grabbed a map, packed some food, and were on our way.  Here are some of the highlights:

To-ji Temple -- Home to the largest wooden pagoda in Japan.

Heian Shrine -- A scaled down replica of the original Imperial Palace, home to the most beautiful garden in Kyoto, and the last of my "Lost in Translation Destinations". 

Nanzenji Temple -- Where do I even begin?  Tucked away in the eastern hills this temple was a hidden gem.  First of all, the complex was huge...

...with a trail that snaked up into the mountains where there was an assortment of statues, small pagodas, and even a small cave full of candles and incense.  

The second story of the main gate afforded some nice views of the city sprawl as well as some of the surrounding gardens, (which would have cost extra to enter).  

But my favorite part was the old aqueduct...

...which appeared to be in working order...

...and doubled as a foot path.

Ginkakuji -- The Silver Pavilion that isn't very silver.  It was mid-afternoon by the time we made it here so unlike our first three stops, this place was jam packed full of people.

Kinkaku-ji Temple -- Temple of the Golden Pavilion, (which is actually golden unlike it's "silver" counterpart).  This was originally built as a retirement villa for the Shogun in the late 14th century.  Legend* has it that the entire temple is actually made out of chocolate but only the Shogun, (who is dead), has the power to remove the golden foil wrapper.

*no such legend exists

The Golden Pavilion was a mob scene, full of tourists and school children.  We forgot to set our alarms that morning, so we had a late start, and the ride was a little bit further than we anticipated.

And finally, the most integral part of these two days:

      

thanks guys