I decided to skip the tour bus between lunch and dinner and just walk around Kyoto with little to no plan at all just to take in the sights.
I started off after lunch at Nijo Castle and made my way along a hidden canal walk up to Modoribashi Park. The canal was a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the Kyoto streets. Kyoto has so many narrow side streets that can not only get you lost, but can also get you a good glimpse of the city that isn’t just major shopping hubs and train stations. These cool murals were on a wall along a park/baseball field. I was told no purchasing any Samurai swords, but they were nice to window shop.
I ended up walking to the Kyoto Imperial Palace and taking a tour of the grounds. This place was huge! Every courtyard and pathway was large enough for an Emperor’s entourage I suppose. Many more beautiful gardens and ponds near the palace as well.
After my river walk I cut over to the Nishiki Market. Oh my! I’m not sure if it was because it was Sunday, but this was the biggest crowd I found myself in all trip long. Endless shops and restaurants here. I also took a picture of the interesting downtown gas stations that fill up your car from hanging pumps. Ingenious!
Before dinner, I decided to go hike up into the small mountains above Maruyama Park. Thankfully, I didn’t get attacked by wild boars nor aggressive monkeys. It was beautiful up in the forest, but it was really humid and the paths were overgrown in many places. There were a lot of old shrines up in these hills as well.
Japan 2019 