7/29/2013 - Kyoto, Japan
We saw two of Kyoto's most famous sites: the old Imperial Palace and the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Both are beautiful in their own way. The Golden Pavilion is literally gilded.
But after yesterday's vibrancy, they felt hollow. The Palace has been uninhabited since the capital moved to Tokyo. Yesterday's temples on the Path of Philosophy were elegant; the Golden Pavilion seemed gaudy.
The experience didn't help: rain beat down us, and tourists surrounded us at both places. At the Palace, we were crowded by an Australian Boy Scout troop, all wearing cowboy hats and carrying umbrellas. It took effort to draw myself away from the tourists and into the experiences.
Pictured: The Imperial Palace
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