***
Japan trip
Day 4 - 9th June - Ryoanji, Kyoto (Part 2)
The next destination was the Ryoanji temple.
Prominently advertised Western-style toilet
Kyoto Tea
I was given a sample, and it was salty and tasted like soup (must be the seaweed). Ugh. There's a reason why regional specialities often do not make it outside their home country.
World Heritage Plaque
Map
Pond
Buddha
Ryoanji sign
Scale model
Karesansui (rock garden)
The rock garden is supposed to inspire meditation:
With the rain, people and noise, I doubt it.
Crowd
The garden walls are made of clay soaked in oil. Over time, the oil seeped out and created patterns, and they need to be conserved since they're falling apart. I love how poor design has become a marketing point.
The Four Accomplishments: "playing the zither, mastering chess, practicing calligraphy and painting"
Basically they used to have 71 nice sliding door panels, which all got stolen. The owners don't want to reveal that they have them, for fear of ninjas rappelling in at night, so they found the owner of 4 panels, reproduced them and returned him the originals. "We're not happy they've our doors, but this is the best we can do"
Door panels
Moss garden. I liked this a lot too
Sketch
"We don't want the damn thing burning down again, do we?"
Tsukubai (Washing point). I have since discovered that the stone basin's opening acts as a "口", completing the 4 characters around its periphery. They then read: "吾唯足知" - "I only know plenty".
Side of building
Corridor
Moss
Vegetarian restaurant on the premises
"Yu-dofu (boiled soy bean curd with vegetables) - Y1,500
Rice - Y200
Vegetarian dish with yu-dofu - Y3,300"
So much for going vegetarian to save money
Lake
Wet path
Bus and public transport guide: "Please don't copy or use"
It was a very good guide, I must say.
Also: "Printed with Soy Ink. Trademark of American Soybean Association". I didn't know their reach extended here.
