wanderlust: kyoto (part 2)

Day Four (4) was the last day of my trip and I have planned to explore the city wearing a lovely kimono. Before renting one, I did a bit research on where to rental kimonos, the cost, etc. There are blogs on this and finally I picked Okamoto. It was a great fun wearing a kimono.Be warned that a tourist or two would assume you are local (especially you are Asian) and would like to a photo with you!

I arrived early at the store and took the opportunity to explore its nearby area; the Maruyama-koen Park.

After my appointment, I went to Kodaji temple and its garden for cherry blossoms viewing. I do not think I can get enough of cherry blossoms as they are so lovely.

Next stop was to look for lunch and I randomly picked a restaurant, bearing in mind I wanted to try some tofu (beancurd) meal. On my way, I came across Yasaka Pagoda. 

After lunch, I headed to one of the must-see temples; Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It was beautiful and it offered a great view over the city. Not forgetting, packed with many tourist as well.

Next stop was to wander around the nearby area as I needed to return the kimono no later than 6 pm. I walked pass Maruyama-koen Park and tried to look for Chion-in Temple.Somehow, I got lost and reached the temple after its closing time. Though I did not manage to enter and explore the temple, it was enough to snap a photo of the entrance of the temple. After days of relatively intensive of sight-seeing or walking, I took a bit slower pace this time.

If you love ice creams, I would recommend to try soft ice cream with sakura flavour. It was yummy!

Whilst exploring the area, you might come across a 'fortune telling board'. I have not tried it but I heard one needs to put money into the black box in the middle of the board and pick a piece of paper under her or his date of birth. The prediction is written on this piece of paper.

After returning the kimono, I strolled around Maruyama-keon Park again for my last cherry blossom viewing as it was the last day of my trip. The whole trip was great fun and an opportunity of lifetime to see beautiful cherry blossom. I think I will visit Japan as I would really love to see the autumn foliage.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and till my next post, stay chic!