Wednesday 9th April A really memorable morning

 We are both awake early today and drawing back the Japanese style blinds  can see that it's a beautiful day. Unusually for this tour, we have the luxury of 3 whole nights at this hotel, so today being the second day, we feel better equipped to navigate the delicious range of breakfast options.

Our first of 3 visits today is to a traditional tea ceremony, which I am really looking forward to.The temple,is a beautiful, traditional,wooden building, set inside a  tranquil garden; we are ushered politely round to the Pavillion at the side into which we can enter once we have removed our shoes.


The imposing figure of the Buddhist monk greets us as we go in and sit respectfully on the small benches around the side. Ladies dressed in colourful kimonos stand at the side and there is an ornate altar at one end.


Our tour guide is ready to translate the proceedings and explains that the decorated rice cake that has been placed on the low table in front of us is to eat with the matcha tea that we will see being made. Before that, she explains that the monk will offer prayers for our safe journey and good fortune. 

Standing before the altar, he intones the prayers for a good five minutes, from time to time kneeling down to bow before the altar, then gracefully coming back up again - a feat of considerable strength and agility considering his size and bulk!


We are then taken through the intricate and elaborate ceremony of making the tea, everything is so precise and carefully done.Finally, the kimono clad ladies come round with trays of little bowls of the bright green tea, which we are instructed to take slowly, until the last mouthful, which we have to slurp to show that we have finished and enjoyed it!



It doesn't taste too bad and the little rice cakes help to temper the slight bitterness, so we all manage to drink our bowlful and later find that is is supposed to have lots of beneficial properties, so here's hoping!
It has been a really enjoyable and gentle way to start our day, the fact  that the chief tea maker is a good friend of,our tour guide has made it very special and we all walk out into the beautiful sunshine feeling quite uplifted..


; The next part of our day is a visit to the Kiyomizu Temple, sadly not quite such an individual experience as it's one of the major tourist attractions in this part of Japan. There are lots of coaches setting down crowds of people and we all have to follow them up the narrow hilly street in the hot sun. The temple itself is very impressive, set in beautiful gardens at the top of lots of steps



The very impressive pagoda near the rop is hard to photograph against the midday sun

but we are rewarded with terrific views when we finally reach the top






On the way back down we decide we definitely deserve an ice cream!
It's back on the coach after a spot of lunch and on the way to yet another temple! This time, the famous Golden Temple and yet again, the convoy of coaches are all headed in the same direction!
This temple is set in beautiful surroundings in the middle of a lake, the gold on the roof really shimmers in the bright sun





We increase our step count even more, as everyone has to follow the same winding path around the temple, up more steps and through the slightly hilly garden ( yet more steps!) I think we are all feeling a bit 'templed out ' at this point and we coin the phrase that today is an 'abt' day - meaning 'another bloody temple' day, So called by our Australian friends on the tour who tell us that when Australians tour England, they have 'abc' days -another bloody castle' day!

Our day of visits still has one to go and we climb back on the coach to head for the Sagan's bamboo forest.

It is quite pleasant to wander along the forest path, but once again, it feels as if everyone in Japan has also decided to visit the forest and there are huge crowds lining the paths that lead to the forest walk.



The rickshaw drivers are working hard


and we all look rather enviously as their passengers are whisked past in comfort, knowing that we have quite a way to walk back to the coach. There are a few delightful moments on the way back however, 




this lovely group of girls in traditional dress  are happy to pose for photos and delighted when I ask them to turn around so I can take one of their very pretty hairstyles as well.







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