Kyoto is very close to Kobe. It only took us 30 mins by Shinkansen to get here. It was extremely crowded at the Kiyomizu-dera temple. It seemed that all the tourists coming to Kyoto would end up at this temple. It was also interesting to note that many of those females who dressed in the kimono outfits were actually tourists from other countries (e.g., Korea, China, HK, Twaiwan, etc) and it is a big business to rent out the outfits for tourists to dress up in traditional clothes (males as well) and take pictures at the temple. It was a perfect setting to reminisce the past and pretend to be in a different era.
The surrounding streets were well preserved in its traditional structures. The only regret was that many of the buildings are now operated as businesses to sell products to tourists, all competing for the same attentions and dollars from the tourists.
We stayed at an apartment hotel here in Kyoto and were pleasantly surprised by its spaciousness, well thought out layout of the room. It included a small kitchenette and a double sofa bed in a small space next to bed. Very comfortable and bright. I would highly recommend this hotel. Much better than the one in Kobe and only half the price!
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