Japan: Ryoanji Temple

After Kinkakuji, we went to the Ryoanji temple, home of one of Japan's most famous rock gardens.  There are 15 rocks in the garden and at least one of the rocks is hidden from view at every angle.

The walls of the rock garden are clay, boiled in oil.  The design on the walls was made through time as the oil seeped out. 

The Ryoanji temple was originally an aristocrats villa, but was turned into a zen temple in 1450. 

This is what Emily calls "Engrish."  I think it's supposed to say, "please throw away your garbage," because there was a trash can nearby.  Either that, or, "Please don't litter."  Whichever the case, keep the Earth clean! 

Follow-Up MRI

A Preview of what's coming soon!

A couple weeks ago, Kai had a follow-up MRI to check on his hydrocephalus and his spine, since it has been a couple years since they have been checked.  The results came back looking pretty positive.  His ventricles are still enlarged, but not in the we-have-to-worry-about-it category.  The fluid is remaining stable from the last MRI two years ago.  I had hoped that the excess would have been absorbed back by now.

They didn't really say much about his cervical spine, other than it still looks good, and to get with the neurosurgery team to talk about a follow-up in another couple years.

All-in-all, very positive!  I will take it!

Kai's granulation tissue in his ear has been acting up again and his ear has been bleeding.  He developed a fever early last week and hasn't quite been himself since.  He will writhe in pain, just crying inconsolably.  It breaks my heart.  He has also been spitting up quite a bit, which is hard, especially since he had been to a point where several days would go by without a spit-up.  Hopefully we will be able to get his ear feeling better soon.

Japan: Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion)

Our next stop of the day was Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion.  It is so named because the top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf.


The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period, and with its natural wood pillars and white plaster walls contrasts yet complements the gilded upper stories of the pavilion. Statues of the Shaka Buddha (historical Buddha) and Yoshimitsu are stored in the first floor. Although it is not possible to enter the pavilion, the statues can be viewed from across the pond if you look closely, as the front windows of the first floor are usually kept open.
The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, and has its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. Inside is a seated Kannon Bodhisattva surrounded by statues of the Four Heavenly Kings; however, the statues are not shown to the public. Finally, the third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix. 

Funny story about this picture.  Kiyoshi-San was trying to get a picture of us and a Chinese woman kept creeping closer to Emily.  The person she was with was taking a picture of her, and she wanted to get Emily in her shot with her.  When I went next to Emily, she wanted to get both of us in.  It was really weird and creepy.

 

Coin toss--throw coins at the statues for luck

The tea garden.  We sit on top of the table, have tea and eat the sugared treat

Those are real gold flakes in the treat

A purification fountain

Emily on the bus to our next destination!

Japan: Conveyor Belt Sushi

We were all starting to get a little hungry after Ginkakuji, so we grabbed a taxi and went to a sushi restaurant for lunch.  Emily really wanted me to experience "conveyor belt sushi."  After eating, we perused a few shops before heading to our next destination.

Kiyoshi-San in the front with the taxi driver, who was extremely talkative--in Japanese (I think he may have been relieved that there were native speakers with us)

I love the rounded lights on the police car

I know it is hard to see, but if you look on the mountainside, there is a big kanji carved out

Conveyor belt sushi!  You picked what you want from the conveyor belt.  If there is a particular dish you want more of, or isn't on the conveyor, you punch it into the screen at the top, and it zips to you on the top conveyor.   You put your dishes in the slot and it counts each dish (after so many dishes you get a virtual spin for a prize).  Pretty fun.

Some of our picks--and yes, I tried everything, even natto, which is fermented soybeans!  They all had a good laugh at my reaction to that one!  They wouldn't tell me what it was until after I tried it.  The initial taste wasn't so bad, and then the "flavor" set it.  Let's just say I needed to get that taste out as quickly as possible!

This was my look of uncertainty just before I tried natto (photo courtesy of Emily)

Japan: Ginkakuji--The Silver Pavilion

From Kiyomizu-dera, we walked Kyoto for a bit, then took a bus to Ginkakuji, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion.  Ginkakuji was built in 1482 as a retirement villa after the model of the Golden Pavilion.  It was converted into a zen temple in 1490.


As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture in contrast to the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather's times. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture had a broad impact on the entire country. The arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design and architecture.
Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.

Vending machines like this can be found everywhere, even in the most remote, random places

Ironic name for a park

 Ginkakuji:

 

Many of the trees are so ancient that their limbs have started to droop.  To help protect the tree, and take weight off the limbs, they have given the trees a "helping hand"