Korea and Kyoto

[cos]

On Tuesday I'm going to Korea for two weeks, with a 2.5-day trip to Kyoto in there. Visiting estheruth who lives in the far south of Korea, and my cousin Hadas is joining me from Israel for Kyoto and about half the Korea time. May get to see japlady in Seoul as well. Korea will include Seoul, Mokpo, Jeju, and probably some other place (Gwangju maybe?). Got any tips about Kyoto or Korea, or favorite things in either place, or people you know who I might want to meet? Or people I know and don't realize are there?

Comments

[catamethyst.livejournal.com]

I was in Kyoto as part of an undergraduate class on Buddhism, so that's my lens. But my favorite temples were Ginkakuji (amazing dry sand garden) and ‪Ryōan-ji‬ (my favorite rock garden). I'd recommend both.

Aside from temples, Iwatayama Monkey Park is commercial but fun (at the top, you're in a cage while macaques roam freely around you), and Nara is full of domesticated deer trying to steal your food, which some people find distinctive and charming.