Gold

So we woke up the next day, surprisingly eager to see even more temples and so headed out for a yummy tasty breakfast of random Japanese pastries (they need to be tasted to be believed!)

Our first stop was Kinkagu-ji, not to be confused with Ginkagu-ji, and when I say not to be confused with, I actually mean is be eternally confused with (at least in my head!).

So Kinkagu-ji is the Golden Temple and is actually gold.
Ginkagu-ji is the Silver Temple and isn't actually silver.

You'd think that would clear it up but its amazing how much confusion that one letter can lead to.

Anyhoo, confusion aside, when you walk into the grounds of Kinkagu-ji, within seconds you're faced with it.

The golden pavillion,
Reflected in the waters,
Backed by a tall forest of ever greens.

A postcard picture, that no matter how many you take, none live up to the way it glistened or caught your breath. And yet you keep trying to capture it.

It was Japan, in the way I'd imagined it.
In the way India was the Taj Mahal.
Canada was Niagara Falls
Mexico was Teotihuacan (ok so Mexico is a tequila blurred taco shop in Cholula but that's just me) .

Its all the things that represent a country before you get there that eventually get replaced by personal stuff but, for some reason, still linger.

It was Japan, and it was so Japanese.
And then it was over.

We'd seen it and we were leaving.

Anticlimax isn't the word.
It's not like it didn't live up to expectations.
It wowed and destroyed them.
It was truly more beautiful than even the postcards could portray.

But now I struggle to remember it's beauty while I clearly remember the feeling of strolling through the much less awesome Kiyomizu.

Maybe, it was just too beautiful ...