The Kinkakuji Golden Temple is a truly breathtaking sight. Resting atop calm waters and surrounded by a peaceful green garden, the view of the temple inspires both awe and calm repose. Sadly, this lovely view is nothing more than that -- a single calm vantage surrounded by the hectic throngs of hundreds of tourists and Japanese school children. Look in any direction but at the temple, and you see guests, employees herding the guests around, fences and large signs telling you where not to walk, and tables selling cookies and temple-related trinkets.

But even in the hubub there's some fun to be had. The school children were enamored of my tall and very American looking friend and attacked him in droves with questions and school assignments that they wanted him to be a part of. Sometimes kids would take our picture. Many of the vendors offered free samples of cookies, bean paste balls, and tea. The tea was horrifyingly offensive to my taste buds, but I loved stuffing my face with the bean balls and cookies.