The first time I went to Kyoto I was shocked to discover that it's a fully modern metropolis: a bustling city with cars, apartment blocks, high rise hotels, fast food restaurants and all the rest. I was expecting it to be all temples and gardens and Buddhist monks walking around in purple robes. After getting over that initial disappointment, the magic began to reemerge, and part of the city's subtle charm is that, almost like traveling in time, you can walk a few yards from the street, pass through a temple entrance and suddenly be in another world. There's always something new to discover in this mysterious, inscrutable city...