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The toilets have remote controls! Japan day 2

Kyoto

After landing yesterday at Narita, we trained in the evening to Kyoto. Good morning Kyoto! We had some sweet make your own coffee in the room with a cool coffee packet that looks like a tea bag. But then you tear off the top and fold out paper arms that hook onto the rim of the cup and pour hot water through the makeshift filter. Magic!

Gordo arrived around 10 and we gave him the things we brought for him: deodorant and timbits!

We set off into town. We visited the Imperial Palace in Kyoto first. Today is the last day of the open house where you can go in freely without booking a tour. It was pretty crowded and filled with older Japanese folk! It's a Monday I guess.


Outside the Imperial Palace in Kyoto


Strange creature we saw at the stalls outside the Imperial Palace

We walked around some more, looking for lunch. We found a tiny restaurant with only 5 tables. One just opened up so we sat down. There was no English to be seen, luckily we had a Gordo who translated the menu for us and ordered. We got various eggy things on rice. Mine had yummy mushrooms. For 750Â¥ it was pretty big and yummysauce!


Not where we had lunch, but a cool pub we noted to check out later

We took a bus to Philosophers Walk. We traipsed along a nice path lined with cherry blossoms. It was a beautiful sunny day and Chris took lots of pictures even though the blossoms had started to fall and leaves show. I had green tea ice cream and the guys got beer on the side of path. We took a seat along Philosophers Walk and enjoyed our treats in the sun. Just lovely.


Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto


What could help soothe jet lag better than beer and ice cream?

At the end of the walk there was Ginkakuji temple ahead, so we walked through empty winding residential streets at the very north of the city to the temple where it joined the main road. We toured the temple with sweet Japanese gardens and rock/sand structures. It was a pretty big place with lots of things to see and at the top, a great view of Kyoto.



Ginkakuji temple grounds

We headed back down the main path from the temple down the hill which was lined with all sorts of food stands and shops back to the bus area. We were going to catch the bus to Arashyama which is a quaint fishing town area in the western part of Kyoto, but decided it was too late to go so we got off the bus at Higashiyama.

We spotted a cafe and had a break sipping some really good espresso at Pooh's Cafe. They had some delicious looking desserts, but we were too full. We did stop at a bakery though and Gordo bought a fancy cake slice. We walked through Mauryama Park, which is a big hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot. Buncha temples, food stands and people sitting on mats and having picnics. We sat down under some trees and Gordo ate his cake.


Mauryama Park, Kyoto

We continued through the park to the old town streets of Higashiyama. Amazing old town streets converted to shops and restaurants. In the middle was a cool five story pagoda and Kodaiji temple which they light up at night in the spring. We found a cool metalworky watch shop and I got a sweet wind up watch! then we found a restaurant on the hill called "omen" with delicious homemade dipping noodles and tempura.


Higashiyama, Kyoto

We headed back to Kodaiji temple to tour the grounds which were all lit up. Very purdy.


Kodaiji lit up at night

Our feet were pretty tired after the long day of walking so we cabbed back to the hotel. An early night since Chris and I were jet lagged and Gordo had taken a night bus to Kyoto the previous night.

We did stop at a snack store on the way home to pick up some treats though. Green tea kit kats wut!!!

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