Kyoto and Nara

After leaving Tokyo, Dave and I made our way to Kyoto by way of the Shinkansen or "Bullet Train". It only took about 2.5 hours to get to Kyoto on this train versus the 9 hours it would have taken had we tried the regular train. After checking into the hotel, Dave and I walked around the city for a bit. That night we decided to check out the Gion District of Kyoto. We started by seeing the popular Gion Corner's traditional performances. We saw the Maiko (apprentice Geisha) perform a Kyoto-style dance, followed by a traditional theater production (kyogen) and famous puppet drama (bunraku). Afterwards, we participated in a tea ceremony where two women explained how to properly partake in this Japanese tradition. The Macha (type of green tea) was delicious! While looking for a place to eat dinner after the show, Dave and I saw a few Maikos walking down the streets dressed in their kimonos. This picture is of Dave as we arrived in the Gion area of Kyoto.

The next day, we decided to take the bus tour again, as we did in Tokyo. This time we took the full-day tour however, which kept us moving all day! Kyoto is filled with beautiful temples and shrines. Although we only stopped at the most famous of these temples and shrines, we were able to see tons of shrines and temples hidden within the modern city as we drove from site to site. This picture is of the Kinkakuji Temple or "Golden Pavilion".

For some reason, Japanese school students love talking to me. This is a picture of me with the group of Jr. High School students who interviewed me in English for a class assignment. I think I totally confused them by saying that I came from Okinawa, but they appreciated me helping them by giving my answers in both English and Japanese. haha.
Here is Dave at the gardens of Nijo Castle! Kyoto was spared during WW2, so much of the old castles and architecture still remain. Dave and I both enjoyed all the wooden stuctures throughout Kyoto. The rest of this day was spent visiting the Imperial Palace, Sanjusangendo, Heian Shrine and gardens, and the Kiyomizu Temple. Since the night before was spent trying (for 2 hours) to satisfy Dave's craving for a tunafish sandwich for dinner, we decided that we should finish our time in Kyoto with a great meal. And that we did! The hotel manager recommended an awesome Yakiniku restaurant! We both agreed that it was probably the best beef we've ever had. I dare say it was better than the famous Kobe beef!

Next on the agenda was Nara, Japan. Nara was about a 45 min. train ride south of Kyoto. It rained the entire day, but we felt fortunate that this was the only day that we really had any rain (we took the trip during the rainy season...not so smart). We checked into the hotel early and found that I had booked a twin room instead of a double..... oooppppss!!! Dave was not happy, but I found it rather amusing! haha! The mistake was worth it though because the view from the room was awesome! This is a pic from inside the room. The five story pagoda looked like a painting on the wall. So cool!


The next morning we got up early and took a walk through some parks on the way to see the giant bronze Buddha statue in the Todaiji Temple. We saw tons of deer in the parks. They were very friendly, as they are often fed by tourists. I was attacked by 3 as I tried to feed them. There's a picture of this on our picture page. (link is to the right)
Inside the Todaji Temple (one of the largest wooden structures in the world), I had the opportunity to paint on a tile that would be used to restore part of the roof. They charged about 10 dollars to raise money to help restore parts of the temple. I wrote my name in Kanji and Dave's in Katakana (a few mistakes... oopps). Also, I added the date, "Okinawa" and a wish for "Long Life".

After visiting the temple Dave and I headed to the center of town so we could catch a bus to the airport. Our Okinawan friends greeted us (okaerinasai!!, or... "welcome home") at the aiport as we returned from mainland Japan.