Nara

Our last day in Kyoto we took the train to Nara, the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. These days Nara is known for the 1200 deer that wander among the temple crowds. There is a legend that a mythical deity arrived in Nara on the back of a white deer to protect the city. Hence the deer have been given sacred status, and roam around wherever they choose. Mostly they stay where the tourists are, eating the biscuits that vendors sell to feed them.

On the train. This was the trip where David and Anna bonded over their geekdom. Anna now plays video games on David's iPhone.

Persimmon (and citrus) shop.

Wedding photos.

Prayers tied onto a tree next to a shrine.

The main temple. It has a massive buddha inside. Alas it is virtually impossible to photograph.

Along the side of the road. Not sure what the apron is for. Anyone know?

Watching the turtles.

Temples and shrines, and more temples and shrines

As I mentioned in my previous post, Kyoto has more temples and shrines than you can imagine. They're everywhere. Duck into Starbucks and you may very well find a beautiful shrine out back.

Our second day in Kyoto, we decided to walk along the northeast side of town, beginning with Ginkaku-Ji (the Silver Pavillion) and heading south along the Philosopher's Path. We didn't have any particular agenda, so we were free to stop wherever we saw something that intrigued us. My favorite find of the day was a large, hidden cemetery (I have a thing for old cemeteries—it goes back to the vanning days with my dad).

The first group of photos is all from Ginkaku-Ji. After that, I really stopped keeping track of which temple was which.




These gravel gardens were very large, with walls over a foot high.














The entrance to the cemetery.








At one of the smaller temples along the Philosopher's Path.






At a Shinto Shrine.

Kyoto: Kiyomizu Temple

We have been in Kyoto just over 24 hours and I am totally smitten. This is a true city of contrast. There are centuries-old temples side-by-side with every 21st century convenience. There are kimono-clad women (and some men) of all ages on the buses and in the shops. The food is amazing, the city is navigable, and it is unbelievably beautiful here. I find it so much more interesting here than in Tokyo, which feels like many other large, international cities to me. Kyoto is unique.

Last night we were pleasantly surprised to find a delightful, narrow, covered street filled with shops and restaurants not far from our hotel. The crowds were impressive, as they are most everywhere we've been in Japan. But really, it's an important part of the experience here—feeling the bustle of all the bodies.

In the morning we headed to Kiyomizu Temple, the most famous temple in Kyoto (impressive for a city that boasts thousands of temples). The weather was perfect and the temple site was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is a huge, sprawling complex with many buildings, fountains, and all the gorgeous autumn leaves.










The water cascades down from a spring and is believed to have healing qualities.




We stopped for a bowl of noodles in a tea house on the temple grounds. We have all fallen in love with the bowls of noodles, broth, and sweet, fried tofu.






The road leading to the temple is packed with little shops and restaurants. And mobs of people!




Afterwards, we sat on the river banks and watched snowy egrets and herons play in the water.


Anna made some new friends.



We ended the day with a vegetarian dinner made by a cat-loving nun. We ordered 3 "dinner sets", each with rice and soup and four unique dishes—a total of 12 delicious plates!

Tsukiji Fish Market and Ginza

Saturday was my favorite day yet in Tokyo. The three of us headed to the famed Tsukiji Fish Market for a breakfast of extraordinarily fresh sushi and to sightsee. We didn't make it in time for the 5am auction, but given the previous days of jetlag, I was grateful for the extra hour of sleep.

The market itself is really a cluster of narrow streets packed with all sorts of food vendors, although the emphasis is on all varieties of seafood.










Not entirely sure what that is, or why it's there. Not sure I want to know.















Practicing her Japanese.






Afterwards, David went to his conference while Anna and I headed to Ginza for more adventuring. It happened to be Saturday, which meant that the main boulevard was closed to traffic, turning the wide street into a pedestrian walkway for blocks. We window shopped, met a friendly bear, examined strange foods (both real and plastic), and ran down the middle of the street. It really could not have been a more perfect day.