Our Trip to Kyoto

We have a week off, so this week we decided to go to Kyoto for a few days. Our trip started on Wednesday, with an early morning, 4 hour ferry ride and an hour train ride to get to the Kyoto station. The station has 15 floors, so we got lost right away! We finally found our hotel after a while and decided to walk to Nijo-jo, a famous castle. It looked close on the map but ended up being a forty-minute walk.

Here we are in front of Nijo-jo. It's famous for it's nightingale floors, which are floors designed to squeak at every step to reveal any sneaking intruders upon the castle. Cash was light enough that the floors didn't squeak as he ran around the castle, so you're doomed if someone sics a baby assassin on you!

On Thursday, we headed to Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple. This place was packed with tourists, most of them from different European countries. The temple is covered in gold leaf and is in the middle of a beautiful landscape.

From there, we walked to Ryoan-ji, which is famous for its Zen rock garden. Cash tries to find enlightenment while sitting in a wet diaper--kind of tricky.

After that, we headed up Teacup Lane, which is a steep climb to Kiyomizudera. The lane is famous for making and selling special pottery. It's near to Gion, a famous district known for geisha teahouses. We spotted some elusive geisha on their way there.

This is Kyomizudera, a famous temple that has an amazing view of the city.

The crowd lines up for the healing waters that flow from the temple's waterfall.

Fox gets a taste of the healing water.

What makes this my favorite spot: Ice cream! I got a kinako (toasted soybean) flavor cone that was served with an edible cinnamon spoon. So yummy! The other flavors are black sesame, green tea, vanilla, and cherry blossom.

Our last spot was Ryozen Kannon, such a beautiful spot that the guidebooks don't mention often. It is a memorial to all of the Japanese soldiers who died in World War 2.

On Friday, we left Kyoto to explore Kobe and then got home last night. Cash did so great on the long ferry ride, thanks to the children's playroom they had. Here we are on the ferry as it nears the Akashi-ohashi bride, the longest suspension bridge in Japan.

We had a great time and were so happy to get off of our small island for a while. Big cities are so much fun after living so long in a rural area.