Apple Picking

We had a great time picking apples. Fuji apples are large and sweet and beautiful. Japanese like to peel off the skin on apples so when you arrive at the farm, they give you a knife and a bag. You can eat all you want off the trees, but you have to buy the take home ones. I bought 4 and they cost 730 yen, about $7.00 

Next Adventure

Well, orders have arrived, tickets are purchased and we will be home, the same day we leave here. This weekend, we went out and shopped, getting some things for the motorhome, gifts and Roy found another clock for our mantel. (That makes about an even half dozen, but what can I say, the man likes old clocks.) At least this one was made in Japan. The last one he bought here, is German I am sure. None of them work very well.....
I am very disappointed. I ordered a Buddhist Chant off ebay, won it for $4.99 and the guys said that it was returned damaged from the post office. What a bunch of crap. I bet he never had it in the first place or found another buyer. Oh well, I will keep trying.
So most of our time is going to be spent cleaning out and sorting and getting ready for the big move. We do have three more trips planned. We are going on a day trip with the City of Iwakuni, (Its a Friendship trip) to a little town that is noted for its crafts. We are also going apple picking next week and going to ride in an antique steam engine/train thru the mountains and best for last, we are going to go to our last and final Sumo match. I am going to take lots of yen so I can get some great sumo stuff, to go with my great sumo doll collection. I have 4 or 5 dolls now and I love them all.
And then we will be home and busy with the holidays. My bud is coming up for Christmas and we have a lot planned for when he comes. I am thinking about throwing a Retirement party for myself at the same place that we had a goodbye party for me in 1995. It would be fitting.

This is a picture of our room, at night the futons were laid out by the staff. A snack was waiting for us when we arrived, cookies and hot tea. 

Kukai

Kukai, known as Kobosaishi through his posthumous honorific name, sailed to China at the age of 31 in the year 804. In the ancient capital of Chang'an, he studied Tantric Buddhism under priest Keika and was granted a master title. After returning from China in 806, he had been spreading the Shingon (True Word) Sect of Buddhism.
He founded Mt. Koya (Koyasan) as a religious retreat in 816, when the then Emperor Saga granted him the land. It is said that this was the start of Kongobuji Temple.

The Taste of Mt Koya

Buddhist are vegetarian and so our three meals were all vegetarian. I must admit that by the end of the trip, I was thinking about big juicy hamburgers and carnage. But the meals were very good.
Dinner (pictured) was about 10 different items, maybe even 12. The tofu, which is generally made from Soy beans was made from Sesame seeds and had a very creamy taste and texture. (Well, as much taste as you can get from tofu) I bought some dried to bring home and if it doesn’t get confiscated by customs, we will have it at home. The tofu was served in a soy sauce and with the obligatory wasami. There were pickled things and noodle dishes, and some were delicious and others just okay, and still others not edible to my tongue. Of course there was the rice bowl and the green tea. That was funny, for just at $6.00 you could by one large beer or some hot or cold sake. That’s expensive beer, but those who order it were not disappointed. Dessert was melon and a slice of persimmon that is grown in that area and just delicious. I was more than full and the only thing that was difficult was sitting on the floor. The paper cone that you see is a hot noodle dish with mushrooms and veggies and it boiled right in the paper. It looked pretty but not much taste.

Breakfast was about the same except we had Miso soup. This miso didn’t taste like the normal soup that I have had in the past and the interpreter said that it was because Miso is generally made from fish sauce and this was not. It was good and I wasn’t disappointed and enjoyed all my meals. (But you know me, I try anything once and sometimes more than once.)

(Just to tell you about the cost of living in Japan, I went out and bought some Persimmons and 5 cost me just under $5. but they had some better ones for $10.00. $2 a piece for a persimmon. Amazing. I am going apple picking next week and if its anything like last years, the apples which are Fuji's, are sweet, juicy and also about 2 bucks each. I spent $12.00 on a bag last year and I am sure this year will be no different. )

The Sounds of Mt Koya

We got to attend a Buddhist something, ceremony might be the correct term. We were led into this darken room (and in the back were some chairs which I took advantage of) A young Buddhist priest (or novice, I am not sure which as he was dressed in blue and not the normal orange) spoke for awhile but not speaking Japanese I could only listed and look around at the peaceful room. Then the lights went out and only three candles on the alter lit the room and a priest came in and the two started a chant, many of the other participants also chanted, and bells rang, and gongs sounded and a feeling of peace enveloped us. It lasted about a half hour and then we were awarded certificates for attending. (Needless to say, I went to ebay and ordered a copy of some Buddhist Chants.)
That wasn’t the last time we were treated to chanting, it was just our first experience. Later that night, after dinner, we were taken to an auditorium and again treated to Buddhist music and chants and again, I loved the feeling that came over me. This time the chants were accompanied by a cello, violin and different percussion instruments. Sunday morning we were also again treated to a morning service and again listed to the beautiful chants. We even got to participate in this one, and I found out why, there was a collection box there (See I guess all religions are pretty much the same.)

The Sights of Mt Koya

I mentioned below that our Buddhist Adventure was a treat to all five senses. Not only were the eyes blessed with beauty and interest and ok, so we also got some rain in them, but our other senses were also stimulated beyond the norm.
I need to tell you first about the drive UP the mountain. Thank goodness we had a excellent bus driver because Japanese roads are well, narrow might be an overstatement. This road would hardly qualify as a one-lane road in the US and this bus was huge, but our bus driver took those switchbacks with a skill that I wish I would possess. He was good. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the top, I was sick and I was sitting at the front of the bus, those in back were turning shades of green. We were glad to get out, even in the rain.
We by the way were a lot of great folks from Iwakuni Marine Corp Base. Sallie was there; Belinda, our librarian; teachers from the school; Marines from HQ and of course Yugi our tour guide who admitted to being a little nervous for this one. (I don't know why, the man has never lost anyone yet, but this was a first for IT&T)Did I mention Saturday it rained, and rained and rained, but we all had umbrellas so it didn't seem to matter a great deal, we got a little wet but that was fine. We were out of the bus....We first toured Kongojuii, a huge Temple that was built by a warlord for his mother. It is absolutely huge and the gardens were raked gravel and rocks, my kind of garden, that’s for sure.From there we went across the street and from there our ears/hearing sense took over.

Buddhist Adventure

We are home from our Buddhist Adventure and I have so much to tell you, I feel absolutely overwhelmed. We saw and did so much; one letter couldn't do it justice. Each sense was stimulated. The sights were magnificent, the sounds were serene, the smells were not of this earth, the tastes were different and the feel was calming and stimulating all at the same time. We went to Mt Koya, a Buddhist RetreatMt Koya is to Buddhist in Japan, the pinnacle of the religious pyramid. First I know you know this about the Japanese and religion. Japan has two major religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, with Christianity following a distant third. If you ask a Japanese person if they are Buddhist, they will tell you they are, but they can and often are also Shinto and even Christian (This must really drive Christian missionaries nuts, as they think they have a convert and find that really don't) They do not believe that you just must practice one religion exclusively and they don't even understand that concept. They marry in the Shinto church, they bury their dead in the Buddhist tradition and celebrate Christmas all at the same time, and it is all very logical to them.Anyway, Mt Koya is a beautiful mountaintop, where Esoteric Buddhism is practiced. (I hope you don't want an explanation of that, because while I learned a lot about the practice, I didn't learn anything about the different nuances of Buddhism, that study would probably take the rest of my life)Esoteric Buddhism was started by Kukai, (Kobo Daishe is what he is called now) 774-835. Kukai was from an aristocrat family but turned to Buddhism while in University. Basically, he went to China to study Buddhism and returned to bring his teachings to the Japanese. Upon arrival in Japan he was met by a young man with two dogs, a white dog and a black dog and the young man told him the dogs would guide him to the mountain, which they did, they took him to the base of Mt Koya and there he met an old woman. (I don't really know if I understood what the old woman had to do with the story, but it is significant in some way)Kukai turned out to be a great leader and he attracted a large following and now Mt Koya has many temples, cemeteries, monasteries, etc. His mausoleum is there, as he wanted to be buried along side a river deep in the mountains. Now his mausoleum is at the top of a huge cemetery where most of Japans great and near great families have their monuments. The older part of the cemetery consists of old Samurai families, the newer section has monuments from the wars, Nissan has a huge monument dedicated to employees who died of injuries on the job, and just rich families who can afford it. There are over a half million monuments at this cemetery, which gives you some idea of the Japanese economy. I understand that what they do is divide the ashes of the deceased and one part is buried on Mt Koyo and the other part is buried in a cemetery in the person’s hometown.

Weekend Mt. Koya Trip

LOL, Recieved the following memo from the group that is sponsoring this weekends trip to the Buddhist Temple

Temple Lodging Information
We will stay at one of the temple lodging facilities on
Mt. Koya. These temple lodgings have been opened recently for tourists because
fewer Buddhist monks want to experience Ascetic (very stict) practive these
days. Therefore there is no strict discipline to follow (We heard about
the Monks hitting folks with sticks) however, there are few important things to
keep in mind.
1) There is no specific dress code. However it is
not appropriate to wear short sleeve shirts or short pants.
2) The rooms are separate for men and women (even for
married coples).
3) Meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch) are only
vegetarian food with tea or water. However, you can order Sake or Beer for a
charge at dinnertime (Soft Drinks are not available)
4) Dinner starts promptly at 5:30pm and Breakfast
starts promptly at 7:30am. Everyone is expected to eat
together
5) You are allowed to bring your own sacks (snacks?)
and drinks (there are no vending machines). However these items may only be
consumed in the privacy of your room.
6) While you are having dinner, employees of the
lodging facility will make your bed (Futon)
7) The public bathing facilities are only available
from 1600 to 2300 (there is nothing available in the mornign) Women and men's
bathrooms are separate. Please bring your own shampoo, soap, toothbrush,
and bath towel.
8)Both Japanese and Western style toilets are
available
9) Zen practice (meditation) is held early in the
mornng, 30 minutes before breakfast. Your nightgown, pajamas, or the Yukatas
provided by the lodging facility are not appropriate for this
practice
10) There is no safety box for your valuables
11) Silence Time is from 2300 until the next morning
around 0500.
12 The Yukata (night wear ((robe))) furnished by the
facility is for use in your room only. Please leave it in your room before
checking out.

I am really looking forward to this trip, but a little worried. I am not much for public bathing.... so we will see how that goes. I might just pack a bunch of wetwipes and forget the whole thing.

Maybe I need to explain about the roof tiles

I spoke below about roof tiles and thought that maybe I should explain why Roy is fasinated by them. It seems that the old families in Japan each had their own roof tile design so that is why there are so many different ones. Above in another design from Iwakuni families.

I am not sure this qualifies as an interesting picture, but there are few blogs that feature roof tiles so may be I can class the picture as unique if nothing else

This tile adorns a thatched roof.

Just hit me

OMG, I just read another persons travel blog and okay, if mine get that bad would someone please hit me. The first word of every sentence was "I". It was scary, and the pictures .. Pretty.. But much the same.
Pictures... We all take pictures and what do we do with them all?. All right, raise your hand, how many of you have a shoe box full of pictures that you never look at. Roy just bought a $1000.00 camera and is talking about buying a $1000 dollar zoom lens to go with it. So, what are we going to do with all those pictures and who is going to look at them and how many sunsets can a person take AND when its all said and done, in a year from now, heck a month from now, heck tomorrow, there will be another sunset and I won't know one cloud from another. LOL Dear daughter, it looks as if your going to not only inherit the mess in the garage, but your going to have to dump a million pictures of stuff that you don't even know what or where or who they are.) As it is, he takes picture of stuff and I haven't a clue what they are when I get home. "Roy, what is this a picture of?" "Oh, that a roof tile, isn't it cool"? But I thought we had enough pictures of roof tiles?" Well, this one is special cause its on a roof that we haven't taken a picture of before"! Actually, I am kidding but we do have a dozen roof tile pictures.
Okay, I promise, if I post a picture, it will be of something that you have never seen before, or something truly remarkable. No sunsets. No pictures of pretty mountains or Aunt Tillys back yard, or a wild flower surrounded by rocks, or rosy rear end or even roof tiles, regardless of how interested you are in roof tiles. Also, kill me if I start to post pictures of our motorhome or worse the inside of our motorhome. (I suppose if I have one of those $150.000 dollar mansions on wheels then I would post a picture of it, but ours is Ms Cheapo Casita and hopefully she is camera shy but if you want to see a picture of her google Pursuit by Georgie Boy and check it out. Better yet, call me and we will come and visit and I'll give you a private tour. (Yep Cousin Linda, you're my first visit....)

When we first move out of metropolitan USA in 1974 we moved to Ft Leonardwood MO. I had never lived in a town without at least 2 million people and suddenly I find myself in rural American. I might as well have been in Mongolia because while we all spoke almost the same language, I just didn't know about rural life.. I remember one day Jean and I were reading the local paper and I was almost in shock because the big stories of the day was that Trudy Jones had company over for Sunday Dinner and she served chicken and rice. I was laughing so hard I nearly pee'd my pants. I'm sorry, in San Francisco or LA or even Guadalajara, the big story would be a crime or a politician or even some gossip about a famous person, but that anyone served chicken and rice would never have made any page of the San Francisco Chronical...
Now Jean was a new friend that I made when I moved to Missouri and she spoke some "rural". She taught me about 'cracklins and boiled peanuts (Expect I thought she was saying bald peanut and that made no sense to me at all. What was a bald peanut?. She had to buy me a bag and of course I became addicted immediately, and you can bet I am going to time my next visit to bald peanut season) and I taught her about tacos and French bread.
Were was I going with this. Wow, old age is horrible, brain fart, I have no idea what the point was going to be. Maybe that some of the travel blogs that I read are like rural Americana and I should just keep my mouth shut. I just don't want to sound like a second grader.... and I know that If I tried to keep a running log of our travels you would hear a lot of boring stuff. "Today we put 30 miles on the rig and visited "big tree" and boy was big tree, a very very big tree with pretty green leaves"! Stick my finger down my throat.

Now I know that your all excited to hear about our trip to Mt Koya and the stay with the Buddhist monks next week. I hope I make the bus as it leaves at 0500. Grrrr.

End of Summer

Great and beautiful day today. The weather has gone from hot and humid to warm and beautiful. School has started so the streets are quiet for most of the day and I've got a stack of great books to read. Sallie, my engineer friend here on base told me she was reading Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series and I remembered how much I loved them, sooooo I went to Amazon.com (What would I do with out Amazon?) and ordered book one thru 6. I'm reading three, the Mummy Case and its fun reading. The first book, she is a spinster who is traveling the world and while visiting Egypt, she meets and falls in love with Radcliff Emerson, a noted archeologist. The second book is just as good, they get themselves into some different mysteries, which together they solve. Now the third book, their young son Ramsey has joined them and he stays in trouble, falling into a sand pit, stealing a lion cub, etc....
Also, sadly in some ways, I am packing up and getting ready to return home. Leaving Japan will be so hard, for I have made some great friends, and we have had some great times. Roy is also dragging his feet as he doesn't want to leave either. He was even offered a great job here, where he would make lots of money, but we're ready to come home. We need to break in the motor home, we have guests coming for Christmas and I have been tapped to go on a disaster assignment as soon as I am ready. I don't think I'll be ready right away.
Anyway, I really love fall. Its my favorite time of year and Japan is beautiful

Sumo is over for the September Basho

Vickie, did I tell you that Sumo comes to Las Vegas in the fall. Meet me there next year (06) cause I won't be home in time this year. BUT, I will be going to Fukaoka in November to watch the last night of the last basho of 05. I don't care that I can only afford seats in the "nose-bleed" section and I don't care that Kaio, my favorite, favorite will probably be retired, I just want a glimps of Kotooshu, and I want to get a calendar and maybe a signed autograph and oh, another sumo doll to add to my collection.
This was a great match. Kotooshu, the big Bulgarian with beautiful blue eyes and not an ounce of fat on his body did an outstanding job, winning 13 of the 15 matches. He was just promoted to Sekiwaki, thats like the third level and he made history, beating just about everyone. Unfortunately, he didn't beat the Yokosuna, (top dog) so he didn't become champion but he still did an outstanding job and made history. There is always next basho. http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_2510.html
I am going to miss Sumo. Its been a great part of my Japan adventure and I thank Vic for turning me on to it.

Can you do Japan on a dime?

Judy emailed me that she and DH are coming to Japan for a visit. Unfortunately she will be here when the cherry blossoms are out and I will not be here to show her around. She asked if I had any tips for doing Japan cheaply as she posted in another blog and the only comment she got was "Japan ain't cheap"
That person is right Judy. Japan isn't a cheap vacation. If you want cheap, right now some of the best places to go are Vietnam and China. Both places are great places to visit, and both can be done on a budget.
But there are some tricks to keeping prices down in Japan also.
1) The Bullet Train is the best way to get around Japan and you can get a two week pass and go just about anywhere with it for a bargain price. Make sure you get the pass outside of Japan cause it isn't available here in country. Japanese are good about helping and much is written in English. Just remember, they leave on time. Period.
2) There are youth hostels just about all over, and elder hostels also. While I have never stayed in one, I have seen the one here in town and it is in a beautiful park like area and quiet.
3) Food in Japan is expensive, but you can get some great meals from places like Family Mart and 7-11. They sell bento boxes for 3 to 5 dollars, juice boxes, soft drinks, coffee, etc. Bakery's sell delicious baked goods but be careful, some might have bean paste or potato or even bacon and egg or cheese. Also the fast food restaurants are a good deal and they are just about in every big town. Don't expect to get hamburgers, you'll more than likely get a rice bowl with meat, or noodles (Ramen) Dont eat in hotel restaurants, they are very expensive unless you get breakfast with your room rent.
4) Hotels are expensive so go online and spend some time looking around. If you only have a week
5) If you only have a week or so, fly into Osaka and take the local train to Kyoto. It is the best, most beautiful city with both history and lots to see and do.
6) We stayed at the New Kyoto Hotel or Hotel New Kyoto, something like that. It cost about $123 for two nights, and the room as a twin bed, table, chair, TV (All Japan TVs have pay porn, so if you think its a movie channel, think again. Its porn) bath, shower and they have slippers and a robe for you to wear. The robes are not to leave the hotel so don't think they are gifts.
In the lobby of the hotel you can get a daily bus pass for 500 yen. Its a bargain and you will soon find the tourist buses. When you have see all that Kyoto has to offer, check on some of the outlining areas for more great things.
The golden pavillion is a must. Nijo Castle with its nightengale floors is worth the price, great museams, craft stores, and the Ginza is not to be missed.
Anyway, Judy girl, you can do Japan on a dime , well lots of dimes maybe. But you will come back with a smile on your face.

Sophie Sale

We had our last fund raiser of the year and my last fund raiser, period. It was a lot of fun and of course, we were some of the biggest customers. Sophie sells antique furniture, replica furniture, baskets and stuff.
I bought two beautiful, hand carved window shutters, one for each child. I know RB will love it, but might not be Bets taste at all. Also, purchased each a little chest with hand carving on the front. Then Roy won a 19 century red and gold cubboard. Again not my taste, but its very old, hand carved and I am sure one of our friends will love it, or maybe our new S-I-L would like it.

Sophie, the lady who sells the antique furniture and Nye, the Persian Rug guy, and so fun. Sophie is Chinese and just built a house in Bejing. She has invited us to come visit and we are thinking about it as it would be an adventure of a lifetime. Nye is from England but he is Indian by nationality and unfortunately, he got very sick while here and had to be hospitalized. I really feel sorry for him as he speaks only a small bit of Japanese so he doesn't even know what is happening to him. Sophie speaks Japanese, many of the Chinese dialects, English, and many of the middle eastern languages. I guess you have to be fluent when you travel like she does. She also owns a home in London and one in Okinawa. She is a citizen of the world.

Speaking about being a citizen, I am down to 2 months and one week before I retire. I am so excited. We have already made plans to have our buddy from Portland come and spend Christmas with us and then we are off Oregon, Calif, Arizona and New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. That should take us at least a year, but if I never get home that will be find also.

Still not feeling well, but think it must be bad diet, stress and just the crude.

Tonight is pottery class again. Haven't been in a month as the typhoon cancelled the last class. I hope my vase shows up, and the pot I was working on.

Its been a week.

All week, I have come here trying to think of something profound to write about and nothing has come to mind. I haven't been feeling well. Nothing that I can point to at all, just feeling bad. The problem is that, when I can't identify whats wrong, I get anxiety attacts ever since I returned from Iraq, plus I'm a hypocondriac, so put the two together, and I am a real mess.
Monday I started water arobics and ooooo, the water felt so good. I didn't want to get out at all.

See I have nothing to talk about and this is boring and dull. Maybe I'll come up with something next week.

Updates

1) Well one wimpy typhoon turned into a monster in the community. There was a lot of flooding and even more damage than we thought. I watched the Japanese news and it was scary.

2) Roy loved the idea of staying at the Buddhist Temple in October so he is going to sign us up today. Did I mention the price, $200 dollars per person for one night......

3) I think I am going to change the name of Casita to something Japanese and will decorate it with my beautiful Japanese art.

4) Pottery class was cancelled this week due to the typhoon and my poor half pot is rapidly drying out.

5) Two months and 3 weeks to retirement.

Mysteries of Buddhism Tour

Wait til you read about our next adventure. Its called the Mysteries of Buddhism tour and we leave on the 15th of October at 0500 and travel to Mt Koya. Mt Koya is north of here (well actually we've had this discussion about my sence of direction ) Its above Osaka actually, about a 5 hour drive.
http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/.
Once we get there, we will have a half-day guided sightseeing tour to the Temples and around the area. Then we check into the Temple for a traditional Monk's lodging (males and females separate, of course) We have a half hour lecture on Basic Buddhist Concepts and then a traditional vegetarian Monk's dinner, followed by a concert by a Shingon Buddhist Monk. Sound fun so far? The night is going to be interesting. Males and females sleep separately, there is a public bath and toilet, but not in the room. Meals are, of course vegetarian and we will sleep on a Japanese tatami floor with a futon. We need to bring our own soap, shampoo, towels and toothbrushes.

Day 2 is Morning Zen Meditation, followed by a traditional monks breakfast and after breakfast we will visit yet another Temple and participate in the "Goma" Fire Ritual and more meditation.
I am really excited as it sounds like a great time. I just hope we can find a few more folks to join us as minimum 15 people are needed to do this trip.

I will certainly tell you all about it and hope that I can take pictures of everything.

Typhoon

While the US has been recovering from Hurricane Kathrine, we in Japan had our own Super typhoon to deal with yeasterday. Actually, while there was some flooding and a few deaths, Japan was very lucky. It was classed as a Super Typhoon, a 4 or 5 on the US scale, but it only glanced off Okinawa and by the time that it got to us, had lost a lot of its punch. The winds gusted at about 50 MPH which is nothing. Today it went back out to sea to see if it could regroup but I think the cooler waters in the north just killed it off completely

Last year, we had three typhoons hit and the year is still young, so we will have more I am sure.

Kyoto, Japan

Its my birthday and what a way to celebrate. Saturday morning, Sallie, Berry and Bev Nelson and Roy and I loaded up a van and headed north to Kyoto. The weather was outstanding but we did hear about a Super Typhoon brewing in the south. Nothing we were going to worry about.
We have all been to Kyoto before and we have all loved it, but before we had taken a tour with ITT and this time we were on our own.
We had a lot of trouble finding a hotel that could accommodate us all. We needed two doubles and one single and we needed parking. Parking it turned out was the hardest thing to find. Some had no parking at all, some changed hourly, but finally we found one with free parking, and the price was right.
Well, okay Japanese hotels are expensive. If you can find something for under a hundred a night, you can consider yourself really lucky. The Kyoto New Hotel, (which I don't think is very "new") checked in at just $100 a night for a double and that was a great deal. It had two beds, a refrig, a pot to make hot water, and like all hotels, robes and slippers.
The trip up was about 6 hours long with all of us taking a turn at driving, and we arrived before check in time so we started sighseeing right away. The first stop was to a handicraft place where they showed how textiles were woven, wood was carved, pottery turned, etc. It was fasinating, especially the textiles. We spent a good three hours just wandering around looking at all the Japanese crafts.
Our Hotel wasn't hard to find and like most Japanese hotels, the rooms were small and clean. The beds have to be the hardest in the world, and the pillows are all rice husks or barley or some sort of bean. Also, you can always find porn on Japanese television so I always tell folks not to let the kids channel surf in Japan cause they will get a great education.
We all decided that Italian would be a great dinner and we found a restaurant a couple blocks away. Have I mentioned that Japanese food is expensive. For 33.00 Roy and I had a plate of noodles and some garlic bread and drinks.
Sunday morning, we went downstairs for breakfast and I ordered the Japanese Breakfast for 12.00. I got a green salad, a raw egg, a slice of smoked fish, miso soup and a bowl of rice. I mixed the egg in the miso to cook it a bit. The others only groaned when they saw me eat it, but it was better than their watery scrambled eggs with catsup and corn soup.
We hopped a bus and went to the Silver Pavillion. They were doing some construction but the grounds were beautiful. From there we walked along the river on the Philosophers path, past a half dozen or so temples, like the one above. They are so beautiful, but like castles, temples are all starting to look like, so we headed to the Kyoto National Museum.
I am telling you, it was probably the most interesting one that I have seen in a long time. There were huge Buddas carved from wood dating back to the 15 and 16th century. There was pottery dating back to about the 1st century and examples of kimonos that were just awesome. It was an amazing museum.
Lunch for 4, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and ice tea. 30.00 dollars
Our final stop was the Kyoto Handicraft Gallery where they make and sell everything Japanese from pearl jewerly, laquare ware, woodblocking, textiles, etc. We bought a music box for a friend of mine in Washington and some pictures of Kyoto for us. While we were shopping, the rain started and it didn't let up for the rest of the trip.
We certainly lucked out for dinner. We found this little Chinese place a couple blocks from the hotel and we had the most delicious meal, best Chinese since I have been here. It was a popular place, as tables were all full and folks can in for take out constantly. It was a winner and if I ever go back, its on the short list of places to eat. Cheap to,,,, well for Japan.
Monday we headed home as the typhoon was getting closer and closer and we didn't want to get stuck.