Kyoto Day 12

Blogging this trip is a real pain.  We had two camera's and they don't align in chronological order on the blog and rearranging is a pain and.....gah, oh well, I will want to have this.  This was a particularly fun day.  It was forecast to be the hottest day so we planned accordingly.  Again I will post Rob's itinerary. 

Day 12. Northwest Kyoto. Probably my favorite Kyoto day, itin worked well.

Ryoanji. ++. Great, there just barely after it opened (8) and beat the crowds.

Kinkakuji. +. Cool, but insanely crowded. Got there just after opening (9).

Walk to train, train x 2 to Kameoka. Quick lunch there.

Hozukawa River trip. +++. At noon. Great.

Monkey park. ++. Good views, trippy.

Tenryu-ji Zen temple and garden. ++.

Bamboo forest. +. Quick but cool.

Kimono forest. +/-. Kind of nothing, but maybe better at night. At train station. Train home.

Curry for kids at CoCo, Donguri for adults.

The walk to Riyoanji, home of a very famous and ancient Zen garden.

So next was Kinkajuji, the Golden Pavillion.  We hoped by getting there at opening we would beat the crowds. Oh, boy oh boy oh boy, we did no such thing.  Would love to go back when it isn't a zoo.  

I mean you can see why everyone wants to go to there, but man....

Shannon and I are big believers in reading the signs and the brochures describing what we are seeing.  

Morale was low after the crowds so we got outta there.

We took a train up to Kameoka where we had a quick lunch (the girls all opted for McD's.  I know, I know, but it tasted SO GOOD. Tucker was understandably disgusted by our decision).  We then took a boat ride down the incredibly gorgeous Hozukawa River.  It was a wooden boat and there were a few very small rapids, but enough that those of us sitting in the right place got a good drenching.  It felt divine on the hot day.  Towards the end of the ride food vendor boats pulled right up and we bought squid and other treats.  It was surprising, hilarious, and made it feel far less hard core.  

We took a train u

Anders and Rob had a go....

After we finished the boat ride we crossed the river, had some gelato and went to this cool monkey park.  It was weird and cool and fun.  

Tenryu-ji Zen temple and garden was last on the agenda, and it sits right next to the Bamboo forest.  It was lovely.  And the bathrooms in Japan are so clean and so nice.  You can't wear shoes inside the temples which makes them so clean, and slippers are provided in the immaculate bathrooms.  Anyway, the bathrooms alone are worth going to to Japan for. 

The train station was next to the "kimono forest" which was kinda cool.  Not worth a trip on it's own but it was on the way, so why not?

We went to dinner that night at this really delish place without the kids.  A fun ending to the day.