Snapshots from Kyoto
If a picture's worth 1,000 words, 9 pictures makes this post 9,000 words, right?
Dear friends,
Until I take the time to dig into the stories behind each photo or otherwise try to do justice to what it’s been like in the first of my two weeks in Japan, here’s a quick recap based on the nine pictures above. Photos are numbered left to right, up to down:
Photo 1: Monkeys at the park at Arashiyama, which we fed (peanuts and apples, but only in the enclosed area) and watched fight (aggressively!)
Photo 2: First sake in Japan at Kikyo Sushi in Kyoto, our first non-konbini and non-hotel meal in Japan
Photo 3: Taking in some culture and history at Ni-jo castle and gardens in the heart of Kyoto.
Photo 4: A quick picture of Nishiki market, which is fairly touristy, but had some passable sushi and more toy vending machines in a single square meter than I’ve seen in my entire life.
Photo 5: No visit to Japan is complete without at least one animal cafe. The last time I was here, I went to a hedgehog cafe in Tokyo. This time, I visited a mini pig cafe in Kyoto.
Photo 6: The deer in Nara park can be extremely mean and aggressive when it comes to getting their fill of the deer crackers sold outside of the park. This deer was among the nicer deer and did not head-butt me.
Photo 7: A smile at the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the most iconic shrine site in Kyoto. My leg held up through the thousands of steps. I was extremely achy the next day, but the view was worth it.
Photo 8: Photographic evidence of most memorable night in our married life since our wedding. Our night out at the all-you-can-drink karaoke bar in the Geisha District of Kyoto with Shinji, the chef from the sushi restaurant where we had dinner that night.
Photo 9: The bullet train ticket from Kyoto to Odawara, one of the easiest and most straightforward transit transitions to get to Hakone, the city most known for its traditional ryokan resorts and many hot springs.
More words soon, but enjoy the pictures for now!
Until next time,
Erica
Incredible!! 🤩