Luck be a Geisha

July 3, 2010

I heart Kyoto!!! Peter and I got a late start on the day with the pouring rain being a bit of a deterent, but after rain gearing up we set out for our day hike around the Higashiyama-ku area - known for it's dense temple population and beautiful cobble stone streets. Us two crazy party animals shut down the temples today before making our way back to the hostel after another late dinner.


A small zen rock garden at Chion-in.


Peter and I splurged on a temple wish at the love shrine, Yasaka-jinja. Hopefully now we won't have to visit the break-up and divorce shrine on the otherside of town. (Not joking!)


A view in the Maruyama-koen Park.


What luck!!! We saw a real group of geishas getting into a taxi outside a very expensive hotel. From what I have been told seeing a real geisha is purely chance and the chances aren't good.








Peter and I at the Ryozen Kannon Temple.

I love me my Totoro! I think Peter is channeling Totoro . . . or making a poop face. I can't quite tell.

These two ladies are making black bean cake sweets. Very good, just don't order them with salty sesame seeds. It doesn't quite have the same great salty sweet tase of kettle corn.

This gentlemen was making 7 step wood block prints. He was kind enough to explain and show me the process and in return I was kind enough to buy one of his postcards.

Just one of the beautiful streets on our walk around the Sannen-zaka area of Kyoto.

Very weird, but Peter and I had several groups Japanese folks ask to take their picture with us today. My beauty is quite irresistable!

I think I'd like to fancy myself a photographer. There are plenty of women who wear kimonos in Kyoto but we also learned there are plenty of toursits who just rent the outfit for the day too. Not sure which group these two fall into.

Peter and I at our firt temple of the day Kiyomizu-dera . It's an UNESCO world heritage site and with good reason!

July 2, 2010

Peter and I spent the morning in Takayama finishing seeing all the sights that were still on our to do list: the local morning market, the ninja house musuem and the Hida Folk Village. We then jumped on a few more trains and made our way to Kyoto where we spent the afternoon wandering around the Gion district before making a new friend at our vegan restaurant that night, Hale.

A Japanese Irish band playing on the street - an odd mix but they were quite good!

Peter and I wandering around the Gion district of Kyoto. We heard this was the area to spot a Geisha but no luck yet!

It is said that if you make a wish while the bell is still echoing, it will come true so I'm not telling.

Peter and I at the Hida Folk Village. This is a collection of old farmer's homes from around the Hida district of Japan that were rescued when the government installed a hydrodam and flooded the area.

The ninja house musuem in Takayama - he was a doctor by day and a ninja by night. We saw the secret ceiling stairwell to prove it!