TENRYU-JI, BAMBOO FOREST
We went through the shrine and it was such a beautiful morning, but we are headed to the railroad. After looking at our options, one way was to go through the Bamboo Forest, and you know what? It wasn't crazy, yes it was busy but nothing like the pictures we have seen.



Portrait of Bodhidharma, which you see when you first enter the temple

Screens in the Hall

Another shot

Gardens, they were very beaustifuyl of course, with mountains in the background

More Gardens

Entering into the Bamboo Forest

Bamboo Forest

More Bamboo Forest

This is another stand of Bamboo we discovered walking and there was hardly anyone on this path

SAGANO SCENIC RAILWAY
With all the walking we have been doing over the last two days, I think a nice train ride is in store. The Sagano Scenic Railway is a 25 minute ride on an open window train along the Katsura River. I've read about it, it looks fun and we need the break. It's only about $10 one way for two people. In fact, when we looked at the alternatives to get back from Kameoka, we stayed on the train. The boat ride looked really fun, but at $38 per person we passed. We're not rolling in dumpling dough if you know what I mean. Took it back to the main station at Torokko Arashiyama Station. Again, it is a hot day and the ride along the river is beautiful and you can look down on all the boats going through the rapids. I would recommend this to anyone who is going to Arashiyama.



Here comes the train! It's says Romantic on the train, but I think that, thats a marketing ploy!

All aboard, the train was pretty packed.

There is a roof but large open windows give you nice views.

First shot along the river

This stop is Hozuko and these are raccoon dogs, they are a thing here, a few people get off...

...and walk over this bridge to get to some hiking trails

The river has a lot of rocks...

...and quite a few rapids. I don't know the rating, but they seemed like there would be dips in the river.

Another river shot

One of the river boats. There is a guy in the back and two guys upfront.

ADASHINO NENBUTSUJI TEMPLE
After we finished our train rides, we hiked up the street to the Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple. I saw hiked, we actually simply walked nicely paved streets to the temple, there was no Indiana Jones stuff, but it is uphill, both ways, if that counts for anything. By the time we get to the temple, we are pretty well drained, it's been a lot of walking for us, although luckily not a lot of stairs today. After we visit the Adashino, we stop for a Coke and some yummy ice cream. I'm a little disappointed because Adashino is not what I thought it was with all of the heads. That is Otagi Nenbutsuji further up the hill. As we sit for ice cream, a number of vacant taxis go by, this is probably bread and butter land for them. I decide we should get a taxi and go further, but wise wife checks the closing time of Otagi and it's in 10 minutes. OK, next time. So we sit and watch people go by, we notice these two women who have really cool glasses, must be European. There's a story here, when we are exiting Adashino, a young couple stop us and ask if we have any yen? No, they aren't spare changing us, they have Euros but are out of yen. So we exchange a 5 Euro bill for 1000Y, pretty comparable. Jump ahead, 2 hours, we stop for Udon and are sitting right next to the two women with cool glasses. Oh, hi, we saw you, yadda yadda. They are from Germany. I asked how much 5 Euros was and they said almost exactly 1000Y, oh good. I tell them the story and they ask if we would like to exchange back. I said, "Oh, sure, we need Yen not Euros." We exchange, they leave and my wife turns to me and says, did you set that up on purpose? Or course! Now I'm going to write a screen play about the traveling 5 Euro bill!



Famous for the stones, not the smiling heads. OK, next time

And here are the Stones, Mick and Keith are in the back.

Cool picture of something, I don't have name

Some of the stones had little bibs on. Anyone know what that means?

Another shot of Adashino

Ice Cream stop! You scream, I scream we all scream for Ice Cream

KDAY 13 -KYOTO STATION AND KINKAKUJI AND NISHIKI MARKET
I started by walking from our hotel to Kyoto Station to pick up our tickets from the machine for Osaka tomorrow. Could have done it all tomorrow, but's it good to get our of my wife's hair for a bit. It's about a 25 minute walk. First of all, thanks to mrwundrfl and tripplanner for not jumping on me earlier when I said something about the Kyoto Station being so small. I NEVER experienced the Kyoto Station, we came in on an out door track, went right down to the subway station, so we really didn't see much of Kyoto Station. It is actually huge and quite nice.



A little shrine on a small street on my walk to the Kyoto Station

Shot from an pedestrian overpass on a busy streen

Outside of Kyoto Station, OK, not so small after all!

Inside the station, quite busy

Another shot looking down on the ground floor

Looking up from the same position

KINKJAKU-JI
Personally, I think we saw the most beautiful sight this trip at Kinkaku-ji Temple. It's crowded, less so than many places but it was perfect for us. About an hour touring around the site, a few stairs not too bad and that wonderful Gold Shariden Kinkaju. Took a ton of pictures, of which I can only add so many to this post. Then we took bus number 205, a different route than we took out, to go to the market. Had a real fun time because, a young girl, 17 or 18 got on the bus carrying an electric guitar and stood right next to us, so I open up my pictures and showed her my Fender Stratocaster. This lead to 20 minutes of talking via Google Translate. She plays in some groups at school, is actually a piano player for like 15 years. She told us how to get to the market and just before we got off the bus, I told her to look up the Allman Brothers on You Tube. She found Whipping Post from the Fillmore East. I told her she had to watch it. Doing God's work.



Map of the area just before you enter.

They cooled us off a little bit going into the Temple

One of the first things you see when you enter the Temple complex

Can't stop taking pictures

The next thing you see when you turn the corner is all of the people lined up taking pictures from where you were just standing

Another shot, I just keep taking pictures

This tree started as a bonsai, and we moved here. It's a 1,000 years old or something like that.

I pitched a coin right into the center

Waterfall

This tree is saying don't forget to look at me

I said I can't stop shooting

I swear this is the last photo

Stunning temple, stunning photos!

>> Doing God's work.
Yes!, you were.

Tdid', good on you for that Whipping Post recco! Have you seen any of the YouTube posts by the young Japanese drummer named Yoyoka? She started those posts at age 8 about ten years ago.
I promise that seeing those performances of hers (wherein she plays along note-for-note to John Bonham, Neil Peart, Ian Paice et al) will blow your mind!
Btw, did you know the story behind that temple? Seems some deranged young man burnt the original down several decades ago. What a beautiful replica, mind you.

Remember to try ume plum juice!
I am done. The golden temple and the golden music

>> Remember to try ume plum juice!
or, my favorite:
ume-shu - Japanese plum wine
ask for umeshu rokkusu (or just say "ume shu rocks")

zebec - I will look up Yoyoka. I can always depend on your for good music tips. Also will look for ume plum juice

NISHIKI MARKET
I'm back tracking a little, after the Garden and before our bus trip we stopped just outside the Temple at BR Cafe for wagyu and rice, it was very good and I would recommend it. It's in an old house, you can dine upstairs or in the Garden. We got off the bus at Kawaramachi Sanjo and headed into the maize of streets around the Nishiki Market. I am familiar with these large shopping alleys with the big arched ceiling / skylights, there were a lot in Asakusa, but these are grander. My wife found Nishiki Market in a search for flat places to see in Kyoto! It is that, after a bit of walking in the shopping halls, we ducked into Nishiki Market which is a much narrower alley filled with food shops and people. We did a bit a window shopping, liked the looks of Wagyu hamburger at 3,600Y! Then back to the hotel for a rest. Our last night was like the first, took the bus to Pontocho Alley looking for sushi. There are restaurants on both sides of the Shijo Bridge but tonight we head south. Lots of restaurants on the water, expensive and in many cases sold out. We do a search for sushi and find that we are going to have to go more into the center of town just off Shijo Street. The first one I find is in a Food Hall. Elizabeth, says no, I'm not spending my last night in a Mall Food Court! Can't blame her. We continue on and find a place upstairs and have a wonderful last dinner in Kyoto. A little walk then catch a bus back to the hotel. Our last night in Kyoto, and it was fine.



This is where we had lunch. Good and not too expensive for some nice waygu and rice

Entrance into the shopping streets

Wider, brighter and more urban than the ones in Asakusa


Down by the river, same shot as an earlier post but a little darker

Big building on the east side of the river

Busy corner at Shijo and Kawaramachi

No we are not up for German food right now, maybe later in the trip

But we will walk down this little alley to find....

...Sushi!

A couple of photos from the walk back home. This is a big department store, Daimaru with a giant peacock on the front entrance

Some dolls in a shop.

YOYOKA!!!!! The first video I found was from 7 years ago, playing Good Times, Bad Times by Zep. I was smiling so big my mouth almost left my face! Then I followed her through to present day, meeting Robert Plant and playing Alex Lifeson. What a treat, thanks zebec!

DAY 14 - KYOTO TO OSAKA
I have my train tickets, two each, one for the train and the other for the Green Car, I understand now. I think Kyoto has been my favorite city so far. Tokyo of course is amazing, Kanazawa, a breath of fresh air, but Kyoto, wow, I really felt at home. Great blend of neighborhood shops and restaurants and big store shopping if you want and some of the most amazing Shrines and Temples. Also so much nature, some just a short train ride away. Took the bus a lot so that makes you feel a little bit like a local. I had to almost wrestle an old lady to get her to sit down on the bus the other day. They are so kind, no, no, you keep your seat. Lady you are 100 years old, I think you deserve this seat way more than me. We only have two days left in our Japan Odyssey and then on to Taiwan, and I guess a new TR destination. Will report on Osaka later!

In Osaka try the okonomiyaki
ume jusu - Japanese plum juice

DAY 14 OSAKA
I'm afraid we are giving Osaka short shrift. We are only here for two days, mainly to fly out of Kansai International Airport to Taipei. I found a Hyatt almost right in Namba just south of Dotonbori. The train ride is quick, 26 minutes. Opt for the green car again! It's worth it. The ride from Tokyo to Kanazawa goes across the center of the country so it was very scenic, not so with Kyoto to Osaka, urban the whole way. Which is what you would expect. What was good was how well I have navigated getting us from the hotel to the Metro in Kyoto. I have a backpack, maybe 23 pounds and a small roller, wife has a roller and a backpack. We are pros now, 2 long blocks down Bukkoji-dori, left on the big street to Exit #4 at Shijo, no, not Exit 6 which is closer but has 30 stairs, there's an elevator on Exit 4. Down the hall, quick U-turn, through the turnstile to Platform 1. Then we get to Kyoto Station. A little different story. We search for elevators, escalators, anything that moves. The problem with that strategy is that we probably have gone past our floor a couple of time before we end up at the bottom of stairs leading to the train platform. Clouding over, but a nice breeze.

By the time we get to Osaka it is raining, not pouring but more than sprinkling. The Googler says it's a 2,000 -3,200 Y taxi ride from Osaka Station to Caption by Hyatt. If we take the metro to Namba station it drops to 1,000Y, so hop on the metro to Namba. Once in that station we follow the signs for Dotonbori. We stopped next to a 7-11 and asked a vendor, who was bringing in a load of baked goods on these big rolling trays, where to find a taxi, he pointed down the hallway, practically walked us to the exit. We go up the stairs, are looking for the taxi stand, see it, start walking toward it and then pass the same vendor who has made it up the stairs with his trays, before us. He has to be a Ninja, it's the only way I can explain it. We yell, Arrigato, and he smiles and waves. Taxi to the Hyatt. It's great, a really nice room, easy check in and we are in OSAKA!
(Trouble downloading, pictures to follow)

Has anyone experienced a situation where you can't load pictures? I can get to 90% then it stops?

I've had the photo upload issues. Sometimes I try to reload in smaller batches it works. Other times I do it later and it works. There was one recent instance in which I couldn't upload for a few days.

Kyoto to Osaka and even Kobe is often thought of as part of one big metropolitan area - Keihanshin (Kei for Kyoto, Han for Osaka, and Shin for Kobe; yes, there is more than one name for things in Japanese).

DOTONBORI
I'm having some frustrating times here trying to download pictures, but hopefully that will be resolved at some point, so I'm moving on with my comments. Dotonbori seems to be Osaka, although I'm sure there is much more to this town. We are staying in the Namba area, south of the river and Dotonbori by about ten blocks. After we get checked in and do some unpacking, we hit the Dotonbori area. How do I describe this area? If Tokyo is Disneyland, I think Dotonbori is New Orleans. Some might compare it to Las Vegas because of all the lights, but Vegas does have an elegant sheen that I don'f feel here, even Vegas is all done with lights and mirrors. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens in New Orlean, can...follow you home. Luckily there is medicine for that. I say New Orleans because what other town has giant crabs hanging from the store walls, tons of bars and restaurants and crowds you can barely walk through. We go for some okonomiyaki, thanks mrwunrfl, although it was already on our list. We sat next to a young couple from Germany, I think they were brother and sister actually and that was a lot of fun talking to them. Went to see the Hozen-ji Temple and the river of course, then headed back to the room. I am itching to go back out once everything is lit up and that is the furtherest thing away from my wife's idea of fun. So I head out about 8PM and it is crazy. I only stay out for an hour, I have things to do tomorrow. I will add pictures when I am able.

DAY 15 - OSAKA WALKING TOUR
We've are going to take the Limousine Bus to the airport tomorrow and I have decided to do some reconnaissance by walking 15 minutes to the JR Namba OCAT terminal. Was going to buy tickets on Klook but it looked like I could only buy from the airport to Osaka. Found the terminal building with help from a number of passerbys, only to find out you can only buy tickets day of! Well, I needed the walk. We're taking it easy this morning. Fill out our TWAC, Taiwan Arrival Card, for our next stop, have some breakfast and off to the Apple store in Shinsabaishi to meet our walking tour. Break the walk up with a coffee stop and lunch. Our tour starts at 2:00PM and we meet Jay our, guide and the other tour goers. A nice mix of people from Canada, US, Portugal, Serbia. The couple from Portugal just did Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica in a van! So we bonded immediately. From the Apple store we walk down to American Village which is kind of a hip Bohemian section of small shops. The story is that it was called something else before, but they were kind of counter culture stores selling used Levis etc, and someone on the news dubbed it America Village and it stuck. The even have a Statue of Liberty. The tour was excellent, Jay, probably spelling his name wrong, is Chinese but married an Osaka girl, in the US. They primarily lived on the East Coast before they moved back to Japan. He had really interesting stories into the Osaka mind set. The rivalry between Tokyo and Osaka, sports teams etc. and even the stigma of North Osaka vs. South Osaka. Walked through a number of neighborhoods we would not have seen. Walked Dotonbori, along the river, got a history of the rivers in Osaka.

We saw two young guys kind of huddling under one of the 807 bridges in Osaka and he said they were comedians! Osaka is known for comedians, because they tend to be louder and there are a lot of duos, with a funny guy and straight man. Martin and Lewis kind of thing. For some reason they come down and practice under the bridges. I don't know if they then head to Dotonbori to do shtick. Leaned the story of Glico guy. Glico was originally supposed to get people to eat caramels. In the 20's, 30's there was a company selling caramels and their pitch was a caramel a day made you healthy, so the "running guy" is showing health, not actually as an athlete. As a tour guide myself I really enjoyed his tour.

DAY 15 - OSAKA EVENING
My wife has to meet some friends in the Kita Ward so we take the metro to the Ogimachi station and while up there we walk around the Ogimachi Park which is a really large park, full of kids and dogs, looks like there might be a gym there. Saw a restaurant called Botanico and it looked real good. They did a Korean BBQ and on the deck they had a lot of tables with a pretty good size "Weber" type grill attached to them. Lot's of people griliin' and chillin'. We opted to sit indoors and had some really excellent pasta, so our last dinner in Osaka was pasta. Off tomorrow for new adventures. I will be posting, hopefully a bunch of pictures and final thoughts on Japan. A magnificent country.