Day 18, Nov 1: Kyoto

 Day 18, Nov 1: Kyoto

Weather: Very cool to pleasant to slightly chilly

 

Sunrise from our lovely room

Daylight savings time does not exist in Japan, so no time change. A leisurely start to the day, with pre-breakfast

Pre-breakfast

Pictorial Pop Quiz Number THB-forgot-what-number-is-next:

Buffet breakfast at RC of cereal with fruit and yogurt and a few pastries and slices of bread (pics don’t come out, THB has inadvertently done something to the camera setting).

Now we’re chugging: off to Inari (fox) temple rated number 1 in Japan. At 8:30 the crowds are imminent, and we’re ready to scale the heights.

Here’s the price list for donating a gate ($1500 - $11,500:

It must be affordable to the masses because there are something like 10,000 gates strewn around and stacked up (the small ones) and plenty of tall ones you walk through.

Kyoto is the 4th largest city in Japan

A few missed turns and we’re up to the top (we must be two of the most in-shape climbers here today).

The candles aren't cheap either, the big ones run around $80

Hanukah candles around $8 each

This guy had a transistor radio in his pouch!!

Baseball gods are saying: Season almost over

Downhill much easier at this shrine than anything THB has done in over 3 weeks!

A quick snack before heading back on subway to RC and showers and lunch.

Machine at top is jiggling like crazy

RC lunch:

RC from across river (our room is in about middle, 4th floor)

After lunch, R takes us (really DB) shopping, quite the tour! Here are some of our stops (and not a lot of buying done):

We then meet up with S-san, who has helped us plan all and then guided us on some of our other trips to Japan. This is a recreation of a picture S and THB took 5 years ago in Tokoname:

Much laughter and catching up at dinner at a spot we ate at five years ago, Iijaren, run by a couple by themselves. It is just as good as we remembered:

The menu

Sake carafe

With beer and sake the total is around $85/couple. 

Some pics from around and about today:

Metro entrance

She can't sit down on the subway

Those are umbrellas next to the rear tire

 The RC has a wedding store:

And THB shoots a wedding photo shoot: 

Mid-afternoon snack:

THB did not go in, it looked empty from outside

Two legs?

C'mon, can't you get it any closer to the wall!!!

Edible eyewear