Kyoto: Part 1

Our first trip was to Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is an old and historic city, so we visited lots of temples, castles, and palaces. I loved the architecture and gardens--so orderly, serene, and peaceful. I accomplished two items on my life list by having sushi in Japan, and I also tried sake for the first time. (The sushi photo was my first bite, but we ate it several times--fabulous.)

The hotel we stayed in was part of the Kyoto train station which attracts tourist for its design. We did a superb job of taking the subway and buses even though there was virtually no English. As expected, Japan is super clean and orderly, but everything is ultra expensive. The attention to detail is amazing especially the packaging and food presentation; not just in restaurants, but also in the grocery store.

We were lucky to see one Geisha girl on the street, but it felt intrusive to photograph her. There were many women, and a few men, dressed in traditional kimonos.

Stay tuned for all the sights we saw.
Subway ticket machine: