Kyoto

We took the 200 mph Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. I booked three nights at a traditional wooden home called a “machiya”. Made entirely of wood (no screws), they’re expensive to maintain and are dwindling in number. I wanted to stay in one before they were no longer available. It was smallish inside but had everything you’d need, and a nice garden. In Kyoto our sight-seeing pace was low-key compared to the hustle and bustle in Tokyo. We visited many shrines, including Fushimi Inari-taisha, known for its roughly 10,000 vermillion torii gates. We also saw the 1,001 lanterns, and later the 1,001 wooden soldiers at another shrine. In Nara we fed semi-tame deer that bow for treats. I didn’t count them but I'm sure there were nothing close to 1,001 deer.

After the machiya we stayed at the wonderful Hoshinoya Kyoto. A boat picked us up at the river dock, and we had a serene upstream ride to the resort. Upon arrival a musician welcomed us with a song while sitting on what appeared to be a floating platform. This waking dream continued while we enjoyed views of the Oi River and other amenities in our rooms. One day I insisted we take a rickshaw tour of the Bamboo Forest and other sites nearby. It turned out to be a highlight because of the sights and our chatty driver. Sadly, the day arrived where we had to leave the Hoshinoya sanctuary. After leaving the dock, a staff person continued to wave good-bye even after we were well downstream.