The Kado Family Adventure (Days 2-3: Kyoto)

Day 2 My first official act, after having breakfast, was to admire Kado ken's backyard: a lake. As scheduled in advance, we headed to Kyoto, where ancient misteries were awaiting us. We had already reserved room in a ryoukan, and expected to visit temples, zoo and botanical garden (also known as "salad museum" or "vegetal zoo") First, we visited the Kiyomizu-dera temple... Andy and Kyouko dedicated a brief prayer to one of the 7 good-luck gods... One of the outstanding features of this place is that the roofs are made of natural straws (si, de sorbetes)!!!!We found a Maiko (geisha apprentice) and made pic with her. Of course, there are no geishas any more. Japanese women and girls pay around 10,000 yen to get dressed and made up like maiko, and have photos...Then, we visited a cemetery nearby. Cemeteries in Japan are extremely beautiful, regardless if they are just a few tombs between the rice fields or a big complex like this...We walked in Gion, the ancient geisha neighborhood, delighted with the narrow streets that we previously watched in magazines...As usual, estrange facts and behaviours arised... For instance, as in Japan everything is took to the extreme of perfection, what for us savage gaijin is just pickles, for the Japanese is an art. This shop sells only crafted pickles...There are weird desserts, involving red beans... (y ademas venden el equivalente a nuestros granizados, pero cuestan 3 dolar en lugar de 20 centavos)We bought some omiyage in a local shop, were the clerk was extremely cute. I fought my own shyness and asked her to have a pic with me... She kindly agreed...Finally the team headed to visit the great Hotoke-sama (Buddha), but it was closed (3 PM already), so I had to take pix from the distance only... After Gion, I propossed (actually insisted a lot) to visit the zoo, and we went that way. To see animals between cages makes me sad, specially when the conditions are poor. The Kyoto Zoo was OK, but we arrived in the time when most animals are waiting in cages while the employees clean their environments. Therefore, I had to see big animals in cages, so sad... Masha having her lunchPumaFlying monkeys, we spent more than half an hour just watching them...Angelo, I mean, Hippopottamus...Some animal they call "lesser panda"...Of course, they have more animals, but lets save some space in pictures... After zoo, and before reaching our ryoukan, we stepped by a quiet garden to have a rest... The ryoukan was nice, in my understanding. Andy said that considering the price, it was more than OK. (para mi el precio fue de hotel 5 estrellas, pero en Japon parece ser el precio de un hotel de mala muerte)... Inmediately, Andy and me hit the ofuro (banio publico, en Japon es asi, la gente no se toca mucho, pero se banian en pelotas en frente de amigos, familiares e ilustres desconocidos). No pictures available from my ofuro experience, sorry girls... After bath (el cual necesitaba desesperadamente) we had an outstanding traditional Kyoto dinner.Samurai before eating...Samurai after eating...The dinner included some marijuana leaves...We went outside to walk in our yukata. With my big belly I had the right shape for a middle aged samurai, as Andy said.In our walk, we found a batteries vending machine! (un dispensador de pilas AA y AAA, increible). Andy suffered an electric shock...Finally the well deserved rest, but before some excentricities... Human pyramide...Female samurai....The Beatles... Day 3 The next day we were ready to visit the botanical garden, so after a delicious traditional breakfast, we headed that way. Andy was attacked by his own belt, but he defended himself bravely...The breakfast... includes a noodle soup and rice... The salad museum....It was huge, with gardens and small forests and lawn, etc... First we went to the conservatorium, a sort of climatized building for plants from all climates: desert and savanna, highlands, tropical forest, etc... Lotus...Prehistoric man-eating flower...Kanpai plant...Banana...Desert plants, including rare specimen Japonesicum Ebizinensis and Zimbabwensis Intolerantius...Orchideas...Small is beautiful...We became friends with some of the botanists working in the place, and they took us to the private part of the complex, almost bigger than the public part... Orchideas...Big kanpai plant with botanist...Botanists... After conservatorium we walked around for a while, trying to refresh. Lawnmaster...Water...Sun protection... We left the botanical garden satisfied, or at least me. Next scale? The Kinkaku-ji!!!!!!!This temple and its surroundings are extremely beautiful... After such a magnificent view, we decided to refresh... Me particulary spent the whole day sweating like a pig. More than 35 degrees... We found a very refreshing place...Before going home we tried to reach another shrine, but was already closed...Eventually, we arrived back home (in Osaka)... More adventures to come...