Kyoto - June 14-16

We took the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Kyoto. The Shinkansens are aging at this point, but they are still a marvel of technology, efficiency, comfort and timeliness. I love to travel by train and so far my favorites are the Shinkansen in Japan and the TGV in France.

In Kyoto, we stayed at the Saka Hotel, which is a quiet traditional Japanese hotel which served the most delicious and exquisite Japanese breakfasts, complete with a key to which dishes are which. They also encouraged their guests to wear their yakata to dinner, which we also did on the second night!

Our guide for our full day exploration of Kyoto was Hector, who is Peruvian and has lived in Japan for 20 years. He told us it took him 10 years to become fluent in the language. Hector was a brilliant guide for us as he knows the culture as both an outsider and an insider. The sights we visited included Kinkaku-Ji, the famed Golden Pavilion, Ryoan-ji Temple, and Nijo Castle.

You may notice from the photos that we were particularly taken with the food at the Saka Hotel!