Kyoto Weekend
We did a lot of walking around, through different markets, around town, and saw a few of the typical tourist spots. I have to admit that we got lost inside the Kyoto train station a couple of times too! It’s huge and you have to find the right entrance to find the right train platform. We gave up one night and took a taxi, but needed to help the driver navigate, which is a challenge when his English was worse than our Japanese.
While on a train to the bamboo forest, an 88 year old man sitting next to Lorie started up a conversation. His English was good and had even flown KLM, like we do all the time. He told us that the train we were on was 100 years old, and while it looked like it, it was in really good condition. That’s the photo of the green velvet train seats. He also suggested that we visit a 1400 year old temple that we passed on the train, which was the Kinkaku-ji. So, we did and it was a very relaxing place with some nice trees; we never would have known about it if he hadn’t suggested it.
To avoid crowds, we chose one evening to visit the red gates of Fushimi Inari-Taisha, which were pretty, but we preferred just seeing locals with their dogs, or eating cucumbers on a stick, or buying stuff from a store filled with nothing but vending machines. And of course, seeing the small cars, and even a small garbage truck, is always fun too.
The Adventures of Lorie and Brian Groth 
I see the Rodes, Azalia’s and Dog Wood are blooming there just like in Longview, and the weather look familiar.
You didn’t take a picture of a cucumber on a stick!
Looks like fun but we’d need an interpreter/guide.
We leave for Boise, ID real early tomorrow. Sandy UT on Monday.