2nd Day in Kyoto or I'm getting behind in my posts...

Okay, back to Kyoto, good thing I jotted down our days activities. I must be getting old, I couldn't remember what we did just one day ago...
Monday in Kyoto, our second day started with a brief visit to the Nishihongwanji Temple. Sac Betsuin's mother temple for you non-SBC church goers. Don's sister Jane is on a quest to replace the image of Rennyo Shonin at the Guadalupe Buddhist Church, apparently they've had the wrong picture up for several decades now. We visited the temple and everyone wondered why there were no pews. I guess pews are a Western Christian churh thing that BCA adopted a long time ago.
Next stop was the Sanjusangendo Temple famous for the 1000 or so wooden Buddhas carved by hand 800 years ago. No pictures allowed so just look at all the postcards your sons have sent. If you haven't received them by now don't hold your breath... Our nest stop was Nara, home of the Giant Wooden Buddha in the giant wooden temple. If I posted the videos of the boys crawling through a hole in a pole, that hole represents the size of the Buddha's nostril. Supposedly anyone who crawls t'hrough the hole will go the paradise... I protest, this discriminates against wide bodies...
There are also some vicious deer in Nara, if you don't watch it they will eat the money right out of your pockets. Linda found out that they will nod their heads if you offer food. Don't anyone tell her they are actually threatening a head butt and back off when you reward them for 'nodding their head'. Nara also is home to some delicious Narazuke, you know that sake flavored tsukemono that will never spoil. Hopefully I will bring some back to California unless I eat all of it first.
Lunch was next in a real 'hole in the wall' somewhere near the park above a small souvenir shop. Udon, tempura, buta yasai and some other stuff that was delicious but not recognizable by me. See Nara lunch pics for those.
By now the day is getting long so we head off to Arashima Monkey Park in NW Kyoto.Jokingly Ken-san mentions that we have to hike to the top of this mountain to see the monkeys.
Guess what, he wasn't joking. We hiked through the most humid jungle yet first up a steep set of stairs then up a narrow windy path to the top. I wondered if it would be worth it in the end...
Well, once at the top we were greeted by dozens of Arashima Monkeys, Ken-san told not to look them in the eye or carry things in our hands. Sounds like the 'hood, don't look at anybody or carry any valuables... The boys had fun feeding the Monkeys and the Monkeys hoyad fun seeing the boys in their cage. Hard to tell who was on display here...The hike back down the hill was alot easier going but the rain started falling as we neared the bus. Felt alot like Hawaii.

I have to give a lot to credit to the boys, they held up like troopers and were game for just about anything because after we got back from Nishihonwanji, Sanjusangendo, Nara and Arashima, we had a brief stop at the hotel and then piled onto a bus crowded elbow to elbow to go Gion Corner to check out some Japanese culture. Kabuki, Comedy, Flower Arranging, Koto playing and Bunraku puppet play were presented on stage in a span of approximately 50 minutes, and you know, I did not hear one complaint about how boring or bad the presentation was. It was then back to the hotel and late dinner before bedtime. Definitely the longest day so far...

asm jeff