further japanese adventures

again with the list, but it must be done and this is quicker:

in Kyoto, Trent and I stayed at the luxurious Hotel Granvia right at the fantastic Kyoto Station. On our agenda for the three days we spend there were many tours of gardens, temples and castles.


the famous Golden Temple,
Nijo Castle with the nightengale floors,
the famous zen rock garden where we sat for a long meditative time, admiring the garden and watching the master gardeners quietly talking to eachother across tree tops to execute cuts and trims to create 'perfection'
women in funny little bonnets sweeping the mossy forest floor with handmade brooms
swimming, jacuzzi and massage chairs while reading japanese sporting magazines at hotel
suchi bar at the top of a
having a delightful nightcap in the hotel bar
fiding the 'wishyou' building admidst thousands of kimono clad revelers in the streets
amazing dinner of spring rolls, duck pizza, noodles with seafood topped of with a nara-nara and water
Imperial Castle, hot hot hot and very humid
a tiny trip to Gion, and spotting two maiko
nearly missing the train back to Tokyo

and then our last night in Nagoya:

another multiple course dinner with the Kono family, delectable
catching the redsox/yankees game in the morning, prep for returning

epic drive home from LAX, which should not really be shared at all