Taking the Fam to see Traditional Japan-Kyoto/Nara
Trip Start
Jul 27, 2006
1
84
93
Trip End
Ongoing
Kyoto,
Japan
Saturday, March 15, 2008
kinkakuji
Erma gave us a wake up call at 5:30 am the morning after they arrived, and we headed off to Kyoto to explore some traditional Japanese life. We had a little bit of trouble finding a hotel in Kyoto because of the high travel season, and ended up staying in a ridiculously overpriced ryokan.
geisha spotting
But I'm glad we did it because it ended up being the only opportunity mom and dad had to sleep on futons and experience tatami. 
dinner with my friends
We spent the day exploring temples, and met up with my friends at night to feast on tonkatsu (batter fried pork.) Afterwards we hit up a karaoke joint for a little singing.
mom and dad loved the mics!
I thought Alana would be the one to most enjoy this experience, but she was so JET lagged that dad (yes, my father Tim) saw the microphone more than she did.
and gets a little extra
The following day we visited the old area of gion, saw some rickshaws and geisha, and were drug into a barber where dad experienced a Japanese shave- complete with the shaving of the forehead and eyelids!
the fam and the big wooden building
From Kyoto we took the train to Nara where we enjoyed a picnic in the park. Then we took a daunting hike to visit the largest wooden structure in the world which houses the Daibutsu (big Buddha.) After trying various street foods, playing with the tame deer, and doing a little shopping, we boarded the train back to Kobe.
playing with deer
