A day in Kyoto

I love Japan! The people are wonderful; helpful, kind, humorous and sweet. After only two days in Kobe and Kyoto that is our verdict....and that's not the Royal pleural it is the majority view on board the Explorer.

We have had our second glorious day in Japan, this time spent in Kyoto.....of the Kyoto Accord which hasn't been mentioned once by the citizens of the one nation which refuses to sign it! We have not been aware of any pollution since we arrived. Of course that doesn't mean there isn't any, but in any comparison to Chennai, Saigon or Shanghai, Kobe and Kyoto win hands down.

We had a wonderful little guide today (I'm even small for a Japanese woman she said), her name was Rumi. She worked so hard to make sure we saw everything beautiful there was to see in Kyoto: palaces, temples and gardens and the breathtaking display of cherry blossom everywhere. We seemed to walk for miles and miles but until the very end of the day when we took off to a little tea house where George had a beer and our young friend 14 year old Emmet and I (from Montreal, on board with his grandparents, very bright indeed and seems to enjoy us for some reason) shared a delicious dish of what looked like golden, transparent noodles in vinegar and mustard (and no we don't know what it's called!)because we were all feeling exhausted. You could choose to sit on the floor at low tables but we decided we might never get up again so sat on normal height chairs. Emmet and I caused great amusement as you can imagine using our chopsticks on our very slippery fare. However we earned the thumbs up sign as we slurped the last remnants of our bowls from three young women at the next table!

Words can't adequately describe the delicacy and beauty of the rocks, cherry blossom, the green pine trees (all like larger Bonsais) and the water which surround the Budhist and Shinto temples we saw today..... The Shogun's palace was beautifully designed outside and in, with smooth wooden and tile floors, rice paper paned windows and rich dark wooden walls. The rooms were large airy and sparsely furnished and decorated with beautiful murals of nature....again the three elements rocks, water and greenery with additional birds and animals. The roofs are in the pagoda style which we associate with Japan, often intricately carved under the wooden eaves and on the curlicuews edging the roof. The temples are similar in design but always with the smell of smoke and incense inside, colourful paper lanterns and prayer flags outside...the smooth floors here were much appreciated as we had to take our shoes off at times.

But surrounding everything, as I mentioned before, the exquisite gardens. Here (they will come out above) I hope are some photos.