A climb up monkey mountain
Somewhat worse for wear this morning - a hangover, a gathering cold and jetlag all making themselves felt. Undeterred I was up with the lark and Toby and Romy and I went off for more coffee and a walk through the pine tree planted gardens of the old imperial palace.
We also stopped off at the same early morning coffee shop, Toby kicking me in the shins because I was staring at a man on a nearby table openly reading soft porn first thing in the morning.
Felt full of ideas about how to re-engineer my working life this morning and Toby and Romy were inspiring me.
Back to the hotel and collected Hiroko (chuckling guiltily about how rough around the edges we felt) and met Jennifer. Another taxi ride to the Golden Temple. Literally a golden temple that gleamed across a lake that could have been designed by Roger Dean with tiny islands and strategically placed rocks that seemed to be afloat in the water. At this temple Romy went for her third attempt at getting a satisfactory fortune, and this time managed it. I bought a long life and good health charm for myself.
Then a walk through the intermittent rain to Ryoanji temple with its famous rock garden of raked gravel and big moss dotted stones. Behind the temple was a wash basin bearing the legend "I learn only to be contented". Then another taxi to Koryuji temple full of marvellous wooden sculptures of the Buddha and other subjects. I stared at one Buddha so long that I felt that at any moment he was going to open his eyes.
Then off for another meal. This one eating at a low table, and Tobs and me creaking slightly trying to fit around it and eat with dignity. Had a slightly runny chicken sauce thing with sticky rice and it was really nice.
Cold beginning to hold sway over me but was rewarded after a stiff twenty minute climb up a small mountain to discover a troupe of 150 red faced Japanese monkeys and an awe inspiring view of Kyoto. Much playing with monkeys and feeding them from the safety of a wire windowed shack.
We taxied back to the hotel then, but my adventures were over for the day. As my cold kicked in and Romy got me a bento box of tasty Japanese fast food and I sipped tea and sniffed until about 8.00pm when I slept like a log. The temperature plummeting outside. 
Somewhat worse for wear this morning - a hangover, a gathering cold and jetlag all making themselves felt. Undeterred I was up with the lark and Toby and Romy and I went off for more coffee and a walk through the pine tree planted gardens of the old imperial palace.
We also stopped off at the same early morning coffee shop, Toby kicking me in the shins because I was staring at a man on a nearby table openly reading soft porn first thing in the morning.
Felt full of ideas about how to re-engineer my working life this morning and Toby and Romy were inspiring me.
Back to the hotel and collected Hiroko (chuckling guiltily about how rough around the edges we felt) and met Jennifer. Another taxi ride to the Golden Temple. Literally a golden temple that gleamed across a lake that could have been designed by Roger Dean with tiny islands and strategically placed rocks that seemed to be afloat in the water. At this temple Romy went for her third attempt at getting a satisfactory fortune, and this time managed it. I bought a long life and good health charm for myself.
Then a walk through the intermittent rain to Ryoanji temple with its famous rock garden of raked gravel and big moss dotted stones. Behind the temple was a wash basin bearing the legend "I learn only to be contented". Then another taxi to Koryuji temple full of marvellous wooden sculptures of the Buddha and other subjects. I stared at one Buddha so long that I felt that at any moment he was going to open his eyes.
Then off for another meal. This one eating at a low table, and Tobs and me creaking slightly trying to fit around it and eat with dignity. Had a slightly runny chicken sauce thing with sticky rice and it was really nice.
Cold beginning to hold sway over me but was rewarded after a stiff twenty minute climb up a small mountain to discover a troupe of 150 red faced Japanese monkeys and an awe inspiring view of Kyoto. Much playing with monkeys and feeding them from the safety of a wire windowed shack.
We taxied back to the hotel then, but my adventures were over for the day. As my cold kicked in and Romy got me a bento box of tasty Japanese fast food and I sipped tea and sniffed until about 8.00pm when I slept like a log. The temperature plummeting outside.
Below The Golden Temple, the stone garden, and nuff monkeys.
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