A Quick Stroll Through Kyoto

 (Fushimi-Inari-Taisha - amazing temple site South of Kyoto with 4 km of walkways lined with orange/red archways.  This was one of my favorite spots, wandering the trails of torii.)

 (Another random, inspiring temple...one of hundreds in the city.  Our hotel sat next to two large temples, though that can probably be said of most hotels in the city.)

 (Tenryu-ji - scenic temple, gardens and Arashiyama bamboo forest nearby.  Approx 1 hr 20 minute bus ride from Kyoto train station, but the bamboo forest is certainly worth it.)

 (Ryoan-ji - Famous rock garden.  Good for tranquility, not so good for greenery.)

 (Kinkaku-ji - Golden Temple - one of the most popular temples in a beautiful setting, but be prepared to push some people around to get this picture as there are usually big crowds here....still worth it, though.)

 (Ginkaku-ji - Silver Temple.  Nice garden in the back, manicured rock garden and scenic temple.  Well worth a visit...sadly, you can't walk across that little stone bridge.)

 (A higher view of the Silver Temple from the top of the adjacent garden, looking back down towards Kyoto.)

 (I believe this is Chion-in?  There were so many beautiful temples that I may have lost count, each one well-manicured and elegant.  Not quite like me, especially when backpacking around a country.)

 (Looks like another amazing temple...)

 (Kodai-ji - lit up at night for an amazing display.)

 (Lit bamboo forest in Kodai-ji.)

(Arashiyama Bamboo Forest...not always this empty, but an amazing spot...this path leads up about half a mile lined with thick bamboo.  This could possibly be the road to enlightenment...you'll have to go visit to find out.)

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A Snapshot of Tokyo

 (The impressive entrance to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.)

 

 (Modified capsule hotel/hostel with a tiny tv, a bed and not much else...in Asakusa area.  It's hard not to sing Yellow Submarine while looking at this picture.)

(Senso-ji Temple at night...not too shabby.)

 (Ginza - big buildings, high end shopping, and a good central location.)

 (Shinkansen/Bullet Train.  It moves so fast, you can hardly see it...except now, when it's very obviously the futuristic looking machine in the center of the picture.  As expected, the train was smooth, comfortable and convenient.  I had a 3 week unlimited pass, so I took a day trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima and back on my last day, which is pretty amazing when you look at a map. )

 (My second time at Senso-ji at night, and the whole walkway was lined with beautiful lanterns...probably because they knew I was coming back.)

 (Entrance to the Imperial Gardens in central Tokyo...the moat around the building helped keep intruders away, but it couldn't stop me.  I wisely used the paved bridge across.)

 (Inside the Imperial Palace/Gardens.  It's a nice area to relax and walk around for an hour or two.  The gardens are good, though Kyoto and other parts of the country have more impressive ones.)

 (Mass, yet organized, chaos at Shibuya Crossing.  This is literally steps outside the Shibuya subway station and a good spot for sushi.  Also, if you've seen the movie Hachiko about a dog who was loyal to his owner even after he died, there is a monument to the dog about 20 feet behind me as I was taking this picture.)

 (Craziness of the Shibuya area.  You might feel lost, but if you look closely, you can find comfort in the familiar face of the Burger King logo.  Ahhhh, good ole 'Merica.)

 (Nice night views of the city for free from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices in Asakasa.)

 (Random lanterns.  This is Tokyo.  Trust me.)

 (Neon lights, masses of people and so much more in Shinjuku....)

 (With the ubiquitous vending machines, you can buy almost anything, so with the help of the store clerk for some translation assistance, I bought tickets for a sumo event from one of the kiosks in 7-11.  It's an all day event, but the good stuff happens in the last hour.  During the first couple of matches, I wandered down near the front few rows into the expensive seats before being detected as very obviously out of place.  My real seat was the second to last row in the building.)

 (Very early morning at the Tsukiji Market.  Massive tuna is brought in, cut and sold in a huge mix of money, tourists and burly fishermen.)

(A view of the city from the Tokyo Tower...check out the silhouette for a hint of the Tokyo Tower.  It's like a red, Japanese version of the Eiffel Tower.)

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