The last days in Japan...

Kyoto, Japan
View from the Westin Miyako Hotel, Kyoto

On our last days in Japan with Dave, Yuko and Alicia are spent in Kyoto.

Yuko has booked us on the bullet train to Kyoto
and the Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto

Taxi to Shinagawa Station

Shinagawa Station

Waiting for the Bullet Train

Waiting...

There's our car!

***

Rice fields seen from the train



Mt. Fuji is nice enough to show itself to us

Kyoto Station in 2.5 hours

***

Kyoto from our hotel room balcony
Westin Miyako Hotel, Kyoto

Room is comfy

Going toward Heian-jingū's Torii

We're almost there

Heian Shrine - Shinto

Berteaux-Ishizaki Family

***

We are going to dinner

Here we are...
reservations on the riverside deck

Cousin Aaron Walker came to have dinner with us
all the way from Osaka

Dave, Alicia, Yuko, Susie, John and Aaron
Look at all the food (and drinks, too)

Alicia doesn't like the Shitaki mushrooms

Dave, Aaron, Susie and John
Good to see how these "boys" have grown up, love their jobs,
enjoy living in Japan and have families of their own

End of the restaurant row

*****

We meet in the lobby and then breakfast buffet

Waiting for the bus to...

The Golden Pavilion - Kinkaku-Ji Temple

Can you tell they are a family?

"Old town Kyoto"???

Approaching  Kyomizudera Temple

We cleanse ourselves with dragon water

More of the Kiyomizudera Temple

***



Moonlight room in the Miyako hotel
John and I drink a toast to our Kyoto trip

*****

The next morning I get up early
to walk on the Hotel grounds

It's a beautiful hike

I make it to the shrine

The views are beautiful

 ***

A toast to the Country of the Rising Sun

***

Clowning around in the "Cube
before we head back to Tokyo

*****

 

Friday, June 15 - A last pass
by the shrine by our apartment for a safe trip "home"

***

One last shot of John
with our "worldly possesions"

On the train to Narita Airport

Last look at the Japanese rice fields

*****




8 hours on the plane - Hello, LA county

*****


This is the end of our year long trip
We've been gone 12 and a 1/2 months
June 1, 2011 to June 15, 2012
Many, many memories of various adventures
meeting new people, experiencing different cultures
An experience of a lifetime
Thank you to all who made this trip such a
Big Adventure!

Now we begin another adventure
A new place to live, a new car, a different way of living
we will try to keep the spirit of discovery alive

________________________

I will continue blogging our adventures as we settle into "real" life in Pacific Grove, but hope to change the format a little and eventually a new blog address.

I will keep you all informed.