Japan trip continued - Kyoto

Our first night in Kyoto, we relaxed and did a little karaoke.


On Monday we took a trip to Nara from Kyoto, because Victoria had never been. They have hundreds of deer that are protected as a national treasure which roam around and get fed.


In Nara there is a giant bronze Buddha statue, which we went inside this temple to visit.


Inside the temple there is a hole in one of the support columns. Supposedly if you can squeeze through the hole you will have a place reserved for you in paradise. Both of us managed to squeeze through, though I had some difficulty.

Unfortunately we both ate some bad food and Victoria was very sick, so we ended up going back to Kyoto after Nara.


Tuesday we went to the Golden Temple, Kinkaku-ji in the morning.


Here's me in front of the Golden Temple.


Wednesday, before heading to Izumo to Paul's house, we made a trip to Fushimi Inari Taisha, a shrine next to a mountain with tons of orange torii gates on it.

While we were walking through the gates, a million schoolkids ran by excitedly.


On the train ride to Paul's place, we passed by a really neat mountain/volcano. Everyone met us at the train station that evening and we crammed into Paul and Keiko's tiny flat along with Miles, Paul's friend from Davidson.