Kinkaju-ji and Ryoan-ji

We were slow starting out yesterday as Liam decided to catch up on some much needed sleep. Elle got to meet some locals and their pups. The local families in the area are all so kind and curious about us. The fact that we don't speak Japanese doesn't stop them from talking to us and peppering us with questions. Half the time we just guess at what they are asking and offer random answers like "she's 5, or we're from California."

When we finally headed out we went to see Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, and Ryoan-ji, famous for it's rock garden. Kinkaku-ji was over-run with tourists, but Ryoan-ji was beautiful and serene. The rock garden is surprisingly small for being as renowned as it is, but if you stared long enough, a sense of peace was certainly imbued.

We hopped in a taxi to take us to dinner and once again have been struck by how different the taxi experience is here in Japan. The taxi seats are all covered in a white lacey fabric, and the fabric is spotlessly clean, as is the entire taxi. The drivers are usually formally dressed in a suit with gloves and a hat. They are overly accomodating, loading and unloading everything into and out of the taxi. They are sweetly mannered, appreciative and try to speak with us in their limited English. They take great pride in their jobs and drive very carefully. (so different than China, and the US as well!)

We were heading toward an okonomiyaki place for dinner. I used to eat this a lot when I lived in Osaka, it's a specialty of the area, and I had many fond memories of eating this with friends. Okonamiyaki is a mix of cabbage, egg and flour batter grilled on the table in front of you. You then add any meats or veggies that you would like. It's very popular, almost the way pizza is in the US. I'll just say that my opinion of okonamiyaki has significantly declined in the past 20 years, it was borderline disgusting.