Kyoto

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This is a dreamy city and a must visit when in Japan. There are so many incredible sites and we only had a small sample in our 3 days here.

In Japan, every temple entrance is marked by a bright red gate. In Kyoto we visited a temple which had over 1000 red temple gates. Many were built so close together that they formed long tunnels with only a few inches separating them. Each gate throughout the tunnel was carved with Japanese characters - which I imagined was detailing the path to enlightenment.

We also saw the Golden Pavilion, which is covered entirely with gold, as well as many other temples. Our Japanese girl friends took us to the busy shopping streets where we saw some dancing performances, more temples, and some Geisha trainees. Later we walked along the river with a mountain back drop and strolled through a bamboo forest. One evening Dana and I went to a castle where they had illuminated all of the Cherry Blossoms.

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