I know it's only a Japanese bar but I like it

---

Ok so yesterday we went to Kinkakuji, or Golden Pavillion Temple, which was pretty sweet. It is a pretty famous temple in Kyoto because most of it is plated in gold. We got some good pictures that will be put up when we have more time, but for now check these out:

How we saw it

I wish I cold've seen it like this:
Kinkakuji in the winter

After that we learned how to use the bus system in Kyoto, then walked past Nijo castle but couldn't go in because it had just closed. We got a few pictures but we will get plenty more when we actually go inside. We walked around exploring the city for a while because this city seems so different than the other ones we've been to so far... it is in a different region of the country (Kansai) and the people are much easier to understand, they use a lot of the grammatical structures/dialect that Americans are taught.

We walked through a shopping/food arcade, then made our way into the Kawaramachi part of the city to find some dinner. We tried to get over to the Nishiki market which is a huge food vendor spot, but we were too enamored by the deep fried salmon and good beer we saw in a display window and had to stop to eat before making it to Nishiki. The deep fried salmon was awesome, and we had some duck with it too that was pretty good as well.

After that we actually found something using the address for the first time of the trip. I talked to a person before we came who had lived in Kyoto for 4 years, and he told me the best bar to go to for good music is the ING Bar. We actually found it... it's a little hole in the wall on the second floor of a building on the river. The guy who owns it is obsessed with the Rolling Stones and rock and roll in general, and he played good music for us all night... Rolling Stones of course, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Rush, Bad Company, etc etc. Anything we requested he had it on vinyl or cd.

Anyway, it was a very good day and we have an awesome impression of Kyoto now. It's Jordan's favorite city so far. Today we are going to Kiyomizudera, a giant temple on top of a hill that overlooks the city. From there we are going to Heian-jingu, home to one of the biggest torii's in Japan. We'll probably go to Ginkakuji after that, which is like Kinkakuji, but plated in silver instead of gold. Hopefully we'll make it to Tomi sushi tonight, we have yet to make it to a restaurant on the itinerary because we can't find them, but ING was a good sign, so maybe we'll find Tomi tonight. More to come later (with pictures hopefully).

Walter

---