[DocSanae]

I got home from Kyoto late on Friday night, and have finally gotten around to editing some of the pics.
The weather along the Pacific coast of Japan has been terrible, with a week of constant rain, quite often heavy that caused flooding in some areas. Fortunately, Kyoto was only overcast, but trains were delayed all over. We were fortunate there, too, and were able to go and come back as scheduled, but the moment we entered the Tokyo limits, wow, what a thunderstorm. I was held up for a while at the station a few minutes from my home, not for the want of an umbrella, but because rain was heavy enough to render an umbrella useless.
I didn't have enough time to go to any of the famous tourist spots, so took some pics of the town that I found interesting.

[DocSanae]

Dinner at a kawadoko restaurant. Kawadoko means river balcony.
Restaurants along the Kamo River have balconies built over the canal drawn from the river, which they use during the summer for the coolness that the running water beneath the balcony provides.

The alley leading to the kawadoko that we went to.


Our table.


Me.


The view of the neighboring kawadoko. (The guy is the administrative manager of another institution run by the same medical foundation I work for.)


The night view of the river and town from the kawadoko. The canal running along the balcony, and the main river on the other side of the raised river bed that water runs over when it gets to flood level. Most of the time, it's a very nice pedestrian walk, with lots of couples talking walks in the night air.


What a kawadoko looks like from across the river in daylight.

[DocSanae]

The Kyoto International Conference Center is located on the northern end of the city, and is a 20 minute subway ride from Kyoto Station.

The design of the main building is modeled after Azaekura Zukuri, buildings of 6-7th century.


Bamboo bush by the main building.


The view of the northern part of the city and the hills.


Far in the distance, there is a temple. (Haven't figured out which one it is yet. )

[DocSanae]

Subway. (Now, not all the trains are designed like this. I just happened to be lucky enough to run into this.)
The cars were altenately pink and green, depicting famous features of Kyoto (pink) and Nara (green), a city older than Kyoto that has a number of wooden temples that have survived more than 1200 years.





A bus that is designed like a streetcar.

[DocSanae]

A Japanese restaurant that we (I have a high school friend who lives in Kyoto) walked by on the way to dinner the second day.


Thought the veggies lined up in front was cute.


The street further down.


A shrine dating back to the 15th century, between modern buildings along one of the main streets of downtown Kyoto.


A small Buddhist temple a block down the same street.

[DocSanae]

Gion is the most famous district that houses the geisha houses and restaurants, with maiko and geisha walking down the streets daily. However, I didn't visit it at the right moment, so no pics of maiko and geisha just a couple of corners and buildings.









The entrance of the Yasaka Shrine. I didn't have the time to go into the shrine grounds.

[kimtindall]

Wow, those are some beautiful pics! I would love to visit there one day...maybe! LOLOL Thanks for sharing Doc!

[kitty56]

Thank you for sharing the pictures with us, they are very beautiful pictures. You are a very beautiful lady.

[ruiz4747]

Thank you for sharing, we are blesse to have you.

[LittleLisaMarie]

Thanks Doc it always looks so beautiful there....i hope to be able to travel there one day and experience it for myself. You also look great.....I still have the little card you sent me even that is beautiful.....thanks for everything you do.