The next day, Marta and I finally went to Kyoto
. We had been looking forward to this for a long time
We left early and went on a walking tour around the area that had many different temples and shrines
. They were all so beautiful and almost overwhelming to think about how long it took to make them and how long they have been around. As well as the temples, we also looked around the many different shops and made sure to buy some sweets
to bring back home as gifts
.
The next day in Kyoto, we went to a bamboo forest
and enjoyed the peace and quiet in nature and away from the busy cities. Nearby, we ate a traditional oden lunch
at a small restaurant. I think it was the best meal I have had since I have been in Japan. Next, we went to a monkey park that we found. It was on top of a mountain and the monkeys were all wild. It was possible to walk right past them, while watching them play and groom each other. There is a building that you can go into and feed them apples
and peanuts through a fence. This way it is safe for guests, the monkeys get a little crazy when there is food around. In the evening we went back to Osaka and enjoyed some more street vender food
.