Kiyomizudera or Pure Water Temple, Kyoto, Japan

The Kiyomizudera temple is an architectural marvel. The logs simply rests in the carved wooden structure and has absolutely no nails. The entire structure can move this way and that. I am guessing it is to protect itself from the earth quakes. The roof is anything like what I have seen before. It was a hot day and the temple inside was so refreshingly cool. Our guide took us to this vantage point for a good picture of the temple.

Many budding artists in the past have donated their art work to decorate the interiors of the temple. displaying their work in the temple was a good way to promote their craftsmanship. There is a smaller temple for Buddha's mother on the other side of the hill. People believe expecting mothers who visit the temple have easier deliveries.

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Shinto Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

The temple is a good hike up the mountain and through the Torri or the vermilion gates. The orange paint is the same color as that of the Bengal Tigers and the paint was imported from India. It always pays to have a Japanese guide to show you around. While there is a time to get lost in a new place and rediscover yourself there are times for a personal tour guide. We were glad we hired one who spoke English.

Recall the movie "The Memoirs of Geisha", these are the gates the young Geisha runs through right after the first commentary stops. The names engraved on the gates are those of the donors along with the date and time of donation.

In early Spring, the ground is filled with dried camphor leaves on the ground and when crumbled, fills the air with good camphor smell. At the same time, new Japanese maple leaves start coming out. I am sure its quite a sight in Autumn with the leaves changing colors.

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Bullet Trains, Japan

Dallas is trying to build bullet trains and the first one is planned between Dallas to Houston, provided they get all the blessings from all the required stakeholders. While it might be new to USA, these have been around in Japan for over 50 years and the bullet trains changed the entire commerce landscape for Japan. We took the train from Tokyo to Kyoto. There's a train every 5 minutes. These are so punctual, you can set your watch on these train timings.

Above is a picture of the lovely Japanese country side. You can see the ocean on one side and Mount Fiji on the other. Unlike trains in China and India, the trains are so quiet. 

You will hardly find any talk on their phones. Most of the heads will be buried deep in their phones or eat a sushi Bento box they picked up from the eateries in the station. Below is a sample menu an eatery offered. There were tons of fake food the Japanese use for display. You could very well find gourmet coffee like the one in the picture above.

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Sushi in Japan

To say that there is "orderliness" in Japan is such an understatement. Everything is so perfect and awesome that it reminds me of the Lego movie. No body changes lanes while driving on roads, the cucumbers in the sushi are cut so perfectly .. and I can go on forever.

Almost everything is automated in Japan. Inspite of the automation, you will find business hire people to simply greet and welcome customers everywhere from airports to restaurants. Not too many people speak in English. However, when you find one, you get some amazing tidbits into their culture. We waited patiently for 2 hours to get into one of the best sushi places in Ginza. The table next to us was a Japanese family (just like the one next to it and the one next to). The daughter knew English and helped us understand the menu.

Street view - other restaurants in the area.

If time permits, and you do not mind the smell of raw fish, do visit the fish market, where they auction fish and have some fresh sushi for breakfast. 

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Ginza, Tokyo

We stayed in Ginza, a popular shopping and entertainment area. The area might resemble New York city a lot, but at night, it is one of the best spots to look for neon lights in Tokyo.  Needless to say, there's tons of places to eat near by. 

Riya's favorite travel destination when she was 10 was Japan. She wanted to ride the Pokemon plane, buy tons of Pokemon cards. Now we are going through the exact same trend with Rohan. The obvious first destination right after we land in Tokyo is at Hakuhinkin Toy store to get some trading cards. The store had tons of architectural puzzles in wood, some cute wooden Japanese dolls and the usual suspects.

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Colosseum, Roma Italy

It suddenly struck my husband that it was our 15th wedding anniversary and my milestone birthday this year. Good for him, one of the airlines were running a great deal for tickets to Spain and Italy. As much as "Zindagi Na Milege Doobara" marketed trips to Spain, the fact that we could walking on the same ground where Ceaser and other Romans walked was too much to not pick Rome. It's a little touristy and there is a good reason behind it. We did the audio tour at the Colessuem and ate a lot of gelato and pizza.

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Shopping in Florence, Italy

Shopping in Florence is not limited to Miu-Miu or Hermes boutiques. Plenty of local markets. Ask around for where the locals buy their goods from including gold jewelry, leather bags, scarves and belts. That's how I found out about the market near the old bridge. I found beautiful bags with great style and amazing craftsmanship. It's not too big but the quality is way better than the one near central market. Was actually surprised to see jewelry in the area. reminded me of Pondy Bazaar.

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