Travel Log: Day 1

From May 14-20 we took our long awaited family vacation to Kyoto and Kobe, Shane's misssion. I absolutely loved our vacation. The weather was perfect, it was so nice to be together as a family, and we got to see some really neat things in Japan. Kyoto was Japan's capitol before Tokyo, so a lot of great cultural things are in that city. We left Yokohama at about 8:00 am and arrived in Kyoto around 3:30 pm. That time included an hour stop for lunch and some terrible construction traffic just before we got to Kyoto. When we arrived we checked into our hotel and headed to Kiyomizudera. The picture below is actually one I found on the internet because in our excitement to start seeing the sites, we left the camera at the hotel.
It was beautiful, up on a hill overlooking the city of Kyoto. It was one of those places that you just want to sit down for a while and soak in the beauty and the atmosphere. After Kiyomizudera we went back to the hotel and found a restaurant for dinner.

Travel Log: Day 2

This was our big day in Kyoto and we tried to pack in as much as possible. We woke up to a free continental breakfast at our hotel. A bit different than the donuts and coffee you find in the US. Miso soup and onigiri (rice with stuff on it). Our first destination was Fushimi nari. These red tori gates line the trail as you hike through the mountain side. The whole hike is about 2 hours, but we did a shorter version. Of course there were also Jinja's and shrines along the way. This is the kind of thing that I LOVE, but I wasn't sure if the kids would like it. They seemed to enjoy running through the gates though.

Next we went to Toji Temple. This was a 5 story pagoda, beautiful ponds and gardens and 2 other buildings (temples). In the temples there were a lot of golden buddha statues, but we couldn't take pictures inside. Shane and I both really liked this place. To give you an idea of the size of the pagoda, I am the small person standing in front of it.
After lunch and some bribery (ice cream) for our kids to keep going, we went to Kinkakuji. This is a golden temple, and we hear that it really is covered with gold.

Kinkakuji is a must see in Kyoto, but while we were there there were a million students on school trips, so it was very crowded. We had to wait for a chance to take the above family photo for about 15 mins. By the time we got done with Kinkakuji we were ready for a break. We decided to drive around and Shane tried to find where his old mission apartment in Kyoto was. We got close but never found the exact building. While we were in the area Shane remembered about an old bridge, Togetsu kyo, that is famous for some reason and is a popular tourist destination.

We found a place to park and relaxed by the side of the river for a while. The kids found a drinking fountain to play in and kept turning the spout so that it would shoot strait up in the air and get them all wet. Out of all of the neat sites and famous attractions we saw in Kyoto that day, if you were to ask the kids what their favorite part of the day was, the water fountain would probably be it. After some time by the river we found a restaurant had dinner and went back to the hotel for some sleep!

Travel log: Day 3

On Friday we packed up and checked out of our hotel in Kyoto. We headed over to Nijo Castle, near our hotel. This castle has an inner and an outer mote, and two separate palaces. We were allowed to walk through the larger of the two palaces. The size of it was pretty impressive; with 33 rooms and, for those of you familiar with tatami mats, over 800 tatami mats. I thought there were two really cool things about this palace. The first was all of the wall and ceiling paintings. They were very old and the color was fading in a lot of places, but very beautiful Japanese art work. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the building, so I don't have a picture of what they looked like. The other cool thing was the floors that you walked on. They are called nightingale floors, and were made to squeek when you walk on them. The Shogun and samuri lived in the palace and the floors would warn them of intruders. Of course there were beautiful Japanese gardens surrounding the palace.

By the time we walked around the grounds it was getting hot and, let's be honest, the kids were DONE seeing any more gardens. Shane and I ended up packing Isaac, pushing the stroller with either Cailey or Bryant, and carrying the child who wasn't in the stroller on our back. I had big plans to see one more Temple in Kyoto, but after Nijo we decided that was enough. Instead we went to a park and had a picnic lunch. The kids magically got all of their energy back and had fun playing. After lunch we went to the Kyoto eki, which is new and very modern. We wanted to go see it and get a few omiyage's (souveniers).

At about 2:30 pm we left Kyoto and headed for Kobe. Shane spent 6 months of his mission in Kobe. One of the best parts of this trip for us was that we got to stay with Kazuko and Keiji Shimizu while we were in Kobe. When Shane was a missionary in Kobe, they only lived a few doors down from the Shimizu's. The custom in Japan when you move into a new place is to go to your neighbor's home and introduce yourself and take them a gift. So after being transfered to the area, Shane and his companion knocked on the Shimizu's door and the whole family came to the genkan to meet them. This was the beginning of many meetings with the missionaries. Kazuko was baptized and has been a member for 15 years now. She is incredible in every way. She was a wonderful hostess and made us feel like family while we were there. She is a great cook and for me it was so much fun to be in a Japanese home, eating Japanese home cooking and even seeing how they set the table when they eat. This was our meal the first night we arrived: When I wrote out our daily travel log during the trip, I actually wrote down what she served us for every meal because it was so impressive. I helped her make a few things throughout our stay, so hopefully I will be able to reproduce one of her dishes. Below is a picture of Kazuko with Cailey before our meal. In the background is a display that they put up during May for Boy's Day. It is samurai armor and swords. It is to remind the boys to be strong and courageous. (I hope I got that right for all of you who are a lot more knowledgeable about Japanese culture than I).

Travel log: Day 4

On Saturday we got up and drove to the city of Himeiji where the famous Himeji castle is located. Wow...this castle really lives up to all expectations. It's size is so impressive, when I got my first view of it as we drove up I was blown away. By the time we arrived, it was lunch time so we ate at a restaurant right in front of the castle grounds. I took a picture with a view of the castle in the background. Kazuko joined us for the outing. The kids love her and think that she is their "Japanese Grandma"

Family picture with the castle in the background.

This is a view from the top of the castle.

Travel log: Day 5

On Sunday Shane got to have some more trips down memory lane. We went to church in Kobe with Kazuko where Shane served for 6 months of his mission. We got there early and looked around a little bit. He recognized a few faces, but after 15 years a lot has changed. The bishop of the ward told an interesting story during sacrament meeting. He was converted about 15 years ago and living in Kyoto as a student. When he wanted to get baptized he needed permission from his parents who lived in Kobe. Shane was one of the missionaries who visited his parents to speak to them about the church and get their permission. Shane didn't remember the visit, but it is nice to know that the everyday things you do as a missionary help others.


I have to mention what we had for dinner on Sunday night, because it was wonderful!! Kazuko made Sukiyaki with Kobe beef. Beef in Japan is very expensive, and this beef was delicious. I wish I would have taken a picture of the meal, but I didn't. Sukiyaki is a meal that is cooked in a large round electric skillet. Beef, tofu, leeks, mushrooms, onions, etc. are arranged in the pan and cooked with soy and a bit of sugar (which make a really good glaze on everything). When it is cooked each person takes what they want and (the true way to do it is to) dip it in raw egg and eat it with rice (Shane and I passed on the raw egg).
This is a picture of the Shimizu's, Keiji and Kazuko.

Travel log: Day 6

On Monday we went to an aquarium in Osaka called "Kaiyukan". Since "Finding Nemo" was one of the only movies that we had in Japan for our first 2 years here, the kids know it well! It really paid off at the aquarium because they were excited to see all of the fish they recognized from the movie. Here is Mr. Ray...


We also saw little "nemo's", jellyfish, sharks, star fish, the fish that puff up, and sea turtles.

One of the coolest things there was a whale shark. It was a pretty fast swimmer, but we got the best shot we could:

Travel log: Day 7

Time to head back to reality. We packed up and said our good byes to our wonderful hostess Kazuko. We finally rolled out of Kobe just before 10:00 am. The Shimizu's helped us find a better way to drive home that saved us a lot of time. Near Kyoto there is an Express way called Meishin that is under construction and we wanted to avoid it. We found out that there is a new road called "shin meishin" that is not even on our navigation because it is so new. We took this road and it ended up being not only faster but extremely scenic. We passed through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. The road went through mountains that are untouched by man except for this road. Right before we left Shane asked if we should leave the camera out and I told him to pack it...big mistake, so no photos. We also got some really nice views of Mt. Fuji as we drove past. (kick, kick, no camera) We arrived back in Yokohama at about 4:00 pm.

A truely memorable family vacation.