Japan, Days 7 & 8: Kyoto Wanderings

The next two days were spent wandering stunning Kyoto by foot with the aid of various forms of public transportation. Baby, now fully recovered from jet lag, resumed her Adventure Baby status by cheerfully embracing new environments, people, and sites each day. She quickly became comfortable with the subway, waved frantically at buses, and crossed 18 lanes of traffic consecutively on foot like a champ. We even managed to lull her to sleep in the stroller one afternoon when our outing took us too far from home to return for a nap.

It has been incredibly difficult to choose which pictures to share in a city that seems built for photographers, but we've managed to narrow it down to the ones below. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

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First, we lingered along another section of the Philosopher's Path, its meandering canal bursting with colourful blooms. Tourists and locals alike quietly appreciated its calm beauty in the early morning light.

Gion, a neighbourhood with narrow streets and many centuries old buildings steeped in history boasted impressive temples, lovely homes clustered along the canal, and many people dressed in traditional clothes to have their picture taken. Adventure Baby climbed countless temple steps without hesitation.

We beat the heavy crowds in the Arashiyama area by climbing higher up the hill to visit some magically serene temples. In a short time the landscape unfolded from riverbank to cherry groves to bamboo forest to lush hillside. The Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji Temple was our last stop and despite fatigue and swarming mosquitoes, it was difficult to tear ourselves away from the endearing Rankan stone figures depicting the disciples of Buddha.