We will be leaving Kyoto on May 14, so all together we went to the train station to arrange for our seats on the Shinkansen. Then we got on a local train to Arashiyama. On the map it looked like there were two stops in Arashiyama. When everyone got off at the first stop I said we should stay on to the next one. Of course the train didn’t stop; it went a long distance through a tunnel and suddenly we were in the mountains. We got off at the first stop and took the return train. But I wasn’t sorry we took the extra side trip. I really wanted to go sit on a rock in the river. (It’s very hot here during the day.)
Again we split up. I started walking toward Tenryuji along with hundreds of others, and the family went to the Monkey Park. I explored a small garden which turned out to be a restaurant then went on to Hongon in, a sub temple of Tenryuji with a wonderful garden, which was almost empty.
I left just as my family returned, we had lunch together then went to Tenryuji where I sat in the garden while they explored the temple and climbed the mountain behind the garden. I had done all this in 2007 or 2008 when I was better able to climb.
My last trip to Japan was in 2013. I wanted to return, but I knew that if I returned by myself it would be the same trip. Having them with me has made this a much different trip. They interact differently with other people; I see things through their eyes making much new and exciting; and have gotten to see many things I would have missed had I been alone. We went for dinner to Kyoto Tower. I had never been there and not at night. We had a taxi driver who played rock and roll for us and ate at the food court.
100 Books Before I Die 