Kyoto in the Spring is reputedly the best and most popular season. I've seen it before, also in March (because I can't afford the hotel rates in April during the brief spark of Sakura blossoms). Even so, the plum blossoms have usually burst by March, so its not as bleak as, say, northwest Ohio in March. But I've seen picture postcards of Kyoto temples with the greenery all afire and I can't help but wish I could go in the fall. Kyoto, Japan's old capital once called Heian Kyo, has so many temples that I'm not sure you could see them all if you had a week to do nothing but. Walking tours of Kyoto are pretty popular, but understand that this sprawling urban center has temples dotting the map in clusters from downtown to the farflung outskirts. I've only ever seen a handful. But! One of the truly great things about Kyoto is the fact that the city's layout has never changed from the marvelously simple grid of the ancient past. Therefore, as you can imagine, even a total idiot can get around Kyoto with a hotel map. The night of our somewhat troubled arrival, the first hotel's night staff actually was kind enough to make some phonecalls on our behalf. We were exhausted and irritated, and Cheryl was crying again. Well, the two desk-men really came through. It is hotel policy that you call to cancel reservations, and when we didn't show up at the expected hour they figured we were a no show. Understandably. But the kindest thing (probably thanks to Cheryl's crying now that I think about it), the nightstaff paid for our cab. Above and Beyond... So we ended up at the Garden Palace Hotel (which had three single rooms and we were thrilled). After a night's rest and soak (and watching sumo, because I couldn't really sleep and to be honest I couldn't get the hotel room's heat to return from the subtropical setting), our first stop was the Imperial Garden (the picture on the main page). Near the Garden's main structure was a gaggle of giggling gaijin (no, not us). We watched them as the approached the forbidding building and they must have either touched it or got too close to it because Lo, a clanging alarm started to go off. They all yelped and leaped backwards and proceeded to stare at the ringing structure. I herded the Lees away, because I didn't want anyone to clump us and the gaggle together, and if they were in trouble or something, I didn't want people to assume our involvement. No, I'm not paranoid actually.

The great thing about our hotel, The Kyoto Garden Palace, was its proximity to a close-knit cluster of sites. We walked to the Imperial Garden from the hotel, took in the nature (and the Japanese photographers who were capturing the nature with their nifty tripod cameras). Then it was a quick hop to the subway (NOTE: the chimes heralding the arrival of the train is good for a laugh. Think a melody from an old black and white with actors in yellow-face. It was so "traditional"), and we were right on top of NiJouJo (Nijo Castle). The old castle has a huge floorplan, and boasts a lot of original art (no photography allowed inside). All the painting is pretty darn well preserved. As well as the art and a nifty history lesson (who's room was who's, where the advisors sat, the creak of the Nightengale floor- an oooldschool alarm system if you will, as well as the grounds and gardens. This picture was taken in front of the main house, its Lisa and Cheryl. We, of course, stood out even more than usual because of our sunglasses which the Japanese do not seem to wear anywhere nearly as often as we westernfolk.