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As the crowded bullet train pulled into the station Pete, Alex and I grabbed our things and prepared to disembark. It was a smooth ride but were tired and in need of drink. I snapped a picture of my crack-head friends as they goofed off on the train.
We were going to go out for a night on the town but decide to just go back to Pete's house and take it easy. We drop off Alex's things and go back to the narrow, dirty restaurant that Pete and I had eaten at earlier. We have a huge beer and get some noodles then head back and get some much needed sleep.
On the way back from the restaurant we spot a porno vending machine. Though nowhere near as cool as a panty vending machine, I figure it is a worthy runner up. The videos are ten or twenty dollars and there is a thick tinted glass plate that makes it impossible to photograph the wares.
As I wake up the next day I am greeted with two unsettling prospects: it is my last full day and it is raining. We decide not to let the rain hamper our plans and we set out on the train to Kyoto to see a famous Shinto temple. Once in Kyoto we take a crowded bus for about 45 minutes to reach the temple. Even in the rain it is clear that the temple is a magnificent attraction. Like most historical landmarks we have visited, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt in the course of its long history. It was originally built around 700 but the most recent incarnation is a replica of the original dating to 1950. The temple was destroyed by a crazed monk who became obsessed with the building and then burned it down. A fictionalized account of the monk's arson is one of the most well respected modern Japanese novels. As we are walking around the temple, the rain begins to pick up and Alex and I start to get drenched. Pete has an umbrella so we find a roof to stand under and take turns sharing the umbrella to venturing out and explore.
