My afternoon was spent on all the things that I didn't get to do the day before because of the rain and darkness near Arashiyama.

 

The below is fairly typical for entries into well to do homes, but this is the grounds of the Tenryu-ji Shrine.

 

 

Picking the grass and weeds. 

 

It was really easy to relax in Kyoto with all the beautiful parks.

 

Another spot that I really wanted to see was the bamboo groves.  Pictures don't do this place justice, but it actually wasn't as large as I thought it would be.  It was fairly crowded, but it was easy to lose yourself gazing into the maze of the bamboo.

 

Making a loop toward where I left off yesterday, I start to notice some unique signs....

 

At the entry of the monkey park, I am glad I didn't try this in the pouring rain yesterday.  30 mins to the top of the mountain and it was fairly steep.

 

But once you got to the top, there was a small building and all the monkeys.  They are free roam, but why would you leave if you are getting fed all the time?

What a great view of the city also!

 

The only place you are allowed to feed the monkeys is from inside the building.  Made me thing of a reverse zoo. This little critter and I bonded over some bananas.  It was really worried about the larger monkeys coming in a stealing the food I was giving it.  I think I need a critter farm some time in my life or at least access to one or a rehab center or something.  I really enjoy watching animals.

 

This is kind of how I was feeling also after running around so much.

 

More of my king buddies at the next place. Ninna-ji Temple grounds.  It was about a 30 min tram and walk from the previous place, if you didn't take the wrong tram like I did.  That was the only time I messed up in Japan.  I think the tram changed destinations after pulling into the station and I didn't realize it.

 

Back to the rain for the next one, Ryoan-ji Temple and famed zen garden. 

 

Again all the detailing was exquisite.

 

So on my now nightly routine of British Pub for a drink, ice cream and then deciding what was for dinner, I met the 2 guys below.  This was my longest conversation in Japan.  The guy on the right had spent some time in Oregon and his English was a lot better than my Japanese.  We talked a little about everything his travels, my travels, politics (Trump and what is America thinking), and just our overall feel for each others countries.  It wasn't a world summit, but it was a neat perspective as my trip wound down.

 

I did avoid the impulse purchase of a Frozen cake that night though.  Why had I not seen that before?

 

What a great last full day in Japan.  Yep, it is almost over...