Saturday

Saturday was Mark and Lisa's last in Kyoto.  They had been very eager to take a trip to Hiroshima, so that's what they did  Andrea and I took the opportunity to visit Himeji, the site of a significant castle and garden.

We blasted off from the Yuzuya in separate cabs on Saturday mid morning.  Andrea and I were headed for our next ryokan (the Kaden) and Mark and Lisa went to the station for the train to Hiroshima.  After we left our bags at the hotel, we too headed for the station.  When we got there, w were told that the next express train would actually make it to Himeji before the next Shinkansen would.  So we took it.  90 minutes later we were in Himeji,  We took the tourist bus around the castle to a garden we were interested in - KoKuen Garden.  Shortly after we got in, Andrea went to begin photographing and discovered that the SD card on the camera was filled, and we did not have an extra.  Ouch!  Andrea was prepared to take picture with her Japanese mobile phone.  I thought that there had to be a store relatively close by that would have SD cards.  Fortunately Andrea had the language skills to be able to ask, and we were directed to a place that was about a 7 minute walk from the garden. When we got there, we thought that the fact the place sold washing machines and other large appliances boded ill for the solution.   Fortunately, they had SD cards and we bought a couple.  We were back in the garden shortly and able now to shoot to our heart's content (which Andrea certainly did).

Himeji Castle.

Pond in the garden (which was full of huge carp)..

Turns out I was in fact on the trip.

Beautiful fall colors.

Of course, seeing the gardens was nothing compared to Mark and Lisa seeing the Emperor and Empress in Kyoto Station, as they waited for their train.  If Mark send me the picture, I will post it here.

Andrea and Keith took the Shinkansen back from Himeji,  The trip that took 90 minutes on an express train took 45 minutes on the Shinkansen.  The Shinkansen was also 2 and 1/2 times more expensive, proving he adage that time is money.  

On our way back to the train station in Himeji, we saw an outdoor gathering and heard the sounds of singing.  We got up closer an saw that it was an Elvis impersonator performing on an outdoor stage to a group of a couple of hundred.  He was really good and it was a hoot to see it.

We met Mark and Lisa at the station after their day in Hiroshima, and it was off to a delicious sushi dinner for our last dinner together in Japan.  At least on this trip!