Originally published on 2 June 2006. This post is part of a series of e-mail “letters to home” from my first ever solo trip abroad to beautiful Japan!

I decided Wednesday night to go to Kyoto again on Thursday. That’s about as spontaneous as I get–I change plans the night before! I figured I ought to use the rail pass while I have it, and I wanted to see the shops and more of Kyoto again. So I hopped the morning train and set out. It’s a 3-hour ride, with one change in Nagoya (I’ve gotten to know that station pretty well this week), but that didn’t bother me!

Once there, I took a cab to Geisha street (I got some funny looks when I was trying to tell them where I wanted to go!). I saw a few, but I was there about 11, so I’m sure more would have been out later in the day.

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I went to some of the same shops asthe day before, and looked into some others as well.

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I got lunch at a convenience store (sushi at a convenience store makes Japan just wonderful!), then made my way back up the big hill to the temple. It was still there, just like the day before! I treated myself to some more green tea ice cream and made my way back to get a cab and catch the evening train. I didn’t meet any interesting little old men this time, but I filled up my travel journal, so now I get to start a new one!

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Today I had planned to go back to Naiku, the main Ise Shrine, but it was overcast all day and I’m not really sure how to get there on my own yet, so I stayed around the city, running errands and stuff like that. I watched a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie and ate my grocery store sushi for supper.

Thanks for sticking it out with me. My travels have been great so far, and I still have Tokyo to conquer over the weekend! I’ll try my very best to only hit the high points. Please keep me in your prayers and know you’re in mine. Thanks so much, everyone. Don’t forget to send those addresses!

Love, Whit