kyoto botanical gardens

were we're staying is

right down the street from the

kyoto botanical gardens.

naturally it was one of the first 

places we explored.

there was every type of garden you could 

imagine.

including an extensive bonsai tree garden...

-e

our kyoto neighborhood

we're in kyoto for the next couple days

staying in a lovely little

ryokan in central kyoto.

our neighborhood is quiet and

right along the kamogawa river.

there is a wonderful walkway along

the river where you can eat one of the best

french pastries from one of the many

boulangerie...

-e

steven enjoying the view from our room window.

the little courtyard

seriously top five best pastries i've eaten. and these french bakeries are littering the streets

the street where we "live"

our favorite vending machine thus far.

the river walk. this spans the entire city (north to south)

akihabara :: anime town

on our last full day exploring tokyo

we went to akihabara.

it's known for being the place to go

for anime fans.

what drew us even more was

electric town.

where there are buildings and buildings full of every

single piece of electronics gear 

you could ever imagine.

which for me was a short list.

i was proved wrong,

and steven was in heaven...

-e

first sights as we stepped off the train

there were hundreds of these booths.

anime has something for everyone...

like i said... he was in heaven

a walk in the park

yesterday steven and i decided

we needed a chill day.

the stimulation and heat of the city was 

starting to overwhelm us.

luckily,

one of tokyo's biggest parks

is right down the street from our hotel.

we spent some time there and also

went over to kichijoji where there was another

great park for people watching and catching up on our books...

-e

tsukiji fish market

this has been

a highlight of our trip so far.

the tsukiji fish market is famous for

it's tuna auction (which we were sad to find out

is no longer open to the public).

we had an incredible time walking through the stalls,

trying samples of strange fishy things,

and having the best sushi we're every had...

-e