Day Two: Kyoto & Climbing

Early rising paid off, as Cecelia and I arrived before the crowds Friday morning at Kiomizudera in Kyoto. A grand wooden platformed temple pearched on a mountainside, Kiomizudera provided a gracious view, holy mountain spring water, and even a chance to test your liklihood of finding love. What more could you ask for in a temple?

The trick is to walk about 20 yards between two stones with your eyes closed. Some how this demonstration of "blind faith" gagues your love potential...or your gullibility. I have suspicions this was a joke the locals play on tourists, like peeing on the Blarney stone, or telling them live octopus is a delicacy (and for the record, I've eaten live octopus, and kissed the stone).

That evening we headed to meet Cecilia's friends at the wall climbing gym. After a couple hours of harness wedgies and scraped knuckles we joined them in their weekly Friday night dinner of Yaki-soba and draft beer.