Day 2 was a light-ish day, but I ended up walking a lot. My wife took a break in the hotel while I went off to do the Philosophers Walk trail in NE Kyoto. It’s a pretty trail along a canal that a professor at nearby Kyoto U used to walk while thinking, uh, deep thoughts.

There are several Buddhist templs along the way, I stopped at Honen-in, a particularly quiet one off the beaten path.

I walked back thru a park and Kyoto U, then my wife and I walked thru Gion, the geisha district, which has a huge (and popular) shrine. Also, tons of tourists and shopping.

Needed to go somewhere and sit for a bit and wound up in a little jazz bar / cafe called “forgive me cafe”. Just us and the proprietor, and it was a nice stop.

After that we had dinner at a place overlooking the Kamo river in central Kyoto, Mimasu-ya.

The next day we headed up to Arashiyama to see the bamboo “forest”. Would have been more impressive with less people. Also, today was warmer/more humid, and the air was still among the bamboo.

We also toured Sansou villa, which had a very nice landscape garden and views of the nearby river valley and of Kyoto. Still warm and humid, but with fewer people at least.

We also went to a cat cafe, well, just because. It was also an owl “zoo”. The owls were having none of it.

Liked the prior night’s dinner spot enough that we went back again.

Lastly, came back to the hotel to find this amazing arrangement in the lobby:

The following day was a travel day to Takayama and a ryokan stay.

This was a long travel day. Flew Jeju to Gimpo, found the Gimpo Int’l terminal (eventually) then Gimpo to Kansai Int’l Airport (Osaka). Figured out (eventually) how to buy a train ticket, took train to Kyoto. Figured out (eventually) how to buy a subway ticket and took that to hotel. Our hotel (Kyoto Hotel Okura) is on the right. Kamo river in front.

Wandering around Gion and Philosophers walk the next day.

Weather improved in Jeju, was going to get more photos of the resort but didnt get many. It really is a beautiful place.

Azalea bushes I think? So many blooms!

Yesterday was another package tour. Started slowly riding the small local horses.

Then a local brewing operation that makes “millet wine”.

…and a traditional village visit that ended up in a sales pitch for some local honey drink.

After lunch the intensity picked up. Watched traditional women divers head out (no scuba, free dive), then went to climb this:

Hard to see but there’s a viewing platform just short of the top, thats as far as I got. 

From the high to the low – next stop was a lava tube, left as a result if an old lava flow.

About a 1km walk was as far as we could go in the cave. 

On the way back we stopped in Jeju city for dinner at one if those places where theres a charcoal grill in the table and they bring you raw meat to grill, which was fun.

Next we head to Kyoto.

Flew to Jeju. 7am flight, so get there 2 hrs early right? No. Not even Dunkin Donuts was open at Gimhae airport.

And Korean Air was still having their…

It was raining in Jeju so we went straight to the hotel and did pretty much nothing, though we did go to dinner with one of my wife’s students from 2 years ago. 

Hotel (Seaes Resort) is very pretty, azaleas here grow into huge shrubs. Got more photos later when was sunny but for now:

We bought a tour of Gyeongju for today. It’s about an hour north of Busan, and was the capitol of the Silla kingdom, dating from the 8th century. So there are Buddhist sites and original and recreated historic buildings.

Lots to see, warm weather, and a fast tour guide – we got back to the hotel and just fell asleep.

Today we hiked up to Gamcheon Cultural Village.  As refugees of the war came south to avoid the conflict, some started to settle on the hills at what was then outskirts of Busan. Today it’s a brightly colored collection of houses, cafes, stores and art studios.

Houses are stacked up on top of each other in a way that exceeds even San Francisco.

Then we headed over to the school my wife worked with that teaches children of ( or that were) North Korean defectors. Didnt get any pics of that, but there’s a nice park along the seashore of the man-made peninsula it sits on.

There was a nice cafe near this where we had korean shaved ice, “bing su”, while looking out at the park.

Tomorrow will be a day trip tour of Gyeong-ju, which was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla.

View out our room is Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park, Busan. So we had breakfast (pork and rice stew) and walked up there. 

No, I did not go up.

Jalgachi fish market is behind hotel, with several blocks of smaller vendors with fresh catch out front, esp. various bivalves. No photo, that is an olefactory memory!

After hike to Busan tower, took a nap (because we can, and because a little jetlag) then took the subway up to Gwangali beach, and walked in the surf. Bridge in distance is fairly famous, and featured in one of the Avengers films (among other things).

Had dinner in a place advertising “Korean chicken and beer”. Was as advertised, but we didnt know one plate was intended to serve two (or more).

Walked around a bit more, there were a lot of restaurants/bars lining the streets and alleys here. Several with live seafood you could select and eat — and I had fried chicken instead. Somewhere, Anthony Bourdain is very disappointed.

Today we’re heading to Gamcheon cultural village and also to the school my wife previously taught at.