Sunday, July 14: Day 6

Sunday… Sixth Day… LAST DAY

Today was the last OFFICIAL day of our Cognition and Learning adventures, however, many of us extended our travels and kept the fun alive. As for me (well, us), Kristy, Melissa and I all traveled to Kyoto.

Our days were filled with fun new adventures. We traveled on the Shinkansen (bullet train) and were shocked at how fast the train went.  We traveled almost 300 miles in less than three hours! The breathtaking views along the way also amazed us; my favorite being Mt. Fuji.

When we arrived in Kyoto we were lucky to learn that we had arrived just in time for the Gion Matsuri (festival).  We spent our days walking and bussing around the historic city taking in the beautiful sites of Nishi Honganji Temple, Kinkakuji Temple (The Golden Temple), the Original Imperial Palace and Fushimi Inaei Shrine. We also ventured to the Gion Matsuri and checked out all of the different floats that were getting ready for the parade. In Gion, we took in the traditional Japanese dancing, entertainment, and dress that the festival and its visitors had to offer.

We have had a fantastic time so far, and continue to look forward to our travels.

Cheers,

Kathleen

                                                         Nishi Honganji Temple

                                                             Kinkakuji Temple

                                                    The Original Imperial Palace

                                                             Fushimi Inaei Srine

                                                             Gion Matsuri Floats

               And last, but not least, our daily dose of asking the nice people around us for directions :)