Yes – we had to start the day off with an early morning run along the river. Gorgeous weather and wildlife along the way.

It was so tempting to follow the river all the way to the mountains…I was tempted, but the trail stopped and you could only run along the street to get to the mountain area 😦

Running around the world is always fun.  Some of my other favorite spots:

• Zambia
• Cuba
• Antarctica
• Greenland
• Oslo
• Vienna
• London
• Suzhou China
• Grenada
• Singapore
• Zurich
• Budapest
• Karkow
• Warsaw
• Dominican Republic
• St. Lucia
• Seville
• Madrid
• Casearea, Israel
• Hanoi, Vietnam
• Hakone, Japan
• Dublin

We then ventured off to the contemporary art museum on the east side of town – designated by a huge arch/gate (Tori). The largest we have ever seen before in Japan.

And then to the Noh performance hall. Today being a holiday was a great opportunity to join the half-hour long performances by many local amateurs.

Another amazing experience…and it was quite an honor to be welcomed as westerners in these activities.

Since we were close by, we could not resist visiting the Kyoto zoo.

They had a nice selection of animals in a surprisingly small facility. I felt bad for the animals though.

Speaking of animals, on the way back to our hotel, we saw this very strange shop/exhibit/store…not sure what. It all these animal heads and bodies in the window.

I have no idea what this was all about, so we kept moving.

And yes, Starbucks is very popular here in Japan. I think the Starbucks density is greater here in Japan than Seattle.

If interested, here are my other posts on Kyoto:

• First day
• Exploring Kyoto
• Hidden sites
• Ape city