Day 10 - Osaka/Kyoto Day 1

We only had a part day here and since the ship was in Osaka travel in each direction to/from Kyoto was over an hour, so I focussed on one thing, one very important thing: Monkey Park Iwatayama.  This is a park I was told about that overlooks Kyoto and has wild monkeys in it that you can feed through mesh-covered windows.  It is on the western edge of town where the suburbs run into the hills, so the setting was quite excellent in and of itself.

I took the train to Arishayama and walked through some greenspace, and along a delightful river flowing out of the hills to the Monkey Park gate.  After that it is a 30 minute hike up a 100% grade climb to get to the monkey-feeding house which is, of course, where all the action is.  There and a little swimming pool next to it....

More manhole cover street art.

Mine!

Hangin' out for food.

Nummers.

Contemplating the peanut.

This guy moonlights as a male model.

Action shot.

Just keep swimming...

Trying not to be seen.

I gotcha, buddy.

Here, pull my finger! Bwaa-ha-haaa!!!

As wet as a wet monkey.

Now for some thievery.

 After descending from the Monkey Park I headed further up the river where a series of signs promised the "greatest view" of Kyoto. After the 12th sign I started to fear the worst..they were overselling it.  What I found was pretty nice, but probably not the greatest view of Kyoto.  This was a small temple up another long flight of steep stairs.  They were pumping pretty hard for donations..maybe because they were far off the beaten track in their up-river setting.  Anyhoo, it was quite delightful and peaceful.

Further up the river.

Something told me the path to the Temple might be steep.

View from the top.  Pretty decent, but the greatest..?

On the way back to the subway.

Another horror, this one as big as my thumb.

Sun was a-settin', boats were tied up...