Traveling to Kyoto (With Kids) Part II

    My husband thinks that there is nothing better than waking to a hotel breakfast, but I don't know. On the one hand, it is definitely convenient, especially with kids. On the other, you can't help wondering if there is something out there that is better and more interesting (there usually is). Since I planned this particular trip, we ended up having breakfast across the city. This takes a fair amount of planning, because it takes at least half an hour to get everyone ready and the travel time, even by taxi, was about 45 minutes. That's over an hour of being awake with no food for two young children. The longer this goes on, the worse the mood. 

    So we woke up to a couple of small pastries I had bought the night before and headed to the Arashimaya area for breakfast. Most of the major sites we wanted to visit were located in this area far from the hotel. The plan was to spend the entire day to there. This cafe has a Tokyo location, which bears no resemblance to the Kyoto one we visited. 

I forgot to take photos inside. It was all tatami seating. It felt like what a cafe would have been like a hundred years ago if there had been cafes like this. The overall style is traditional but the details and ambience are definitely modern. Most importantly, the food was really good. We ordered a few egg sandwich sets, which come with coffee and bits of this and that on the side. Before I could protest, E moved quickly to order a french toast set, which turned out to be incredibly good. How glad I was to have chosen this over the hotel breakfast. 

After breakfast, we walked to Tenryu-ji, the famous 14th century temple belonging to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Like so many temples and shrines in Kyoto, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was  Friday, and the crowd was still thin. On the temple grounds, the path changed from smooth to gravel with stairs interspersed. We ditched the stroller early on. Anyways, both kids were fascinated with their new surroundings - particularly the pebbles for some reason.  

A beautiful day for temple-going.

The temple's exit feeds into the iconic Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Even having seen it once before in person and hundreds of times in photographs, the cool serenity is still striking. We walked through the forest path, which led us back to the banks of the Hozu River, where my pick for lunch was located. 

Now it was only 11am. Having known how much there was to see in this one area, and wanting to take my time in each location, I had herded everyone out of the hotel early (early for us, with kids, which is 8:30 am). Living in Japan has taught me that you have to think two steps ahead, especially when it comes to eating out. The price you pay for not doing so is a one hour queue at best and a missed opportunity at worst. So 11am was actually the perfect time to find lunch.  

The lunch spot was inside an old house repurposed as a restaurant (I think). It served traditional Japanese food - tempura, soba noodles, rice bowls with various toppings. The second floor had semi-private seating, and since it was early, we had the entire room to ourselves. As with so many Kyoto establishments - and much to my parents' bewilderment - they had only floor seating. But floor seating is convenient for little kids, and we had a stunning view of the river. The restaurant had a nostalgic air about it, transporting you back to the 70s or 80s of the Showa era. 

Our afternoon itinerary included the Arashiyama Monkey Park and the Sagano Scenic Railway. The park is perched on top of a mountain, big enough to get your heart rate up but small enough for M to make her way up on her own. Inside the park, the monkeys are just chilling in an open space. They don't mind the humans, and in return, human visitors are strictly prohibited to bother the monkeys. Our kids were rewarded for their climbing efforts by a few play structures and a panoramic view of the city. 

The climb up to and down from the monkey park took two and a half hours, and by then, the kids were ready to be refueled. At the foot of the mountain is a rather touristy area filled with small shops and cafes. It was the perfect time and place for a snack. Despite the cool temperatures, it got warm around midday, especially with the climbing. We bought an ice cream and took a little break before boarding the Sagano Scenic Train. 

The train ride was a perfect conclusion to an active day. I bought tickets in advance, because it can get crowded - even on a weekday. Dinner was in Gion, but I won't bore you with the nitty gritty. It was recommended by the hotel and tasty enough but not memorable. The next and final installation will be short and sweet, because that is what our last day was. It was our only weekend day and for that reason and others, it was a little different.