Jeff was initially disappointed that his Kyoto Imperial Palace tour group
exceeded the 9 advertised, but his disappointment soon faded when he
found out that the numbers were made up by a class of Japanese
schoolgirls...


...!


The first of many Japanese gardens on our tour of Kyoto.


The not-so-bullet train.


Five-storey pagodo number one - the oldest of its type in Japan (8th
century)...


... and an artier shot of the same building.


The "Great Hall" in the foreground is the oldest building in Japan (early
8th century).


Maria picking up some gardening tips, though I'm not sure she'd have the
application for this!


More temples... at least we got to benefit fully from one of the ubiquitous
clear umbrellas to be found in Japan...


...well, perhaps not everyone has one!


An excitable dear and a tame deer.

The largest wooden building in the world, which houses...


... the largest Buddha in Japan (approx. 20m high)


One of the Buddha's fearsome guardians.


Perhaps this is Japan's version of Little Red Riding Hood?!