Have you ever met a geisha?

As luck would have it, there was a photo shoot in the park of Nijo Castle in Kyoto. I sneaked a couple of photos (alas not very good shots). Every inch a Geisha...Kyoto still has an active geisha community. It is rare to see one just out and about I'm told. Every now and again you may catch a glimpse of a Maiko (geisha in training) getting ready to go to a party. So I feel very fortunate. And I didn't have to get drunk to see her either.

In fact, the day was brimming with wonderful outfits in the Gion district. Just some young couples - on dates? Anyway, the women were so vibrant and beautiful and the men were so handsome.

One of the fun things at Nijo castle were the school students who need to complete a homework assignment by speaking English - asking questions, writing down the answers. They also wanted photos of me with them which I had to decline, and they were a little surprised I know a smidgen of Japanese. It was really funny when they would go up to a westerner and speak English, but the person they were talking to didn't know much either. I've run into many French, Germans, Russians and one Swede.

Of course the castle itself was a wonderful sight. It is undergoing some restoration (in fact it's hard to find a place that isn't) but the rooms that are intact have the most amazing painted screens and walls. As to be expected of the Shogun's digs, plenty of gold leaf.

Speaking of gold leaf: The Golden Pavilion is aptly named. Looks like solid gold on the lake. The day was partly cloudy, so we didn't get the full benefit of the glitter, but there were moments of sun and it did indeed take your breath away.

The people at the hotel think I'm slightly nuts because I keep asking how long it would take to walk places. Oh no, they say, too far to walk. Well, they were right about the Golden Pavilion and I took a bus there. I also took the bus as far as Nijo Castle. After that, seeing things from the bus that captured my curiosity, I decided to make the loop of temples, Imperial Palaces, and the Gion (geisha) district on foot. That's the only way to find the little oddities that each place has.

After 8 hours of solid walking, you can imagine why I didn't report in as usual. I could hardly move. So instead I caught up on a Korean costume drama (had no idea what was going on) and watched 2 - count them 2 - samurai TV dramas - again not a clue but the costumes were fun.