Of Ponto Cho, Purikura and Ginkakuji

When we got back to the Kyoto Station after Gion, we were ready for a NAP. So we slept, then went all the way out to Ginkakuji, which is the Silver Pavillion, which is really made of wood. But, by the time we got there, it was closed. But we had an opportunity to see a sign that said pointed up to a restaurant and said "See Up Stear!"

After we ate at the tanuki's okonomiyaki restaurant in Ponto Cho, we hung out in the Shin Jo Kawada-Machi (really, downtown Kyoto) area. They have the usual streets totally covered at the top so it's like a mall with every shop imaginable (and some beyond imagination). That's where your heroine was introduced to Purikura. (pooDEE kooDUH, or a close approximation thereof)

This is the coolest Japanese invention of all. Why do we not have it here? Because American kids scoff at CUTE. But not Japanese kids. These are actual kids of the teenage variety. The Purikura photo booths are filled with Japanese teens all the time.

What is this thing? They are photo booths, big ones, where for around $4.00 you can take up to 6 or 8 pictures in front of a green screen, with scenes that

you pick from the computer. Like, a flying carpet, flying. Or a hamburger that has a big split between the top and bottom, or . . . whatever. Then you go to a 2nd booth, and

decorate the photos with all sorts of cool stuff on the computer,

then you can print out pics or stamps. Dachshunds figure heavily in Japanese culture,

so we have dachshund on one picture for each time we went, which was 3. Total. During the 2 weeks. It was fun, what's your problem?

Then we went to a treat shop called "God Mountain Cafe" no kidding. And I had green tea cake and Ruthie had chocolate gateau, which informed me then and there that the Japanese can be very pretentious and hifalutin' as well as anyone. And I had almond milk, iced, and Ruthie had almond milk, hot. That was good, too.There is an actual slice of cooked sweet potato on top of that green tea cake (which was scrumptious) and red bean paste inside the layer. You can see it if you look really, really hard.

Ruthie [acting] as if she were a monster, about to devour the dessert.

She did.

Devour it.