Greetings from Kyoto

I'm on a coin-operated computer at the Tomato Guesthouse in Kyoto, so I don't have much time to post before I run out of change, but just a note to say we're here.

We arrived yesterday by Shinkansen, the famous bullet train. Traveling in a country you find you have time to develop all kinds of sweeping and poorly-conceived theories about its people. For instance, yesterday we were speculating on whether there is a relationship among the following facts: 1. Many people in Japan apparently live in tiny apartments with little natural light - even when it would be possible to have bigger windows, they don't - which they further subdivide into small paneled rooms; 2. The traditional Japanese restaurant likewise features a series of small, windowless paneled rooms; and 3. When traveling by train - including the famous Shinkansen - people in Japan seem to prefer to lower their window shades and shut out the scenery zooming by, the better to focus on their handhold electronic devices.

We did manage to catch a few glimpses of Mount Fuji before all of the blinds were closed, but I'm looking forward to getting a window seat on the train next time. Meanwhile, we have lots of temples to see in Kyoto. After five months in Asia we may be a little jaded to temples, but Kyoto has a fabulous history, having served as Japan's imperial capital for around a thousand years (until the mid-19th century), and we're going to appreciate it if it kills us.

Seriously, though - we had a fabulous time in Tokyo; we probably enjoyed it more than anywhere else we've been so far. It'll be interesting to see another aspect of Japan.