Boat Ride in Arashiyama

Spent last Saturday in a wooden boat negotiating rapids down a river near Kyoto. Actually, I was just seated comfortably in the boat while the boatsmen negotiated the rapids. It really reminded me how much I love being out in nature. We even saw a monkey on the river bank! It's been hot and sticky here, but there was a cool breeze going down the river. I went with my good friend Akiko and her Iranian student Mr. Safari. It was nice to have Akiko translating the humorous patter of the boatsmen, as I am usually without a clue. There was a French family in the boat with us (along with about 8 other people) and I enjoyed speaking French with the dad. It made me feel like less of a 3 year old as, unlike Japanese, I can actually speak French. There was an interesting linguistic dynamic going on with that family. The mother was English, the dad French, and they lived in Paris. (Like most Parisiens, they were on their 3 week August vacation). The mother spoke only English to the kids (late teens, early twenties) and the kids answered entirely in French. The only time the woman spoke French was to speak to her husband. They obviously completely understood one another, so everyone was happy.
After the boat ride, Akiko and I did some unsuccessful geocaching along the river bank, and then we were told about a Buddhist temple straight up the mountain from the river. It was really steep, but very worth it. When we got there, we rang the gong 3 times each, listening to its lovely sound reverberating through the mountains. Then we continued on to the temple, which was small and a bit shabby, but with a million dollar view over the river, mountains, and the city of Kyoto in the distance. There was tea, and we enjoyed the cool air and the view, sitting comfortably for about 45 minutes. Then back down the mountain to the heat and crowds of Arashiyama (a bit of a tourist location.) Another great day!