We spent a literal 24 hours just getting here. 2 flights (connecting in Detroit with a heart-stoppingly short 40 minute layover), plus 2 trains (1 hour from airport to Tokyo, 2 hours more to Kyoto). Coupled with the 13 hour time difference, we stumbled from Monday to Wednesday. We checked into our hotel around 8 pm and passed out by 8:30, dead to the world. Guess who was wide awake at 4:30 a.m.? Yeah. We’re still pretty screwed up sleep-wise. We waited for the complimentary hotel breakfast to open at 6:30 and then feasted like animals. We’re staying at one of the swankiest hotels I’ve been to, the Ritz Carlton Kyoto, thanks to Kyle’s Marriott points. It’s beautiful, though if I was paying full rate I’d definitely go for a Ryokan with that kind of budget instead - the place we stayed last time was called Shiraume & was unforgettable. After our obscene breakfast it was still only 7 a.m. We decided to embrace our early rising Japan selves and go to Fushimi Inari Shrine