Travel to Kyoto

Yesterday afternoon when Connor woke up from his nap we boarded the bullet train bound for Kyoto.  This required a subway ride from Isezakicho station to Shin Yokohama where we transferred to the Shinkansen.  The trains are pretty easy to figure out here, and the stations very clean and well-lit compared to what have experienced anywhere else.  The thing I can't figure out is how everything stays so clean and tidy in Japan, when I am unable to find trash bins anywhere when we are out and about.  It is near impossible to find a public place to dispose of garbage...very strange indeed.  The train station cleaning crews have outfits and masks that make them look like surgeons (see pink worker behind me below), and are diligently working away in all corners of the station:

When they say bullet train, they aren't kidding, that Shinkansen is super fast!  Everything out the window races by so quickly that it causes a bit of vertigo if you stare out the window for too long.  Connor broke the two hour ride up alternating between watching the window mesmerized by scenery speeding by, eating, examing his red matchbox car and turning a water bottle over and over and over, watching the water slosh around (a game that never ever gets old):

Around 5:30pm we arrived at Kyoto Station, and found our way upstairs to our new digs, Hotel Granvia, which is situated atop the station.  The hotel is so cool and funky - It is directly above the station and many of the walls are glass with amazing views down below of all the bustle in the station and even some of the tracks and trains.  The interior is very modern, like a W hotel in the states, and the Japanese artwork in the hallways is set up to look like museum exhibits.  Our room has an extensive view of the city, with the Kyoto Tower across the street all lit up at night:

We were slightly concerned about where Connor would sleep in our standard room as we were checking in.  It turned out that the room was massive by Japanese standards, the hotel set up a crib for us, and we were able to strategically drape the black-out curtains from the windows around the crib, making a cozy, dark little enclosed space.  It has worked out extremely well!  We've been able to keep the lights on in the room post-6pm, and conduct business as usual.  Curtain-covered crib: