Everyone woke up at 5:00 AM so the group could leave the Kyoto Granbell Hotel at 5:30.
Before the hike, the group stopped at FamilyMart and picked up rice balls.
Fushimi Inari started at 6:00 AM and the loop was finished in an hour. The schedule had looked tight before the e-bike tour, but the group crushed it.
The gates at Fushimi Inari were one of Sarah's trip highlights, along with the quieter zen garden stop. Range matters.
From the hike to the e-bike spot, the route involved two trains and then a bus going the wrong direction. Everyone got off, switched to a taxi, and still made it on time.
On the e-bike tour, the power settings were in Japanese. The highest setting had a character that looked like a volcano, so it became volcano mode. It became shorthand for sending it. Sarah also almost ran into a pole, which felt like Kyoto making sure the e-bike chapter had range.
After the e-bike tour, lunch was at Nabura, recommended by the guide. It was phenomenal: ramen and fried chicken, with ramen as the clear highlight.
The Nintendo Store in Kyoto supplied souvenirs for Zack and Killian: a Mario magnet and Mario candy.
That night, Nick took the group to dinner for chicken skins, including chicken with cheese on skewers. It was a Sarah highlight, not the best meal of the trip, but still strong evidence in favor of cheese-based diplomacy. Then came karaoke.
