---
We arrived at Kyoto Station at 7:30 AM, right on schedule! It's crazy how everything here is so on time. Even buses.
The ride was pretty relaxing, and I'm surprised by how much I was able to sleep. Usually I need an eye bra, but I put a blanket over the hood on our seats, and was able to tune out most of the sunlight the next morning.
There were a few pitstops, and I got out for most of them to stretch my legs. The bonus was at the last stop where I picked up some yatsuhashi, a type of mochi specific to the Kyoto/Osaka area!
It's basically a square mochi sheet that has been folded in half with a sweet filling inside. The ones we got were filled with red bean and chestnuts, but I saw some strawberry flavored ones too. Delicious. I'll pick some up for Channon. She better thank me because I'm taking them up and down Fuji with me.
We ate them for breakfast at the station before figuring out how to get to our place in Kyoto, a short subway and walk away.
At the door we were greeted by our host, Shizuka, who is a teacher. It wasn't actually her place, but she and her husband Gavin were looking after it for their friend. Since this was going to be our only day in Kyoto, we dropped off our things and I sent a quick email to the twitter friends and fam letting them know I'm alive. Shizuku pointed out cool things to visit on a map, and we were off!
We got some pretty sweet shots at the local botanical garden, but it was pretty dang hot. I definitely wasn't expecting this weather (weather.com sucks in Asia!), so we headed back to charge Ghyrn's camera and change. Shizuka's inlaws were there visiting from Australia, so we had a nice chat with them and played with their dog, Amber.
[I can't believe I didn't take a picture of her!]
Back out to explore Kyoto and get fat. We went straight to the food market and arcade (read: mall), where I wanted to eat everything! Vendors were selling sashimi, mochi, fried tofu, and all kinds of fruit. I wish I could spend a few more days here and try everything.
After lunch we headed to Gion, an older region of Kyoto. There were too many temples and shrines to count, but it was pretty cool seeing the architecture and way of life here. School kids were everywhere, buying ice cream and walking around in their huge vibrant Nikes. Old people were doing the same thing, but without the Nikes. Taking pictures with the kids was also pretty entertaining. Apparently, you don't have to be white to draw attention - just from America!
Some highlights from the day were:
1) Trying Matcha (powdered green tea) shaved ice
2) Ghyrn getting interviewed by a group of school kids. It was funny! They gave him a card saying that they had to interview a foreigner for a school assignment. Some of the questions were "Is this your first time in Japan? What is your favorite Japanese food? What is your favorite Japanese cartoon?" Yes, Mochi, and anything by Miyazaki! Afterward, one kid gave origami cranes to G as a gift:
3) Seeing geishas acting the fool:
4) Walking the Path of Enlightenment, a stone walkway that runs beside a stream past temples and old houses.
We were pretty beat after the walk, so we headed to the local college area, and got Okonomiyaki, a fried cabbage pancake that is pretty tasty!
I got rice cake and beef in mine, and it gave it this really nice chewy texture and savory flavor. I gotta add this to the list of things I have to try to make when I get back.
---
It took us longer than expected to get back to our place because we walked too far past the subway station. When we finally got home, Gavin was there with his parents, so we talked about the things we did that day and let them know we were climbing a mountain tomorrow. They called us crazy :D
The day was mostly a blur because of the amount of walking, unexpected heat, and lack of sleep, but it was nice seeing a more traditional part of Japan. I think we're spreading things out nicely - we're seeing Kyoto, going to climb Mount Fuji, and then partying in Tokyo! Time to shower (which is very much needed) and brush my teeth. Night!
---
I had to pee in the middle of the night. This place is straight out of a Japanese horror movie like the Grudge. I don't get the willies that often, but this house is creeepy in the dark!
No comments:
Post a Comment