I want to start this blog by giving a big thanks to Henry Stimson.
We arrived in Kyoto via Shinkansen from Mishima just outside of Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji). The bullet trains earn their reputation! We arrived at night because Em and I decide to grab a quick lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant (feel folded under a ridiculous table) which made us miss our train. Kontatsu rocks.
So later, we arrive in Kyoto to look for our bus but trying to find the stop is difficult. They are announced in English and in Japanese but softly (like everything in Japan) and the bus is loud. Rough combination. I asked the woman in front of us about our stop, Kumano Jinja Mae and no sooner did I get those words out of my mouth did the announcement say that. Woohoo! We jumped off and got to the main interesection.
Following our hostel instructions was pretty easy...once we figured out where East was. After crossing the street I paced off 70m per the directions and told Em it should be somewhere around....here. Immediately to my left was our guest house Warakuan.Uhuh Grampa...Lilly..
It is set up like a traditional Ryokan but at a much better price (25 bucks a night vs 150 and up). The place is quaint but certainly not build for Westerners (or the young Japanese). I felt a bit like Gandalf in the shire.
One thing that jumps out at you about Kyoto (and Japan in general) is how clean it is. Aside from the occasional cigarette there is very little on the streets. I believe this is due to the culture and strict littering laws which vary based on where you are from. Indian and Chinese tourists can litter a lot more than the Japanese and other westerners ;)
So today we got a moderately late (9:30) start and headed to the Kiyomizudera temple. Or at least that is what we thought it was. The complete lack of English should have tipped us off. The approach is really nice and the temple is beautiful, I just don't know what the heck it was! Ill have to look it up on Wikipedia later. As we strolled around we stumbled upon, for lack of a better word along with time to look it up, a Buddhist mass. So we finally got our bearings at went back to the Kiyomizudera which did not disappoint. As you may know there is currently a world wide vote to select the 7 new wonders of the world. This is on that list.
The approach is up hill and surrounded by dense forests a great place to get lost (in a good way) in. On the way in we saw Geisha girls! We bought our ticket and headed in when we were stopped by a group of uniformed Japanese kids asking if they could talk to us in English and if they could get a picture of some Americans visiting one of their temples. We chatted for a little while in English, Pantomime, and Japanese. We owe them a photo.From atop the temple there are some great views...of the temple. It is fairly big so from one edge you can look back at the worlds largest tree house.
After a few hours of walking it was definitely time for some food so we got some money at the bank and headed for the train station. Two minutes from the train station itself there is a delicious Kaiten Sushi restaurant. I had some tuna, salmon, egg, squid, fatty bellied tuna, unakyu (which against my better judgement ordered for Emily. I asked the hostess if that was considered rude to ask for something rather than just eat what is out and she said "yes a little" but that we should not worry it was not taken like that...gaijin can get away with murder), and shrimp nigiri...all for about 18 bucks US. Wow! Em was a good sport so, Mom and Dad, we may have to stop at Don Pablos on the way back to the house on Monday.Inside the station we found a delicious bakery and had some desert before wandering over to a cyber cafe (solar powered) and checked our email. We met up with Gail for dinner at a trendy mixed genre restaurant. Sort of a Japanese view of Florida kitsch.
We said goodbye to Gail and headed back to the guesthouse. So for now we are headed to Tokyo via Hiroshima.
Oh and Henry Stimpson.. he made the decision to strike Kyoto from the potential atom bomb target list allowing future generations to enjoy this amazing city as it was and not as a reconstruction. It would have been easy to have a "let's sock it to those damn Japs" attitude. Three cheers for cooler heads prevailing.
--Joey
