Kyoto

July 18

All too soon it's a transit day.  Today we start the day in Osaka and end it in Kyoto.

Dmitri and I head to the gym for a work out.  Although it says on the posters outside that they are open 24 hours, they are not.  We are at the gym at opening time, 9:30 am.

EVERY time we walked by Dmitri made a comment about fixing your body and fixing your life. Every time. And it was in the same block as our airbnb so I leave it to your imagination to guess how many times I heard that. Also, high altitude training room is very cool!

It's easy to pack up and do a room sweep when this is the bedroom!

Then it's off for a short (but hot) walk with our bags to Nipponbaishi Station.  Every time airlines make us check bags, we think about going for bigger bags so we can bring back more souvenirs and goodies.  Train days make us very happy that we travel light.  I cannot even imagine hauling large suitcases up and down the train station stairs or dragging them around.  

Jack navigates us to the trains we need and in less than an hour we are in Kyoto.  

We check into the Hostel Inn Gion and it is everything we hoped for and MORE.  Seriously, this place is SPECTACULAR.  What a FIND!!!  It's probably the biggest place we will ever stay in Japan and there is SO MUCH ROOM.  We are giddy with delight

One big bedroom where we each get our own bed, a HUGE living area with a monster big table by the kitchen, two showers, two side by side toilets (odd but handy) and a beer vending machine in the lobby. Total score!

We are also hungry so after getting laundry started, we head out for lunch and then to a couple of stores to stock up on some snacks and breakfast foods since we will be here for the next 4 nights.

I'm practically a local with my fan and umbrella!

Then it's back to our (very large) conference table to plan. 

I book an evening walking tour of Gion for tonight for all three of us and a hiking tour for Dmitri and me in a couple of days.  Osaka was very busy city, with lights and buzz; and our first impression is that Kyoto is quaint and picturesque.  

Well, we are 0 for 2 with lackluster Japanese tour guides. On both tonight's walking tour here in Kyoto and the one we did in Osaka, the guides were meek and not very forthcoming with information. We felt with both of them like we were doing most of the heavy lifting--asking lots of questions to fill the silence. We much prefer guides who have a running commentary of what we are seeing and doing and tell us anecdotes. Sigh. Sadly, we note with relief that the guide for the upcoming hiking tour in a couple of days is Matthew, an American who has lived in Japan for quite a few years. I hope that doesn't sound too intolerant or anti-Japanese tour guide. Shumpei was too polite and also didn't have a spiel for the tour.  He would say things every few minutes and then just look at us.  It was very stilted.  And frankly, we didn't feel like we learned very much. Some photos from our evening walk but I really couldn't tell you much about what is in the photos. Also, it turns out the guide is not particularly good at taking group photos. Not like it's a requirement, but if you are bad at it, don't offer!

One good thing! I've never enjoyed sake before but he had us try some that he brought and I actually liked it!

July 19

I love love love seeing Japanese people being Japanese tourists in Japan. It's so darn sweet and wholesome. They rent kimonos and walk around the city looking at all the sights and take photos. I find it absolutely cute in what I hope is a non-condescending way.

Things in Japan don't really open or get started until around 10 or 10:30 am so we sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast at the airbnb. The plan is to walk around Gion and the surrounding areas and see some of what we saw on last night's tour in daylight when shops are open. Dmitri and I get out the umbrellas because it's a hot one and the sun is brutal! It's very understandable why so many Japanese people use them in this heat. We wander and shop and have matcha lattes and Japanese sweets and wander some more and shop some more and are utterly charmed by Kyoto.

Uji matcha mochi donut!

TOTORO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look how happy I am!

Just couldn't help myself.

We meet up with Jack for sushi at this beautiful, beautifully air conditioned sushi place. The food is good and not terribly expensive--certainly much less than we would have paid at home for a sushi meal. The standout of the lunch was this crazy spicy tuna with wasabi and I kid you not that I felt that spice in my nose and my chest. Serious business. Also, it must be said that Japan is not stingy with their ginger. They give you as much as you want and don't charge you for it.

After lunch, we discover this DELICIOUS matcha ice cream bar on the way back. We've been out 1/2 day and need a break, as we are practically melting.

Kyoto is home to all things matcha. Part of the reason is because it's very close to Uji, a town famous for its tea cultivation and production. As a result, nearby Kyoto has made it an art to incorporate matcha into just about everything. And I am Here. For. It.

We head out in the evening once the sun goes down. It's a novelty to see a dog being walked by its person. There aren't really a lot of dogs in Japan that we have seen out and about. Kyoto is lovely at night, with the lights and the slight break in the heat.

Jack, by now, has experienced capsule machines, but it's the first time for Dmitri and me. And we quite quickly get sucked into the experience. It's like a mystery box and you pay usually 300-500 yen and get a cute little, sometimes very strange, toy. The Japanese LOVE capsule machines and you can find them all over. I try a capsule machine and am delighted. Dmitri tries a machine and his money gets stuck and an attendant has to come over. Dmitri tries another machine and the same thing happens and the same attendant has to come back over. We take Dmitri out of the store before he can menace the capsule machine workers any more!

More sweets

July 20

Today is Fushimi Inari day. Inari is the god of rice (prosperity/money) and she is a very popular Shinto god. The plan today is to hike in the morning with a small group and then return at night to see the shrine at night. I found what looks to be a very interesting hike with a guide. On this hike, instead of starting at the front of the shrine with the hoards of people, we will go in the back way. We look forward to walking in a bamboo forest and seeing the famous torii gates.

We meet up with our guide, Matthew, and he's fantastic. We can already tell that he will be more informative than our past two guides put together. And then some.

And THEN Matthew, like a BOSS, pulls a total pro move and starts the 3 hour hike with ice cream. Oh yes, I think I'm going to like this tour! The soft serve we get is delicious. It's the only place in Kyoto where you can get miso ice cream. It doesn't have sugar or dairy in it. It's difficult to describe except to say that's it is nice and light. Kyoto has very soft and clean water and this is how this one lady is apparently able to make this specific flavor of delicious soft serve. I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themself in Kyoto. It's near the Tofukuji station:

We walk through back neighborhoods and make our way to the entrance. One thing Dmitri points out that I hadn't noticed is that the bikes on the streets don't have locks on them. I mean, wow. I can't even comprehend where that would be possible in the US.

Matthew explains the Inari foxes and how they are messengers to the gods. He tells us about the various ways to purify yourself before entering the shrines.

Purifying/cooling off at Fushimi Inari

Matthew also teaches us how to pray at a shrine here in Japan. After you make your offering of either 5 or 50 yen (10 and 100 coins are big no nos), then you bow twice, clap twice, ask the god for what you want/make your wish, then bow once more. There are different shrines for different gods and Matthew explains some of them to us.

We hike up and down and over some uneven forest paths and through some beautiful bamboo forests.

And then we get another ice cream.

Seriously, best hike EVER.

And we walk through lots and lots and LOTS of torii gates.

It's incredible and we have to stop several times and take it all in and really soak up the experience.

Jack has opted out of the morning hike so when it's time for lunch, we meet up with him at a conveyer belt sushi place. There's no contact during this lunch. We sign in on a computer where we put in how many people in our party and a ticket is printed out that has which table number to go to. From there, we order all of our food on a tablet and it comes via conveyer belt. There's a water station where we get our own water and other beverages come via the conveyer belt. And when it's time to leave we scan the ticket with our table number on another computer to pay the bill. It's freaking BRILLIANT!!! And, the sushi is really, really good too. In fact, it's so good and I'm so hungry from the hike that I take no photos in the restaurant, which is too bad. Because this is my new favorite sushi place in Japan! Oh, and it was like $20 USD for all three of us for a sushi meal and let me just say that we did not leave hungry!

Oh! It turns out I did take a photo. There's a BOX OF GINGER on each table. I love Japan!

After a DELICIOUS sushi lunch, we head back to the airbnb to cool off for a few hours. It's possible I nap.

Then it's time to head back to Fushimi Inari because today is the lighted lantern festival. We arrive just before sunset and there seems to be some dancing and singing in one of the shrines. We don't really get close enough to see too much. We head over to an area with food stalls that also has this SPECTACULAR drumming exhibition going on.

We eat frozen mandarin oranges and wait for the sun to set and the lanterns to be lit.

It's festive and crowded and joyous. We delve for one last time into the sea of people walking the torii gates with the lanterns lit.

It's been an incredible day at the Inari shrine and we feel fortunate to have been here for such a beautiful celebration.

Dinner time and the guys want burgers. Jack opts for McDonald's and splits off on his own. I go with Dmitri to Mos Burger and he gets a plant-based one. I opt out of dinner and save my eating for a place called Parsley Cafe where I try the famous Kyoto matcha parfait. And OMG DECADENT. It's a concoction with ice cream and whipped cream and matcha cake and matcha jellies and mochi like things on top.

In the shower later I see that I have acquired a food fetus where my stomach used to be. I shall call it Matcha! Speaking of the shower, oh my goodness gracious is tonight's shower so heavenly I almost feel like falling to my knees and crying out of sheer happiness. There is something SO simply wonderful about a strong shower at the end of a hot, sweaty, active day. I did say almost, though, because if I did fall to my knees I have some serious doubts I would be able to get up after all the many steps at the shrine today!

July 21

It's ridiculously hot out and we have had two steamy, walking days in a row so we hide out in the cool and catch up on life and blogs and math tutoring. It's time to give the feet and the sweat glands a break.

Kyoto is very walkable and I find myself preferring it to Osaka. I also think I would love it here in more temperate weather. One of the things we have also noticed both here and in Osaka is the number of LA Dodgers baseball caps. They are clearly proud of Shohei Ohtani.

It's mid 90s F and in the direct sun, even with an umbrella, it's beyond miserable. After a brief trip out for lunch and a matcha latte and matcha ice cream--we are leaving matcha-loving Kyoto tomorrow--we retreat back to enjoy the space in our airbnb. We will for sure miss the space when we are all on top of each of in a tiny hotel room in Tokyo starting tomorrow.

Our final evening in Kyoto is spent walking the Philosopher's Path, a picturesque stone pathway along a canal--complete with fat koi and peaceful bubbling sounds. It's really beautiful and we can only imagine how stunning it is during cherry blossom season.

When the husband says he can't have sushi again you go to an Italian restaurant. Japan is light on veggies in a lot of restaurants so it was nice to have an actual salad.

Be, still my heart. An ice cream vending machine.

July 22

Shinkansen day! Today we leave Kyoto for our final stop in Japan, Tokyo. We check out at 10 and take an uber to Kyoto station to hop on our bullet train to Tokyo. Should only take a few hours.

Or so we think......

Our uber driver asks us, have you heard about the incident? No. No, we have not heard about the maintenance train derailing on the Shinkansen line. No, we have not heard that Shinkansen travel is suspended until future notice. Sigh. Well, we will do as we do and get to the station and make plans on the fly. We are just glad we hadn't booked tickets in advance that we would need to exchange. Surprisingly, my stress levels are low. We get in a very, very long line of people and wait to see what will happen.

Trains aren't running to Tokyo so we decide to get a train to Kanazawa and go up and around where the issue is. We prefer that to trying to take a train to Osaka and trying to get on a plane to Tokyo.

Oh yeah, and then we see that one of the trains we want to take is canceled because of this. COME ON, JAPAN! Really?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Well! It is a long day but actually not a bad one. A lot of transfers and many hours sitting on trains. And now I can say I’ve ridden the bullet train. After hopping from station to station and going on JR lines and a taking a couple of Shinkansen trains, we make it to Tokyo! Finally! And because of miscommunication on the part of station workers, we save about $400!!!!! The people in one train station told us to buy our tickets on the train rather than at the station because the lines were so long. Then on the train and on 2 separate Shinkansens there wasn’t anyone to sell us tickets. We tried to explain to the guy at the Tokyo station and Dmitri tried to pay, but we were just shooed along. I think the all the station people have had a very long day with a lot of people grumbling and they probably didn’t want to deal with what they thought we three stupid tourists!

I think people must do all kinds of weird nonsense here in Japan to warrant all this signage:

Japanese people really DO NOT like this. If you go to Japan, don't do it!