Day 2 - 14th June 2013
We got out of the lodge, packed everything and back to the subway to the central area in tokyo to take
the shinkansen.
Images by Sheila, Eugene.
We get to see the tokyo rush hour... scary and quick masses move about, but in an orderly way manner. I think that its the japanese culture, to be orderly so as all can benefit from it in the fairest way.
Buying bentos to eat on board.
Mass confusion before we settle down...
Images by joey.
I got this feeling that maybe they issues out the seats by the length of the hair.
We opened our bentoes, beautifully packaged and taste deliciously japanese, coupled up with a clean cabin, beautiful scenery of the outside, its an unique experience that surpasses any train ride in singapore.
Then it strucked me. Goodness, it mean the japanese rail engineers are really good. Really really good. I refer to singapore, their railways screwing up, most are underground, which avoided the issue of wear and tear of weathers. Comparatively, the japanese rails with a top speed of 320km/h, in the outdoors, facing four seasons, is a great technological and engineering feat. For more jaw dropping statistics and info about the shinkansen, wiki it.
And yes, i did wiki it.
After we alighted, i felt summer's blazing sun in kyoto. the scene changed little, save for lower buildings and more open space in kyoto. The stations are more peaceful infact, we asked around and found that we have a bus that will take us to khaosan kyoto.
Images by Sheila, Vina and Eugene
We huddled up and crowded up our bus with our baggages. We had unpleasant glances at us, but nonetheless the trip was fine.
We alighted at our stop and figured out where to go, and started pacing. However, we missed a turn and had to walk a bigger round to reach our hotel.
Image by Sheila
The migratory herd's resting grounds...
When we arrived check-in was quick, and we left our baggages with them and left.
A river, nearby our lodging, we see a monk, on the bridge, and a sword museum in the background.
As the herd moved, they come across a feeding ground...
The food, apparently created by this man that is a cream-like sustenance that defy gravity.
Grazing away...
Chi chi chi...(Eat eat eat...)
What are you looking at? This gravity defying ice cream tastes as good as it looks okay, as you can see from the looks of our regular panel judge for foodstuffs.
Images by Sheila
Our Kyoto tour guide briefing us on our route...
As we went uphill, through a town, the roads get steeper and steeper, more and more shops gradually appear, selling many souvenirs and japanese goods. Much interesting sights to look at.
The temple was huge, many traditional structures, almost all of them were made in a form of a sculpture with a base in my eyes as almost all had a higher plaform, that makes you look up at them. It was, however a little dissapointment was felt due to the purpose of it, the temple seemed to be a tourist site, much of japan's mysteriously calm and mild mannered culture dissapated by the chatter and noises that foreigners made.
Images by Joey, Sheila
We had to try this japanese custom though. Everyone tried, i think...
And, here we are, but somehow the rest went missing and joey sat on a stump looking worried. It was a pretty warm day, but the air was pretty dry. So, a gentle wind would dry us the perspiration quickly.
We found the rest and hurried off... as we had little time left for the day. Soon, we decided to split up as the group had different interests. Some wants to go to Gion, while the minority decides to go to a Buddhist temple...
I dont know where is this. But just look at the exquisite touch, carefully grinding something that i couldn't possibly imagine. I wasn't there, i need someone to vouch for Erica.
Images by Eugene, Sheila
Kiyomizu Dera was immense. Though it had entry charges. Built almost 400 years ago, it was built on the foot of a mountain, with massive stilts to support it until now.
All of us had a craze to buy the charms in the temple. The charms were very specific, some luck, some for a speedy recovery after a serious illness, and some for a child. It came to Vina that is the hard work of scaling up to the temple that lies some height above the ground that makes it meaningful.
Its a pity the main hall is under repairs, its a disappointment, but we try to make the best out of it. We then went down to this a spring water, with three streams that flow down a stone channel off a stone shrine. Each said to bring good luck to either health study or romance, u can have one or two as having all three is greedy.
Whatever that goes up have to come down right? As its getting late, and we agreed to meet at a time back at Gion we hurried back down the hill.
A beautifully slow but painfully skin burning sunset.
Many souvenir shops, and Japanese who went for prayers at the temple in traditional clothing.
We took a short bus ride back, and met up with those at Gion. It wasn't really eventful for them i guess, but i have yet to hear from them. Some were tired so they return to the lodgings to retire.
Nevertheless, we were pretty happy about kyoto, someone then suggested we have dinner at this restaurant, dubbed "the shop with a man with his pants down".
Here's why...
This adorable statue was at the entrance.
After we are done, the small group, went on to get more food as it wasn't very filling because we shared it to try. Its very tasty by the way.
And then, we stumbled upon an Udon museum, and in we go. We received a very warm welcome, and is invited a bigger room, through a small garden.
The entrance had a display of the many different types of Udon. and the best part is, we can get to eat it. Half portions for half the price, thus most of us got a few half portions to have more variety. Meh, singaporeans. XD
Oh, and the staff who took our orders did her very best to serve us. It left an impression on me, as it was a stark contrast of what we receive back at home.
And looking at the pictures, those who ordered the fat Udons had trouble eating it.
IT WAS PRETTY HARD TO EAT IT. I demand a badge and a "been there done that T-shirt".
We had a nice chat at the dinner table, everyone was laughing out loud, but occasionally being very self conscious about the noise we were making. and we discovered Ms Erica's way of speak can be quite misleading, and thus we became very aware of it as a joke.
We paid up and left with bellyfuls of Udons. More, went off to the lodge and to roam about. While us, the small group decide to go to Gion to look at it, since we didn't manage to go in the evening.
All of a sudden a taxi came up beside us with a Maiko or Geisha in it.
Masses of tourists crowded around the taxi shouting and cheering "KONICHIWA!~"
But what we felt was fear. The lady, in the back seat of the cab had an aura it emanated so powerfully from her. We felt rude to take a picture of her, we didn't dare. Even Joey was unsure, but she smiled gracefully and nodded. I didn't know what hit me.
Then it sparked a GEISHA MAIKO HUNT! ROUNDO ONE! STARTO!
We walked around, seeing many high school boys running around looking for geisha and maiko too. Many black taxis awaiting their revered passengers.
And we found them, most pictures were taken by melissa, vina and me. No Sheila this time as she was chasing the cabs on an occasion.
Sheila even had her own cabful of men to wave at her while she was trying to get the attention or something.
But it was getting late and we went back to the lodge satisfied with a good shot by melissa, just to find out that LJ and Mr. Kang were missing.
It made the lecturers very worried, but they decided to give them some time, before taking action. Soon enough, they popped out, looking exhausted, but happy.
Apparently, they got lost, and went to the west side of the lodge, off by almost 2 kilometres. I estimated using the map scale, and they probably walked about 5 kilometres in total.
Health +5!
Packed up, and crashed into the comfy bed.
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Some words by our dear friends...
Sorry i couldn't include all of it.
Halima
If I’m not wrong,we went to Gion Red gate? Walking under the hot sun with the whole group was such a lovely experience Here’s a picture of the place we went to.
Honestly I was really tired that day, however I never stop walking in that place. So interesting! There’s charms/ice cream’s takoyaki and more! Ice cream on a sunny day sounds good huh? I remember the sell Kimono for 1000yen there,I wanted to buy one,but… it was too long for me, hehehe.
Some of my friends gave up walking,and decided to sit down at a corner. My bestfriend(Amanda) and I did not stop walking, We went up the stairs and continued our journey! We took lot’s of photo while walking down the pathway.
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Amanda
DAY 2 Sunny day
Travelled to Kyoto early in the morning via shinkansen. Bought my very first bento. Maybe I’m not used to having cold food. I wonder if I could get the bento hot in the microwave?
The weather in Kyoto was scorching hot. True weather of summer. I guess when everyone thought we could check-in to our hostel and get some freshen up and air-con maybe, we came too early and the check-in time was at 3pm.
So, we head to Fushimi Inari, an important Shinto Shrine in Kyoto. Famous for its thousands of torii gates (Senbon Torii)! Each torii are donations by individuals and companies, whereby their name and date of donation are inscribed on the back of each gate. It’s an amazing sight.
Everyone gotten a taste of the tofu ice cream that seemed to be very renowned. The ice cream is amazing because it won’t fall if you turn it upside down. The ice cream man did that stunt and my heart almost came out.
Visited Gion Street in the evening. Looks like a peaceful town. All I could see are tourists and a few Japanese in their traditional costume. Gion is one of the hanamachi (“flower street”) in Kyoto. Sadly, I don’t get to see any Okiya (geisha houses) or even real geishas or maikos. Perhaps they only appear after the sunsets because Sheila and a few others did get a chance to see a real geisha!
Raimy, Nasuha, Alicia, Afiqah, Jefera, Halyma and I went for our dinner at the Udon Museum at Gion. We were seated in a Japanese dining room and the service, udon and place was great!
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Hmm, looks like we did went to the udon shop u guys recommended!
Its nice to see the group having fun with their friends in a foreign land isn't it?
Well that sums up for this post, thanks for reading!
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