When I was back home a lot of people were very surprised when I said I was going to go to Japan for a while and explore the place. I was constantly hit with
"Oh my God, Duane I heard you're going to Japan?!? do you have work lined up?" or something along those lines that I ended up just saying to people when they started in on the questions
"No I don't have work lined up, I don't speak Japanese, I have no friends or family in Japan and I've never been there before, no." I couldn't understand why this was such a big deal to so many people and honestly, I still don't. Some things have been harder than expected, some things easier. I didnt think I would like the city but it was so incredibly different to what I'm used to that I'm actually hoping to go back to Tokyo and stay there for a few weeks if not a whole month.
Communication - The communication barrier can cause minor inconveniences but you just accept it for what it is and move on. Don't be so hell bent on one specific option, explore a bit. I've met some pretty cool people and seen some amazing sights. I've not even been here for a full 2 months yet but I'd like to think that I've seen some of the best things Japan has to offer but I'm not even close to being finished. I must also note that not as many people speak English as I thought they would. English has been in the school curriculum for some time now but it would appear that people remember the English they learned in school about as well as I remember the Italian and french I took.
Manners - Good manners have always been very important to me and it's amazing how polite almost everyone here is. I've been lost a couple of times and people go out of their way to try and help you and on that same note if I see someone who looks to be a foreigner and I think I can help them I ask if they need some advice. Hell, as I was leaving Kyoto there were two people from Ireland on the bus ad they seemed totally lost. I asked where they were heading and when they said they were trying to get to Arashiyama I explained that they were on the wrong bus and that this finished at Kyoto station but then recommended they bike to Arashiyama and showed them the best route on my phone, they were very happy and I like to think that I helped them enjoy a day in Kyoto a bit more.
Food - I'm allergic to shellfish so I have to be careful what I eat over here considering how prevalent seafood can be in their diets but that hasn't stopped me from trying some of their foods and for the most part, I have been very impressed. The food culture of Japan is truly amazing, from the simple snacks like dango, to their method of having 3+ bowls all on the tray and you go from one bowl to the other. Japanese Curry, Dango, Takoyaki, Nabe, Udon, the list is truly endless. Even their western based meals are done in a totally different manner at times. I had a truly fantastic steak back in Tokyo which was cooked to perfection but in thin slices so that It could be eaten with chopsticks. It was served on a bed of vegetable and a second bowl of rice and a third bowl of salad was provided with the meal. Hiro took me to a tonkatsu place where it was 500 yen for a bowl of rice, cabbage and tonkatsu but if you asked you could get 2 free bowls, one giant bowl of shredded cabbage and one of rice. it was hugely filling, cheap and delicious (seriously I took a photo of the tonkatsu sauce cause it was that delicious. I plan on buying some when I get the chance)
Use of Space - Japan seems to utilise space significantly more efficiently than we do in the west. though I see the bonus of it, the system is simply too cramped for me. Especially when the doors are a literal head to short.... (I've hit my head more times than I care to admit while walking around the cottage here in Shalom No Mori... mainly, though not limited to, when I'm half asleep. I like my open spaces and open house designs and the Japanese style simply doesn't do it for me. I would like to see how the larger traditional houses are but I'm not sure when I will get an opportunity to see one to the extent that I would like.
Public Transport - Probably the biggest difference with the public transport here is that it is so incredibly quiet. not the trains/bus itself but the people. You can get on a train that's so packed you are crushed up against other people but not a single person will speak. It's magnificent.
Biking around - Biking in the main cities is so incredibly easy. especially in Tokyo but even in Kyoto once you get used to going down the back alleys it's so much faster. it would take me 30mins on the bus to get to Kitaoji from my apartment on the bus but if I went via bicycle it would take 13-15mins at a relatively slow pace. it's not only faster and more cost efficient it was great cardio, which I normally hate but this was actually enjoyable so that's a hell of a statement.
I'll be expanding on the list when I get more time, which I've just run out of. All in all Japan has so far been an interesting place and I look forward to seeing more of it.
Monday, 20 March 2017
Shalom no mori - Gunma
So I've had very limited access to wifi since I arrived in Gunma and as such haven't updated the blog.
I left Kyoto at 8 am on the 7th of march. Google told me that total travel time should be about 8 hours so theoretically, I should be in Gunma by 4 pm. From the apartment to the Kyoto Station was about 40mins on the bus where I took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo (the shinkansen really isn't the most cost-effective method of travel. I really have to figure out where and how to catch the night trains) I got myself a new SIM card while I was in Tokyo, this one will last 3 months and I can just top it up with data but it doesn't allow texts or Phone calls. From there it was a simple matter of getting the Ginza line to Asakusa and jumping on a train to get to Sori Station, though I had to go from Asakusa - Aioi, Aioi - Omama and Omama - Sori. I arrived at the Sori station at 6 pm and was collected by Hiro at 7 pm.
Day 1 - I started off today by cutting firewood. at about 11 am Hiro said he had to go out and would be back at about 4 pm, I was to look after Takeru in the mean time when I finished cutting the firewood. Hiro got home at about 7 pm and then I went to the cottage to sleep.
Day 2 - I met Daichi today, he didn't speak much today. Daichi, Hiro and I were collecting logs from the forest, I would attach a steel wire cable to felled trees and then attach the other end of the cable to the crane. Hiro would then drag the trees up the valley and the crane would cut the trees into manageable sized logs.
Day 3 - I spent the whole day looking after Takeru, this was by far the hardest day, Small children are hard enough as is, let alone when you don't speak the same language. that afternoon I met Takuma the next son. Takeru is 6 and Takuma is 8. when the two are together the fighting seems to never cease, it generally ends with Takeru crying, also a guy named Riku showed up, he was staying for a few days.
Day 4 - Due to the day prior being exhausting Hiro said I could sleep in and go to the basement (a ground level room that he uses as a meeting spot for the WWOOFER's so they don't have to go into the house. I woke up hearing Hiro call for me from the front door. I had slept in until 9.30, I quickly got ready and went off to see what today held in store. I was to tape trees with Daichi and Riku. I had done this for a short time on day 2. It's just running tape around the base of good trees to protect them from bears and deer. apparently they pee on the trees and that causes the bark to peel and when the bark peels it allows bacteria into the trunk and eventuates in death for the tree.
Day 5 - Daichi and I continued taping today. Climbing along the mountain is questionable haha. Daichi found out that Hiro hadn't taken me shopping today so I had no food at lunch time, he offered me some of his lunch but I couldn't take his lunch I told him not to worry about it. At about 2 pm Hiro showed up with some onigiri for me. Onigiri is strange but nice, very different to western lunches.
Day 6 - Today was Sunday and was our day of rest. I spent most of the day sitting by the fire reading my book and drinking tea. Though Takeru and Takuma turned up in the afternoon and I was to look after them for a couple of hours it was mostly quite relaxing.
Day 7 - I was waiting in the basement at 8 am as per usual when Daichi walked in, he told me that because it was raining and because we worked so hard on Friday and Saturday that we were going to have a rest day. he also gave me a Bento with some Onigiri, a small container of what I think was cabbage and rissoles and a mandarin. I could've hugged the man it was very kind.
Day 8 - I spent today looking after Takeru. Reiko-san also got me to practice my Hiragana which was very good of her. it's something I really need to continue working on.
Day 9 - Today Daichi and I drove off to the Omama area and went taping in the mountains. I once again had no lunch and Daichi was kind enough to take me to the shops, I did some shopping for myself which was really nice.
Day 10 - Once again I found myself working with Daichi, He speaks a bit of English and we're either totally silent or chatting and laughing. I like the guy, we get on really well. Hiro gave my some food-stuffs today which was nice so I now have a full pantry for the first time since I've been here. it really makes life easier when you can actually have food and not rely on someone else to provide the meals.
Day 11 - I pretty much spent the day looking after Takeru while he Hiro and I drove into town, Hiro had some errands to run and I just had to look after Takeru and make sure he kinda behaved himself. We went to a Beisia supermarket where I got to restock my pantry a bit more, Hiro took us to a tonkatsu place for lunch (I love tonkatsu, its one of my favourite Japanese meals) and then we went to Hiro's work headquarters for he had to meet with his superior. I ended up having a nice chat with some guys there that spoke small amounts of English. people seem to be very surprised when they find out I'mm 23. As far as I can gather it's quite unusual for someone of my age to have facial hair in Japan. and considering my facial hair grows significantly slower than many other guys my age I will admit to finding this surprising. Oh yea, it was also Takeru's Birthday today so there was a family dinner and we had some cake that Reiko-san made.
Day 12 - I was told we were to help set up an area for a school wrestling event so I wore appropriate clothes and went to meet Hiro. We first went and surveyed an area in the mountains and then at about 11:00 we went to collect a large truck to store wrestling mats in. there were probably upwards of 120 mats, though they aren't heavy they were slightly awkward, we had to take them from the schools wrestling Dojo into the truck and then unload them at a sports center. I found the lifting a lot easier than the other people that were helping so I ended up lifting them off the pile and then starting to slide them along to the others, they were very happy for the help and honestly it was cool to be able to help so many people in a community type of situation, it reminded me of when people get together back home to get something done. It was mainly women and children helping at the school end and was therefore much more efficient than when we got to the sports center where it was mainly guys. the women worked as a team to pass the mats from one person to another where the guys all wanted to just carry them. it ended up being slower but we finished the job. That night we met a friend of Hiro's and we went to a vietnamese restraunt for ramen. I had been avoiding having ramen cause I wanted my first bowl of ramen to be magnificent. it was not, it was pretty average. in fact the broth/soup/whatever was like a knock-off version of Fred and Denny's Combination long and short soup (damn them for having magnificent food all the time, it just ruins other places haha)
Day 13 - I was to meet Hiro at thr basement at 6:00am. I made it but we ended up not leaving until almost 6:30. Hiro and I went to the sports centre and I ended up just helping out with odd jobs. though I didnt understand what was being said most of the time I could generally figure out what needed to be done and the women eventually realised that if they just kinda pointed at something and asked I was happy to do the lifting. Reiko arrived later on and told me she had forgotten the kids cause it was so quiet when she woke up that she thought Hiro had take them. Shalom was over an hours drive from the Sports centre and I must admit I laughed uproarously when I found out. I was later informed by Hiro that he, Reiko and their friend who had stayed the night had remained awake until past midnight drinking and it wasnt so much because it was quiet when she woke but because she had a raging hangover. this made me laugh even more.
Upstairs in the sports center was a gym and Reiko helped me apply to go there, I was given an appointment there for 10.45 which I was ecstatic to receive. Upon arrival I was actually just put through a bunch of tests with 4 other people, it was a membership test. some of them were interesting and I did better with some than expected and much worse with others than I would have hoped. I haven't been able to go to a gym since I left Norfolk so I've lost a lot of muscle mass in the last 2 months. Though I must admit that the last 6 weeks I have done a hell of a lot more cardio than I used to and have a lot lost a lot of body fat so its alright.... kind of... I ca go back to the gym whenever I want but I have to take them a photo to finalise my membership card and from there is just $2.50 per visit. It really is a shame I don't intend to stay long enough for that to really matter but I hope that I might be able to use the membership card elsewhere.
The wrestling eventually finished and then we reloaded the mats back into the truck and took them back to the school. we ended up finishing at about 8:30-9:00pm. it was a very long day.
Day 14 - rest day because it was a national holiday for the winter solstice. Just cleaned the kitchen, did my laundry, read my book and watched some shows on my laptop. it was nice
Day 15 - I have the day off again due to rain (Banzai!) figured I'd1 drag my laptop up to the basement and update my blog. I figure I'll go back to the cottage and make some food and either read or watch a movie.
Side Notes about Shalom No Mori
The family; Hiro and Reiko have 5 children. Takeru is the youngest son at 6, then Takuma is 8. they have two younger teenage children Yoma (their 14-ish-year-old son) and Andi is of the same age group and Karin is their eldest daughter of 18. I've barely seen the older 3 and to be honest I'm not entirely sure I've got the 2nd and 3rd eldest's names right.
There is no bathroom in the cottage and because it's freezing Hiro has told me to use the family bath. Their bath system is very strange to me but I am aware it is not unusual in Japan. They fill the bath with hot water, clean themselves outside of the bath and then when completely clean they sit and soak in the bath for a time (much more hygienic than wallowing in dirty water, which is why I prefer showers, to begin with). To save water we are to get water from the tub with a small basin and pour it on yourself instead of using the actual shower. The Post-cleaning soak is pleasant but I'm not a fan of not having an actual shower.
The mountains themselves are beautiful but can be difficult to traverse, If I hadn't spent the last month biking everywhere I think these mountains would have killed me.
There is no indoor plumbing in the cottage so for water for washing the dishes there is a large container above the sink which I take down to the river and fill it then use that container for cleaning. (it has an inbuilt tap so it's pretty easy. The thing is heavy/awkward when full though and its surprising how quickly you use 20L of water
It's winter so I have yet to see any animals. Though there is no shortage of deer droppings.
The Treckin boots I bought for this trip have been invaluable up here in the Mountains. As has my sleeping bag.
Anywho thats it for the moment. if anyone has any questions go for it. I'll do another update at some point but no promises on a timeline.
I left Kyoto at 8 am on the 7th of march. Google told me that total travel time should be about 8 hours so theoretically, I should be in Gunma by 4 pm. From the apartment to the Kyoto Station was about 40mins on the bus where I took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo (the shinkansen really isn't the most cost-effective method of travel. I really have to figure out where and how to catch the night trains) I got myself a new SIM card while I was in Tokyo, this one will last 3 months and I can just top it up with data but it doesn't allow texts or Phone calls. From there it was a simple matter of getting the Ginza line to Asakusa and jumping on a train to get to Sori Station, though I had to go from Asakusa - Aioi, Aioi - Omama and Omama - Sori. I arrived at the Sori station at 6 pm and was collected by Hiro at 7 pm.
Day 1 - I started off today by cutting firewood. at about 11 am Hiro said he had to go out and would be back at about 4 pm, I was to look after Takeru in the mean time when I finished cutting the firewood. Hiro got home at about 7 pm and then I went to the cottage to sleep.
Day 2 - I met Daichi today, he didn't speak much today. Daichi, Hiro and I were collecting logs from the forest, I would attach a steel wire cable to felled trees and then attach the other end of the cable to the crane. Hiro would then drag the trees up the valley and the crane would cut the trees into manageable sized logs.
Day 3 - I spent the whole day looking after Takeru, this was by far the hardest day, Small children are hard enough as is, let alone when you don't speak the same language. that afternoon I met Takuma the next son. Takeru is 6 and Takuma is 8. when the two are together the fighting seems to never cease, it generally ends with Takeru crying, also a guy named Riku showed up, he was staying for a few days.
Day 4 - Due to the day prior being exhausting Hiro said I could sleep in and go to the basement (a ground level room that he uses as a meeting spot for the WWOOFER's so they don't have to go into the house. I woke up hearing Hiro call for me from the front door. I had slept in until 9.30, I quickly got ready and went off to see what today held in store. I was to tape trees with Daichi and Riku. I had done this for a short time on day 2. It's just running tape around the base of good trees to protect them from bears and deer. apparently they pee on the trees and that causes the bark to peel and when the bark peels it allows bacteria into the trunk and eventuates in death for the tree.
Day 5 - Daichi and I continued taping today. Climbing along the mountain is questionable haha. Daichi found out that Hiro hadn't taken me shopping today so I had no food at lunch time, he offered me some of his lunch but I couldn't take his lunch I told him not to worry about it. At about 2 pm Hiro showed up with some onigiri for me. Onigiri is strange but nice, very different to western lunches.
Day 6 - Today was Sunday and was our day of rest. I spent most of the day sitting by the fire reading my book and drinking tea. Though Takeru and Takuma turned up in the afternoon and I was to look after them for a couple of hours it was mostly quite relaxing.
Day 7 - I was waiting in the basement at 8 am as per usual when Daichi walked in, he told me that because it was raining and because we worked so hard on Friday and Saturday that we were going to have a rest day. he also gave me a Bento with some Onigiri, a small container of what I think was cabbage and rissoles and a mandarin. I could've hugged the man it was very kind.
Day 8 - I spent today looking after Takeru. Reiko-san also got me to practice my Hiragana which was very good of her. it's something I really need to continue working on.
Day 9 - Today Daichi and I drove off to the Omama area and went taping in the mountains. I once again had no lunch and Daichi was kind enough to take me to the shops, I did some shopping for myself which was really nice.
Day 10 - Once again I found myself working with Daichi, He speaks a bit of English and we're either totally silent or chatting and laughing. I like the guy, we get on really well. Hiro gave my some food-stuffs today which was nice so I now have a full pantry for the first time since I've been here. it really makes life easier when you can actually have food and not rely on someone else to provide the meals.
Day 11 - I pretty much spent the day looking after Takeru while he Hiro and I drove into town, Hiro had some errands to run and I just had to look after Takeru and make sure he kinda behaved himself. We went to a Beisia supermarket where I got to restock my pantry a bit more, Hiro took us to a tonkatsu place for lunch (I love tonkatsu, its one of my favourite Japanese meals) and then we went to Hiro's work headquarters for he had to meet with his superior. I ended up having a nice chat with some guys there that spoke small amounts of English. people seem to be very surprised when they find out I'mm 23. As far as I can gather it's quite unusual for someone of my age to have facial hair in Japan. and considering my facial hair grows significantly slower than many other guys my age I will admit to finding this surprising. Oh yea, it was also Takeru's Birthday today so there was a family dinner and we had some cake that Reiko-san made.
Day 12 - I was told we were to help set up an area for a school wrestling event so I wore appropriate clothes and went to meet Hiro. We first went and surveyed an area in the mountains and then at about 11:00 we went to collect a large truck to store wrestling mats in. there were probably upwards of 120 mats, though they aren't heavy they were slightly awkward, we had to take them from the schools wrestling Dojo into the truck and then unload them at a sports center. I found the lifting a lot easier than the other people that were helping so I ended up lifting them off the pile and then starting to slide them along to the others, they were very happy for the help and honestly it was cool to be able to help so many people in a community type of situation, it reminded me of when people get together back home to get something done. It was mainly women and children helping at the school end and was therefore much more efficient than when we got to the sports center where it was mainly guys. the women worked as a team to pass the mats from one person to another where the guys all wanted to just carry them. it ended up being slower but we finished the job. That night we met a friend of Hiro's and we went to a vietnamese restraunt for ramen. I had been avoiding having ramen cause I wanted my first bowl of ramen to be magnificent. it was not, it was pretty average. in fact the broth/soup/whatever was like a knock-off version of Fred and Denny's Combination long and short soup (damn them for having magnificent food all the time, it just ruins other places haha)
Day 13 - I was to meet Hiro at thr basement at 6:00am. I made it but we ended up not leaving until almost 6:30. Hiro and I went to the sports centre and I ended up just helping out with odd jobs. though I didnt understand what was being said most of the time I could generally figure out what needed to be done and the women eventually realised that if they just kinda pointed at something and asked I was happy to do the lifting. Reiko arrived later on and told me she had forgotten the kids cause it was so quiet when she woke up that she thought Hiro had take them. Shalom was over an hours drive from the Sports centre and I must admit I laughed uproarously when I found out. I was later informed by Hiro that he, Reiko and their friend who had stayed the night had remained awake until past midnight drinking and it wasnt so much because it was quiet when she woke but because she had a raging hangover. this made me laugh even more.
Upstairs in the sports center was a gym and Reiko helped me apply to go there, I was given an appointment there for 10.45 which I was ecstatic to receive. Upon arrival I was actually just put through a bunch of tests with 4 other people, it was a membership test. some of them were interesting and I did better with some than expected and much worse with others than I would have hoped. I haven't been able to go to a gym since I left Norfolk so I've lost a lot of muscle mass in the last 2 months. Though I must admit that the last 6 weeks I have done a hell of a lot more cardio than I used to and have a lot lost a lot of body fat so its alright.... kind of... I ca go back to the gym whenever I want but I have to take them a photo to finalise my membership card and from there is just $2.50 per visit. It really is a shame I don't intend to stay long enough for that to really matter but I hope that I might be able to use the membership card elsewhere.
The wrestling eventually finished and then we reloaded the mats back into the truck and took them back to the school. we ended up finishing at about 8:30-9:00pm. it was a very long day.
Day 14 - rest day because it was a national holiday for the winter solstice. Just cleaned the kitchen, did my laundry, read my book and watched some shows on my laptop. it was nice
Day 15 - I have the day off again due to rain (Banzai!) figured I'd1 drag my laptop up to the basement and update my blog. I figure I'll go back to the cottage and make some food and either read or watch a movie.
Side Notes about Shalom No Mori
The family; Hiro and Reiko have 5 children. Takeru is the youngest son at 6, then Takuma is 8. they have two younger teenage children Yoma (their 14-ish-year-old son) and Andi is of the same age group and Karin is their eldest daughter of 18. I've barely seen the older 3 and to be honest I'm not entirely sure I've got the 2nd and 3rd eldest's names right.
There is no bathroom in the cottage and because it's freezing Hiro has told me to use the family bath. Their bath system is very strange to me but I am aware it is not unusual in Japan. They fill the bath with hot water, clean themselves outside of the bath and then when completely clean they sit and soak in the bath for a time (much more hygienic than wallowing in dirty water, which is why I prefer showers, to begin with). To save water we are to get water from the tub with a small basin and pour it on yourself instead of using the actual shower. The Post-cleaning soak is pleasant but I'm not a fan of not having an actual shower.
The mountains themselves are beautiful but can be difficult to traverse, If I hadn't spent the last month biking everywhere I think these mountains would have killed me.
There is no indoor plumbing in the cottage so for water for washing the dishes there is a large container above the sink which I take down to the river and fill it then use that container for cleaning. (it has an inbuilt tap so it's pretty easy. The thing is heavy/awkward when full though and its surprising how quickly you use 20L of water
It's winter so I have yet to see any animals. Though there is no shortage of deer droppings.
The Treckin boots I bought for this trip have been invaluable up here in the Mountains. As has my sleeping bag.
Anywho thats it for the moment. if anyone has any questions go for it. I'll do another update at some point but no promises on a timeline.
Monday, 6 March 2017
Kyoto
Wow, so it seems I've totally neglected keeping a running blog of my travels.
So I've just finished my month in Kyoto which was pretty cool. I ended up getting a bike in the first few days and I've biked all over the city. So I'll do a list of places I went with little descriptions;
Aeon Mall
Came here a couple of times by myself and once or twice with Matt and Maddy, explored the place mii worn, tried fresh Takoyaki (which I'm now addicted to) it was nice but so damn hot that I couldn't happily eat them for a solid half hour. Went there with Matt and Maddy the day Assassins Creed came out. Which is amazing I hasten to add, the Fight scenes were fantastic, great choreography. There was a Crocs shop which really jsut screamed "Dylan" to me. Had some Conveyor belt sushi, it was nice but all fish, no chicken which is my favourite though I must admit the salmon was delicious.
Nishiki Shopping district,
Pretty much just came here to busy body cause one day I was biking along, it was normal relatively peaceful Kyoto and then "BAM" I was surrounded by people, it was incredibly busy. The shops were pretty cool and I even found some pretty cool souvineers that I promised a friend.
Fushimi Inari Taisha,
Came here with Michael, I'm pretty sure I wrote about this in my other post. Anywho it was nice, a bit of a walk but with good company it's well worth it. there were lots of cats at a couple of points and theres a lovely bamboo grove to wonder around if you dont mind where you are goin.
Nijo-jo
Came here twice, once by myself and once with Matt and Maddy. The grounds are immaculate and it was well worth exploring. The only annoying part is there are some sots that I would love to see that are closed off to the public. primarily a rock bridge or two over the little ponds.....
Kinkakuji
Very touristy but the building is cool, Michael and I explored here and agrred that the grounds weren't as impressive as those of Nijo-jo but I'm glad I visited it. I sadly didnt get to go to Ginkaku-ji (the Silver pavilion as opposed to this Golden Pavilion) which apparantly has a more impressive garden.
Arashiyama Monkey Park
Monkeys. Filthy creatures but kinda cute. The bike ride was, in my opinion, the highlight of this trip. After the 20km to get there walked up the small mountain and then fed some monkeys and got some photos. there was also a small pond at the top but there werent many Koi in it.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
This was cool but absolutely packed so biking around it was an exercise of a different nature.
Again the biking was my favorite part of this day
Random Temple due-west of my apartment,
So this day I woke up and realised I hadnt ridden due-west of my appartment, I'd gone North, South and east but neglected the West side. So I jumped on my bike and went towards the mountain. It was a pleasant ride but there wasnt a whole lot in the area though I did accidentally ride through a lovely looking cemetary..... oops...
Kamigamo
Kamigamo was just out the back door of my apartment. I went through it with Michael and then also went there one day to check out a bunch of stall cause there seemed to be some kind of festival on. A highschool girl yelled that I was an idiot cause I was in shorts singlet and thongs when it was like 9 degrees. I've thoroughly enjoyed the temperatures. I think the hottest its been since I arrived in Kyoto was about 14. which I found quite warm that day haha.
went all up and down the Ugi River,
It was not uncommon for me to bike up and down the rive, it made for a very convenient mark for distance, I would use bridges to judge how far I still had to go. most of the River had concrete paths but there were a couple of questionable area along the way.
Kyoto Aquarium
I must admit I hadnt even looked at aquariums though I do love them. I went there purly because Maddy really wanted to see the penguins. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the sea creatures, though It did really make me want to go for a swim. especially when there was a diver in the tank.
Kyoto Botanical Gardens
This pace was just south of my apartment and I loved it. it was so peaceful and yet so incredibly full of things to look at. the variety of flora was astonishing and the grounds were beautifully kept. It was one of the most enjoyable area in Kyoto for me, but thats just because of my preferences.
Kyoto Tower
I came here once by myself and then took Matt and Maddy there, its not the most impressive site but it gives you ideas of where else you may want to visit and helps you put the city in perspective for future travels. I Dont know why it costs so much for entry though.
In general, I've enjoyed my time in Kyoto but I'm ready to move up. I'm off to work in a forest in the Mountains in the Gunma Prefecture. I hope its still a nice temperature. Im cooking in the shinkansen.... and honestly feeling a bit queazy which is new and unpleasant.... anywho I'm going to finish typing for the moment and just sit back and relax and hope I dont throw up on some random Asians.
Take care all.
So I've just finished my month in Kyoto which was pretty cool. I ended up getting a bike in the first few days and I've biked all over the city. So I'll do a list of places I went with little descriptions;
Aeon Mall
Came here a couple of times by myself and once or twice with Matt and Maddy, explored the place mii worn, tried fresh Takoyaki (which I'm now addicted to) it was nice but so damn hot that I couldn't happily eat them for a solid half hour. Went there with Matt and Maddy the day Assassins Creed came out. Which is amazing I hasten to add, the Fight scenes were fantastic, great choreography. There was a Crocs shop which really jsut screamed "Dylan" to me. Had some Conveyor belt sushi, it was nice but all fish, no chicken which is my favourite though I must admit the salmon was delicious.
Nishiki Shopping district,
Pretty much just came here to busy body cause one day I was biking along, it was normal relatively peaceful Kyoto and then "BAM" I was surrounded by people, it was incredibly busy. The shops were pretty cool and I even found some pretty cool souvineers that I promised a friend.
Fushimi Inari Taisha,
Came here with Michael, I'm pretty sure I wrote about this in my other post. Anywho it was nice, a bit of a walk but with good company it's well worth it. there were lots of cats at a couple of points and theres a lovely bamboo grove to wonder around if you dont mind where you are goin.
Nijo-jo
Came here twice, once by myself and once with Matt and Maddy. The grounds are immaculate and it was well worth exploring. The only annoying part is there are some sots that I would love to see that are closed off to the public. primarily a rock bridge or two over the little ponds.....
Kinkakuji
Very touristy but the building is cool, Michael and I explored here and agrred that the grounds weren't as impressive as those of Nijo-jo but I'm glad I visited it. I sadly didnt get to go to Ginkaku-ji (the Silver pavilion as opposed to this Golden Pavilion) which apparantly has a more impressive garden.
Arashiyama Monkey Park
Monkeys. Filthy creatures but kinda cute. The bike ride was, in my opinion, the highlight of this trip. After the 20km to get there walked up the small mountain and then fed some monkeys and got some photos. there was also a small pond at the top but there werent many Koi in it.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
This was cool but absolutely packed so biking around it was an exercise of a different nature.
Again the biking was my favorite part of this day
Random Temple due-west of my apartment,
So this day I woke up and realised I hadnt ridden due-west of my appartment, I'd gone North, South and east but neglected the West side. So I jumped on my bike and went towards the mountain. It was a pleasant ride but there wasnt a whole lot in the area though I did accidentally ride through a lovely looking cemetary..... oops...
Kamigamo
Kamigamo was just out the back door of my apartment. I went through it with Michael and then also went there one day to check out a bunch of stall cause there seemed to be some kind of festival on. A highschool girl yelled that I was an idiot cause I was in shorts singlet and thongs when it was like 9 degrees. I've thoroughly enjoyed the temperatures. I think the hottest its been since I arrived in Kyoto was about 14. which I found quite warm that day haha.
went all up and down the Ugi River,
It was not uncommon for me to bike up and down the rive, it made for a very convenient mark for distance, I would use bridges to judge how far I still had to go. most of the River had concrete paths but there were a couple of questionable area along the way.
Kyoto Aquarium
I must admit I hadnt even looked at aquariums though I do love them. I went there purly because Maddy really wanted to see the penguins. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the sea creatures, though It did really make me want to go for a swim. especially when there was a diver in the tank.
Kyoto Botanical Gardens
This pace was just south of my apartment and I loved it. it was so peaceful and yet so incredibly full of things to look at. the variety of flora was astonishing and the grounds were beautifully kept. It was one of the most enjoyable area in Kyoto for me, but thats just because of my preferences.
Kyoto Tower
I came here once by myself and then took Matt and Maddy there, its not the most impressive site but it gives you ideas of where else you may want to visit and helps you put the city in perspective for future travels. I Dont know why it costs so much for entry though.
In general, I've enjoyed my time in Kyoto but I'm ready to move up. I'm off to work in a forest in the Mountains in the Gunma Prefecture. I hope its still a nice temperature. Im cooking in the shinkansen.... and honestly feeling a bit queazy which is new and unpleasant.... anywho I'm going to finish typing for the moment and just sit back and relax and hope I dont throw up on some random Asians.
Take care all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)