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.