shot downstairs for the free breakfast in the hotel,
we had an amazing mix of pastries, salad, eggs, sausages, soups and unlimited vending maching drinks included!! After filling up we were greeted by Naoya and Sachiko in the lobby.
Today we were off for a guided trip around Kyoto.
As our hotel was right in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto we were able to walk up to Kiyomizu Temple. We set off through Gion before reaching the yasaka jinja shrine, here the guys explained the finer points of japanese religion and I tried my luck with a traditional Japanese fortune card. Lucky for me it was all positive!!
as we began our walk up the mountain Naoya pointed out a very famous green tea shop where we all grabbed a green tea soft serve (mmmm delicious). We continued up the beautiful streets towards kiyomizu checking out all the little shops along the way. This is the most beautiful part of Japan thus far!! it felt like we had gone back in time hundreds of years as we meandered our way to the top. Our walk was very steady as there was so many food, pottery and souvenir shops to see along the way.
Once at the top we went into the Kiyomizu temple where we were treated to a magnificent view over Kyoto. The colour of the mountains and trees had me in awe, Japan is so different to Australia!! I dont think i have seen a prettier place in my life. We continued through the temple and made our decent back down the mountain to Maruyama Park where Naoya had reserved our lunch. We were treated to a Kaiseki Meal, this restaurant specialised in the traditional boiled potatoes. There were a number of dishes in the meal, most of which were created with potato or its by products. Many different textures and tastes were had in this meal. Some were delicious, some were very strange :)
After lunch we made our way to a big shopping centre where i managed to grab a pair of Nike shoes at a great price. The new footwear was a welcome change from the flat slip on shoes i had been hiking around in. We checked out a specialist Hello Kitty store whilst in the centre before heading off to Kyoto Studio park.
Kyoto Studio park is a TV/Movie making park similar to WB Movie World here in Australia.
We wandered around the traditional streets and Edo era houses before watching some entertaining shows! We were shown how many stunts are performed in Japanese movies which was quite interesting. The last attraction in the park was a walk through the haunted house. This was hillarious and i think all 4 of us were scared at some point through the walk!
As our dinner reservation in Kyoto wasnt until 6.30 we had some time to kill so we made our way to Kinkakuji Temple (golden pavillion). This was a great sight and the gardens surrounding the temple are amazing! we meandered around the park before heading back to the city for dinner.
The restaurant Naoya and Sachiko had reserved for dinner was a very nice traditional style.
Upon arrival we were escorted to a private room where our shoes came off and we sat on the floor with a cut out under the table. Our mouths were watering at the prospect of kushikatsu, we all opted for the 24 piece buffet. All through the meal we spoke about how many we could get through and laughed at the prospect of eating all 24 different kushikatsu varieties. We all had an amazing meal here and although Naoya, Sarah and finally Sachiko pulled out short of the 24 I was desperate to try all that was on offer. Well I finally made it through the meal!!
Although Ive never been so full in all my life this was now the best meal we had eaten in Japan!
I know i keep saying it but hey the food just keeps getting better!! We kinda dont wana go home to ordinary Australian foods :(
After dinner we went for a walk through the more traditional part of town before calling it a night and saying farewell to our new found friends. We cant wait to see them again whether it be here in Japan or back in Australia!
Once back at the hotel i was determined to try the naturally heated Onsen in the hotel.
A bit of dutch courage was needed so a couple of beers were downed before getting into my gown and heading down to the bathing area. I wasnt sure what to expect but after finally taking the plunge i was pleasantly surprised, I was no longer nervous nor embarassed and couldnt believe how relaxing the hot springs were! I certainly slept well that night
No comments:
Post a Comment