Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Kyoto

After pushing hard to get to Kyoto we were excited for a few days off the bikes again, but also to tour around Kyoto with many sights that were high on our "must see" list. We hit the ground running our first day. After arriving midday we located our accommodations,  a really cute apartment style complex, and headed out on foot. We figured that even though we had already rode about 100km that day we then walked nearly 10km that afternoon and evening! 
I am going to break down Kyoto into the three days we have been here to ensure I get all the details in.

Day 1: Arrival and checked out Nishiki market, had another amazing sushi meal at Kikyo Sushi and meandered through the Ponto-cho district. It was so different being back in a big city where things were bustling, many of the smaller towns we have been to seem to shut down around 8 p.m. Even on our first day we grabbed a hold of the inexplicable energy that Kyoto offered that drew us in immediately.






Day 2: This was a big tourist day for us. We started with the Arashiyama and Sagano district, also known as the bamboo forest. It didn't disappoint.  The huge stalks of bamboo really do catch the light in a way that makes you stare at them. We also really enjoyed the Okochi Sanso garden that took us through the estate of an old movie star in Japan. The gardens were serene and peaceful in a really busy tourist hot spot. The tea and sweets at the end overlooking the bamboo garden was a highlight. For lunch we decided to splurge  and sat down at a Kaiseki restaurant called Nishiri. Kaiseki is known in the Kyoto region and is basically multiple course meals of seasonal foods. Dinner can run into the hundreds per person but we had read that lunch was similar and much less expensive.  In total we had nine courses, for lunch!!! It was delicious but we both felt that given all the amazing food we have already had in Japan,  it was worth trying but not our favourite meal to date. What did make it special though was once again the incredible hospitality of the Japanese people. The server and owner of the restaurant were so kind and explained everything.  They also gave us tips for our upcoming destinations. Finally though,  we have noted that often when you leave a restaurant the staff walks you out and bows to you as you leave and remain in place while you walk away. It is again another tradition here that feels humbling and so respectful and it makes you feel so honoured to be here. 
That afternoon,  with full bellies, we checked out the 13-storey Kizomizu-dera temple and spent the evening weaving in and out of the Higashiyama and Gion districts.









Day 3: The Fushimi-Inari-taisha is an iconic Japanese site. Thousands of orange arches line kilometers of pathways at this Shinto Shrine. It is a really amazing site and worth getting to early to avoid the crowds! 
We are currently sitting waiting for laundry and getting some groceries.  It is nice to have some down time to reset and plan for the next leg tomorrow.  We still have a few things on the agenda today though including touring the Imperial palace grounds and meeting up with an Australian couple whom we met while camping in Kamikochi for dinner. We are really excited to talk with them more as they really are an interesting couple.




That's it for now! Back on the bikes tomorrow! 

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