shinkansen song by senryoku zokyozai

i didn't want to get up this morning--so tired! i made twiddle thumbs shower first and i went third. i needed that extra rest! we had to repack and throw out items we don't need, which were mostly just extra pamphlets we had picked up and trash. we left the hotel at a little after 8am and took the loop line from ueno station to tokyo station, a couple stops away. there we changed trains so we could take the bullet train (shinkansen) to kyoto which is covered by our rail pass. we walked over to where the platforms are for the bullet train and boarded the 9:06am hikari bullet train, no fuss. while on the train, i just had to listen to our friend ricardo's song called "shinkansen song". we bought some snacks on the train. we've been bad and have been trying out various japanese non-vegan chocolate candies. it was cloudy and so we didn't get to see mt. fuji. the total train ride took about 3 hours.

rural view while riding the bullet train

once we arrived in kyoto, we took a cab to the hostel, kyotokko AKA kyoto cheapest inn. we have a lot of stuff because we are 4 people, not because we pack a lot, at least not me and twiddle thumbs. it was funny to watch the cab driver's eyeballs bulge when he saw us and all our crap but he said it would all fit and he made it fit. he had never heard of where we are staying and that's why i had printed out a map of the place and how to get there. these cab drivers know the big hotels but they don't know the hostels. we arrived and there was grumbling because you had to go up a narrow flight of stairs. the others didn't want to haul their luggage. i went up and checked in. luckily, they have an elevator there for luggage so the owner brought our stuff up for us. i had reserved a room for all of us to share again with a bathroom. this time though it's not japanese style so we're sleeping on bunk beds--it is a hostel afterall.

we then walked to a nearby restaurant for lunch. i had tofu with miso sauce (the dark red type that i normally do not eat) with fried rice, no egg (it had meat!). the menu did not say it had meat in it so i asked if there was egg, yes, so i asked for it without egg. i was surprised when it arrived with meat in it. twiddle thumbs would not touch it so the waitress painstakingly took out all the little bits of meat. so nice! sorry to be such a pain!

nijo-jo castle

then we walked to nijo-jo castle (yeah, jo=castle) because it was closeby. it's not tall and grand like you might or i think a castle would be. it's more like this warlord's home and 'cos he was the leader it's called a castle, get it? actually, the history of the place is kinda close to that but i don't have the whole story straight because japanese history is messy and complicated and i'm not that interested in it. even japanese have trouble with their country's history because there were so many civil wars between warlords. to make sure i tell it right, i just looked up some stuff to remind myself of how it all goes...so there was a more castle-like complex on site but that got burned down. nijo-jo was built by ieyasu tokugawa. this is the famous warlord that everyone knows about. this is when japan became an isolated country. this is the period of shogun having power. this is the period of the samurai. when the power was returned to the emperor (meiji), it was done at nijo-jo. mostly i think nijo-jo is known to foreigners for it's "nightingale" floors. when you walk on them (they make you take off your shoes when you enter the building), the floor squeaks and it's kind of a pretty sound, like a bird. probably like a nightingale but i don't know what those sound like. hell, i don't know what they even look like. i just know florence nightingale! there is a diagram to explain how the squeaks occur. something like there is a hinge and when you walk it applies pressure to the hinge which rubs against something else, causing the squeak.

tea ceremony garden

i liked walking around inside the main building because it was nice to get a glimpse of old japan and how people lived, the rich ruling people that is. they have furniture in the rooms and some mannequins. some of the ornamental artwork is exquisite. it's not really my thing so much the paintings on the screens but you must respect at least all the work put into the place, especially the woodcarvings. there is this amazing piece inbetween two rooms which is carved out of a single piece of wood. both the back and front have different carvings. there are signs explaining what each room is for and pamphlets in english too. the furniture is so minimal. i tried to imagine myself living like that but not in those times because i'd rather be a man back then than a woman who has no say over her lot in life. i just tried to imagine my life less complex, with less crap. just a room, a pillow, and me, ehhehe. i tried to imagine myself actually having money one day and building a custom japanese style house out in the country. sometimes i think if i had a custom house, i would have this and that. i never really imagined a japanese period themed home though. this was my moment to reflect upon such thoughts.

tea ceremony

we then walked around the garden and grounds as it sprinkled. i didn't bother with an umbrella but twiddle thumbs and her sister had one. in one part of the garden they offered a cheap version of the tea ceremony so we did that. the cheap version is that you pay a little money and nothing too formal happens. you just sit down and they bring the tea out. sure they turn the cup but that's it for service. a real tea ceremony takes hours and hours and i just don't have that kind of time! i just want a drink, man, i'm not writing a book on philosophy or a collection of haiku. "kaze ga naku. iro kawarimasu. aki ga kita". (the wind cries. the color changes. autumn has come.)

kyoto as viewed from kiyomizu-dera

we still had time to see one last place that closes later than others so we took a taxi to kiyomizu-dera, the temple famous for water. there were many shops along the uphill road as you walk to the temple but we don't have time for that now! off to the temple! there is a pagoda there. i wonder if most people realize that. i think it is overshadowed by the water and that famous view of the complex up high on the hill. the grounds are quite large and there is a lot of walking to do. we didn't fully admire every part. i'm sure many people just go in and out to see the main point: water. to enter the first part is free. you could see it from the outside. but if you want to go any further, you must pay. you will then enter the famous building most think of when you mention this place. you have to go through and to the other side to see the view though to realize you have entered that famous part. then you must go down the hill if you want to purify yourself with the actual famous water and pay extra for it too and wait in a long line.

the famous view of kiyomizu-dera

we were quite tired by this point and sluggish. it was getting dark so my photos were not turning out so well as i was conserving my battery power and not using flash with every shot. we were able to go back to the shops and look in a few of them but already they were starting to close and the temple had not even closed yet! you would think to maximize business that they would stay open 30-60 minutes after the temple closes. perhaps they're too cheap to pay for the extra electricity or more thefts occur at night. who knows. the point is, if you want to browse the souvenir shops by temples, allow plenty of time to see both the temple and the shops well before either close. one of the shops was selling donuts made from soymilk so i bought a small bag of 8 donuts. twiddle thumbs tried the soy soft cream.

a shop in gion

we took a taxi to the gion district which is famous for having the old feel of japan. the cab driver recommended this over my mom's wanting to walk along kamo-gawa river. she remembers visiting kyoto once and walking along the river and it was very nice. he said it's not pretty and it's not safe. i had recommended gion but whatever i say doesn't matter so thank you cab driver for convincing my mother for me. gion is where one is able to spot geishas. actually, they are maikos which is like a geisha in training. as the taxi driver explained to us, those you see in the daytime are not real maiko. those walking around in the daytime are for the tourists. maiko work at night so you will see them dressed up and walking to their appointments at night.

it was time for dinner and we didn't have to look far to decide on a place to eat. there was a restaurant, we looked at the menu, and said OK. it was a japanese style (sit on the floor) teppanyaki place. boy, i really cannot sit on the floor anymore like that. my legs fell asleep several times. it had very nice ambiance. it is right there alongside the stream passing by the main area. the prices seemed reasonable until we saw the portions. well no wonder it's so cheap! you have to eat a lot to fill you up! they served the food quickly and there aren't that many places to sit so being quick is the key to serving enough guests to make money. while twiddle thumbs and i were taking turns to use the restroom, my mom and her sister were waiting outside and saw a maiko walk by. damn, we missed our chance. then we tried to walk to the river afterall but ended up at a dead end. we were too tired so we went back to the hostel via taxi. in the lobby there is a computer with internet for free (mac!). also in the lobby are the dorm beds which are the cheapest probably anywhere in japan (i think US$9 or so) in case you ever need a cheap bed in japan although i don't think i could sleep like that. we were able to check our calavera email at the hostel. (more like just deleting junk mail!) i also paid for everyone to rent a towel for when we shower in the morning.

today's expenses in yen:
¥3025 hostel
¥950 lunch
¥600 nijo-jo entrance fee
¥700 tea ceremony
¥300 kiyomizu-dera entrance fee
¥200 soy milk donuts
¥1768 dinner
¥800 towels for everyone
(cab fare to be paid back to my mom later)
plus a couple drinks from vending machines throughout the day to hydrate