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Blogs from Gion, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, Asia - page 5
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October 22nd 2009
We are nearing the end of the Japan adventure but don't fear, there are many pictures to close with a bang! We stayed in a little Hostel/Guest House place called Bola Bola. It was quaint and beautiful. It was also about 40 min. from the main district of Kyoto or Gion. It was a tiny little out of the way place, yet everywhere we mentioned it, everyone knew exactly where you were talking about. Our food wasn't nearly so elegant as it was back in Shamoda, but still very tasty all the same. While in Gion and surronding areas, we visited Shines, Palaces, Markets, lots of shopping (not a lot of buying - very very expensive) and we even took part in a Traditional Tea ceremony. And to steal a quote from another blog I read, ... read more
The lure of Kyoto. Not only historic, but atmospheric and dynamic
Published: January 20th 2011Asia » Japan » Kyoto » Kyoto » Gion
October 20th 2009
Destination: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (Distance from Tokyo: 470km, approximately 294 miles) Map → http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/kyoto/index.html Date: November, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tokyo is the capital of Japan,,, yes it’s true. But it started only 142 years ago, even though the history of this country counts over 2000 years. Do you know where the nation’s capital was before Tokyo? It was Kyoto. Thick text books of Japanese history (I had to use for in my school days, yuck) say Kyoto was established as the capital by an old Japanese government in 794 (before Kyoto was Nara from the ancient time) and the function had lasted for more than millennium. That’s why there are tons of historic places existing in Kyoto. In 1869, a new modernized government of post-samur... read more
May 29th 2009
Wow, we just got to spend the entire day with my friend Yayoi and at one of my favorite places in the world, the Temple of the Golden Pavillion. Yayoi got here by 8a.m. and we went to breakfast nearby. Yayoi knows that I love to eat and we always laugh about our visits and how they are about eating. She had checked for a restaurant that would serve a Japanese breakfast so she knew just where to take us. We had grilled salmon, miso soup an egg and some veges. With a full stomach we were able to get on with the business at hand, getting to the Golden Pavillion. Rain was forecast but the skies were full of puffy clouds and sun, a perfect day for Kyoto. We saw the Golden Pavillion and walked ... read more
May 7th 2009
3rd day back in Kyoto and we were despretly waiting for the safe return of our Aussie passport from the british emassy and late this afternoon we got the news we were waiting for.... (Passport is ready for collection) Still wont know untill tomorrow if we have been approved or not, but hey at least we can leave Japan!!!! Meet up With Josh K, Leeann and Rob had great luch and a nice chat before we left to go back to Tokyo (Man i suck at bloging) ... read more
March 16th 2009
March 16 I woke early in the morning ready to hit the ground running. I still hadn't decided what to do about staying in Kyoto for another day or heading back to Osaka. The hostel serves a 500 yen breakfast (about $5: tart yogurt with pistachios and dried cranberry, two homemade organic rolls, one wheat and one green tea, with butter and honey, and one egg scrambled with chopped ham and parsley) so while I ate I read a Frommer's Guide to Japan. After just a few minutes of reading I knew I had to stay in Kyoto for another day. I let the manager know I'd be staying one more night, put my things upstairs next to my mat, reorganized my backpack for a day of sightseeing and walking, and headed out. I walked to ... read more
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March 15th 2009
For those of you who don't know, I made the very difficult decision to quit the teaching job I love and accept a position as a career counselor, a contracting job with the Army. The U.S. economy is having a worldwide affect, and Korea's economy took a sharp downturn about 5 months ago. The Korean dollar is worth about 30% less than when I arrived. Therefore, I needed to earn U.S. dollars. Sounds easy enough but visa laws are pretty strict. I've been jumping through hoops for a week, and one of the thing I needed to do was leave the country. Dan and I went to Tokyo last May and I vowed I would see more of Japan. So here I am. March 15 I arrived at Kansai International Airport after a 90 minute flight. ... read more
March 12th 2009
Kyoto is supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Japan. For that reason, I've booked 5 nights at the Kyoto Hostel (sister hostel of the one I stayed at in Tokyo). I've been told over and over that if there's any one place that I need to visit in Japan, its Kyoto. Its kind of a downer that the sky is crying my first day there - I barely leave the hostel all day and wander for just a couple hours in the streets not far away. I found a park and a little temple before hunkering down again in the lounge for the night. It was supposed to rain for a few days, so the next day I decided to make my day trip out to Osaka. Originally I had planned to ... read more
Kyoto: Nijo Castle & My Most Cliche Moment
Published: January 25th 2010Asia » Japan » Kyoto » Kyoto » Gion
March 11th 2009
Kyoto is a very cool city! Since I was on a group tour in Japan, most activities were with the entire group, but Kyoto was a time for ourselves. Our group leader Axel gave us a rundown on the city, the sights and the bus system. When we got into Kyoto, I went out to eat with a couple of the girls for a nice sushi meal and it was one of my favorites of the whole trip! Then, a group of us decided to go see Nijo Castle. Nijo Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo Shogunate, as the Kyoto residence for himself and his successors. It survives in its original form and is famous for its Momoyama architecture, decorated sliding doors and floors that squeak like nightingales when someone walks on ... read more
February 4th 2009
On Tuesday, the last day of my train pass, I headed into Kyoto itself and decided to follow another lonely planet walking tour, walking up Chawa Zaka, Sannen Zaka, Ninen-Zaka, which truth be had are 3 very touristy streets, but they were very cool, full of shops selling traditional Japanese food, sandles and bags etc. At one point I needed to go to the loo, so I asked the owner of a shop I had just bought something from. Well, I said "toilet," I didn't actually made a Japanese sentence. Anyway, she let me borrow hers, although she did warn me it was going to be a Japanese one... Along the way I stopped along the way at Kiyomizu-dera, a large temple complex. I first went into the belly of the Buddha (I think, maybe womb), ... read more
December 3rd 2008
I wake up each morning to the cold Kyoto air and the drunken ramblings of the BakPak kyoto hostel. This really is the way to live - no phone, no responsablility, no plan, just an endless horizon of things to discover. Today i went to Arishiyama national park outside kyoto. It was absolutely incredible. the whole city was like a postcard. The people i have met so far are all so great, they all have their own cultrues and perspectives to offer. I spent last night in a jamaican bar with a frenchman and two britts, eating ornamental bananas and listening to reggae! Everyone is so polite here in Japan, i wish i could speak the language and connect a bit more with the people here but my solace is that for once i am the ... read more
