Blogs from Kyoto, Japan, Asia - page 75

Today is a long travel day as we head to Kyoto, Japan, with a fuel stop in Russia along the way. Blaine was kind enough to take me to Superstore in Whitehorse yesterday so I could stock up on walnuts, cranberries, (and a bit of chocolate) so I could have my snacks on the flight. The crew is very generous with the big bottles of water (and the booze, I might add!). I’m focusing on the water intake so that I don’t get dehydrated  It’s been fun getting to know some of the people on this flight. Even though we are separated into groups (Blue, Green and Red), there are plenty of opportunities to spend time with everyone else. The flight is comfortable, with lots of space for everyone to spread out. I enjoy being ... read more

Today I went and saw some awesome places a bit more in nowhere than yesterday. In the morning I went to Toji behind the station which is a 5 story pagoda - extremely awesome. I met a Brazilian there who was touring for the day and works in Japan. We talked for a bit before going our separate ways. I took the wrong bus to my next place but figured it out pretty quickly and fixed it. There were 2 nice American kids traveling with their mom on the bus. I saw an awesome lake with mountains in the background and people having picnics and a really awesome gate close to where I thought I was going so I got off and got to see another temple in the midst of nature before getting back on ... read more

--- my favorite scene from Kyoto. On my fifth day, just after a bike trip to the botanical gardens, Katie and I biked down the Kama back toward our guest house - Uno House. She biked off to shop on Shijo and I settled into a low bench to listen to a trumpeter...trumpet player? directly across the Kama. Closer to me, just 20 feet away (the obvious and awkward unit-measurement of an American) sat a flutist and a violinist struggling with a feeble La Vie En Rose duet. But I definitely appreciated their practicing. I wrote random thoughts, romantic babble and general life-excitement in my true-to-life, internet-free travel journal and of course it all seems a bit silly now. But the clouds, the slightly damp air, the easy trickle of the tiny Kama River, time just ... read more

The single biggest moan about Japan by foreign travellers is the price of transportation. However, I have to say that to me, it seems fairly reasonably priced when stacked against equivalent European counterparts eg. the UK. For example; the trip to Kyoto from Tokyo or vice-a-versa can be done in a number of ways. Firstly there is the Shinkansen - the bullet trains - which whip you across the country from one city to the other in under two and a half hours for a mere 60 quid. Slower trains such as the limited express and the local services cost less and less as you spend more time on them until you get down to the cheapest fare of all - the overnight bus service - a snip at less than 18 quid. Give or take ... read more

Magnificos templos buddistas i sintoistas en la ciudad de Kyoto. Ciudad aparentemente urbana, tambien superpoblada como todas las ciudades Japonesas, pero que esconde magnificos lugares con templos impresionantes y paseos relajantes. Visita de diferentes templos y castillos Japoneses. Dos impresionantes festivales anuales, que casualmente sucedian durante mi estancia, con desfiles de personajes historicos conocidos y carruajes de epoca. Tambien asisti a un festival nocturno con fuego invocando los dioses de la naturaleza (tradicion sintoista). English Gread buddist and shintoist temples in Kyoto city. At first glance a normal and urban japanese city but with great hidden temples. Visit to diferent temples and even a Japanese castle. Two impresive japanese festivals held anually. A great historic parade with plenty of well known japanese history celebrities. Also a night fire... read more