Blogs from Gion, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, Asia - page 7

With only 2 days in Kyoto we could not do the city justice. Literally 100's of temples and fascinating alleyways and streets to explore. However, we did our best. We also had the pleasure of meeting up with 2 of Rami and Rob's friends Tomo and Nicola whose company we enjoyed whilst they very kindly treated us to a superb authentic Japanese and gave us tour of the Gion district taking in the sights.... read more

They say Kyoto is the most visited tourist destination on the entire planet, eclipsing heavyweights like Paris and New York. Even so, we have yet to spot more than a handful of Westerners. With countless World Heritage listed temples and shrines, the mysterious Geisha underworld and a multitude of calming Zen gardens, Kyoto is in every sense the most traditional of all Japan's large cities. Our Japanses-style guesthouse is in a fantastic location and the cheapest in town. (Who could go wrong for AUD $25 a night?)Management didn't even bat an eyelid when Dave's hair blanketed the tatami after reaching epic lengths. Too tight to pay for a professional cut, he let Pen loose with the kiddie-soft left-handed scissors for the first time in her life. (You be the judge of the results via our blog ... read more

I Headed out with the head teacher of my school to Gion, to see the massive hikiyama carts. They basically shut down that area of the city for 4 days, all the roads are closed, and you can see men and women in traditional summer robes, known as Yukata. It was really nice yet strange to be out with head teacher. I mean I usually see him at school. but part of me felt guilty and wondered 'Is it okay for me to be out drinking with my boss?' I love Japanese people. They are breaking stereotypes every day. We walked along eating karaage (fried chicken), drinking biru, and we even went to a small restaurant and ate Hoke (a fish that comes from the Hokkaido region). I even had an impromptu Japanese lesson.... Subject-Object-Verb, ... read more

Hello Everyone, This will be the first of a few blogs that should arrive in the next few days. Japan is such a fascinating place and we're trying to fit in so much in a short space of time that we wanted to try and keep up to date with progress rather than waiting until China when we might have less chance and the internet speed could be slower. We've been here for three days and our heads are spinning: it's pretty hard to get used to somewhere totally different having spent the last three and a half months in the comfort of the English speaking world. We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and got a bus to our hotel without much trouble. The hotel was a treat for my birthday on the 17th and was really ... read more

Up way too early (445 AM) to get to the Tsujiki fish market before we head out of town. Sadly didn't read the LP carefully enough and our 30 minute walk was rewarded with a small sign reminding us that the market is closed on the second and fourth wednesday of the month. Hopefully we will have the time and wherewithall to get back their on our way home. Went back to the hotel for a bit more much needed sleep before finally getting all our stuff together and heading for the train station. Ridiculously easy to get some tickets for Kyoto and we are flying along in the shinkansen as I write this. Been treated to a few excellent views of a snow clad Mt Fuji as we speed along but sadly the speed of ... read more