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Published: March 6th 2008
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Nicky: Hello all, hope you are all well? Our first few days in Tokyo were really good, it is a lovely city. We spent Tuesday travelling to see Mt Fuji. Unfortunately the notoriously shy mountain was having a bad day and it was covered in mist and cloud. We spied the edge of a snow cap for a few minutes but apart from that we had to make do with the - stunning - views of a lake and the surrounding hills in the village we had travelled to. It did snow while we were at the top of a viewing platform though, massive balls of snow that exploded when they hit the ground. It was really beautiful - if a little cold!!
We travelled south to Kyoto on Wednesday for a few days and I think I prefer it to Tokyo. There seems to be more tradition here and it feels much smaller than the massive city that it is. We arrived yesterday (wed) and spent the afternoon and evening walking around Gion. The district is the tradional home for Geisha and I was desperate to see one or some to make my Japanese experience. Unfortunately with only 100 left in the
city we weren't in luck but we did find a great traditional restaurant that served the most amazing tempura. We had to take our shoes off - as you do if you go into most hostels, restaurants and especially homes here - and sit at low tables. I had tempura of courgette, mushroom, potato and prawns with rice, miso soup and japanese pickles and it was just delicious. It was great to watch the other diners as well and all the interesting things they were eating.
Today, thurs, we hired some bikes to enable us to explore a bit more of the city (seeing as we leave tomo we needed to cram as much in as possible) needless to say Neil loved it. I was a bit more cautious. When I was doing well I could quite imagine myself in the future cycling throught the suburbs of Paris with fresh pastries in my basket - when it was going badly I was the lady who was in the english news not that long ago who didnt like going fast on motorways so put a sign on the back of her car that said "I dont do fast, go around me"
- my sign would have said "I am not really that confident on this bike and will possibly kill you with it, please take necessary action to avoid me!!". Having said that it was a great way to see the city. We rode along the canal, which in blossom season would be breathtaking, unfortunately we are a few weeks early and only a few of the trees were in bloom.
We then went to a market which was full of fresh fish, pickles, rice, and the most amazing sweets. The Japanese do sweets REALLY well. They are almost too pretty to eat some of them, decorated in icing and sugar and petals.
We then rode to an Onsen - which is a public baths using the hot springs that are all over Japan. They are very traditional and there are lots of rules and etiquette which I am sure we drove a bulldozer through but it was incredibly relaxing.
You do have to be naked though, which at first takes some getting used to. But when you realise the 15 other women (it is seperate to the men) are easily in their 50s and 60s and have been doing this
for years and couldnt care less what you look like without any clothes on, you soon get over it. My favourite of the hot tub style baths was the tea one, which had a big tea bag tied to the steps which was colouring the water a lovely brown colour but it smelt amazing. I came out so relaxed I could barely cycle back to the hostel!!
Neil:
Kyoto is a really nice city, as Nicky says. It feels alot more traditional and has some beautiful buddist temples. Cycling around the city was brilliant and meant we could pack so much more into our day. The bike we hired were like all bikes in Japan - girlie style, one gear shopping bikes with a basket and a stand! They still moved when you put some effort in. (Except Nicky's bike??)
The onsen was brialliant. There are thousands of these hot springs all over the country - all natural. When you walk into the Onsen (butt naked - not even a towel to cover it) it's a large hall with numerous seperate baths (about the size of your average sales managers garden hot tub in the UK). So, more often than not you're in the bath alone. After washing i stepped into my first bath and with one leg in, got an electric shock! Thinking nothing of it i plunged my other leg in and my leg and bum muscles started pulsating with electric shocks!! I stood for a while not wishing to look as though i didn't know what I was doing - but couldn't help but be slightly concerned that i was being electricuted. I lowered myself further and sat down. I couldn't put my arms in, as my whole body started jumping around like Nicky cycling down a cobbled street. I gave it around three minutes and then spotted a gap in another bath next to a western looking chap. I lowered myself into a milky, bubbly bath next to a guy from Holland. I mentioned that that the bath opposite had electicuted me and he said " ohh, it will jusshht be your body going from der cold to der hot!" I suggested he try it next - which he did. It was hilarious. He obviously thought the skinny English guy with a Burt Reynolds wig on his chest was full of crap. He put one leg in and waited for a few seconds, then followed with his other leg and JUMPED about a foot in the air. I did laugh out loud.
I'm really enjoying Japan. The food is great, the people are helpful and friendly and it's clean and tidy. We travelled from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen or Bullet train. That was expensive but good to travel at 300 kph. (Only bettered on our travels by the Maglev in Shanghai which reached 430kph.)
Photos will appear soon.
Hope everyone is well.
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Fi & Tim
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Electricutions!
Neil - Were you never taught not to take electric fires into the bath with you?!