Bullet trains and Kyoto by bicycle

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Sightseeing the true Japanese way! Maps are for the weak!

So my first encounter with the infamous Japanese Bullet train was peachy keen.. 3 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto... my kind of speed.. Unfortunately it was a three hour wait for non smoking so I did the unmentionable and sentenced my lungs to 3 hours in a smoking car, leaving some Texan fellas I met in my dust!! Little thing to love about the trains here, every so often a lady comes by this a trolly full of everything ranging from beer, green tea, coffee to pocky sticks, cookies and wasabi peas! Loved it! People had also told me about how tidy everyone is here (dead true) and how you will see people eating dinner and such on the train (also true), you can actually buy sushi or pretty much any other Japanese meal you would like from a kiosk in the train station. My only questions is for how clean this place is where are all the trash cans???


Upon arrival in Kyoto it was a beautiful shiny day out, which prompted me to soak it all in via bicycle!! Too excited to contain myself I parked my bag at the hostel and ran out to my new shiny blue friend!! In my excitement I managed to run out without my map.. So I just winged it.. And did pretty well in my opinion, got to see several temples plus a good portion on the city.


First temple was great as there seemed some big event going on purely Japanese.. So I wasnt sure what was going on but wonderful culture seeing! Thought it was funny to see a smoking area in the temple though. (Smoking here is funny, most the world is trying to get everyone of smoke outside where as Japan tries to get people to not smoke outside, you are asked not to smoke and walk and just use designated smoking areas spaced out. But smoking in bars and trains perfectly acceptable?) Next temple was world heritage Kiyomizu Temple, which was STUNNING. And by the time I had rocked up and got in the sun was beginning to set creating picturesque scenery! At this temple there was Lucky Shrine, which had two lucky rocks and it was said that if you could walk between both rocks with you eyes closed you would be lucky in love. Unfortunately due to the number of tourists there was no way for me even to try!


Finishing my day off with a meal bought purely from a mini stop convience store.. Sushi maki and nigri, the local Karin beer and a green tea ice cream treat Only problem with the bike is that no matter how many time you ding your bell still some people did not get out of my way!! I so have to say that spin classes have done me wonders as I schooled every hill that dared to get in my way! Ended up picking amazing time to come to Japan as all the leaves are changing I probably have about a 100 pictures to the leaves... definitely going to have to edit those!!



Yet another adventure packed day!

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Comments

[Sarah]

best sushi ever?
Some of the best sushi ever? Compare it to Mikes for me hahaha