Enlightment? Rain. Cycling Kyoto and a decent pair of Americans

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Enlightment? Rain. Cycling Kyoto and a decent pair of Americans



We seem to do so much each day that we forget things when it comes to do our blogs. Some days we have chance to write as we go along and some days we check each other's blogs and realise we've missed something. Neither of those things have happened for the last two days and we've both forgotten the same thing two days running.



Yesterday we both forgot to write about an experience we had at a temple where we paid 100¥ each to gain enlightenment. Or at least try... We attempted this by going down some stairs and then walking round a room holding a handrail. If we'd let go of the handrail there was a chance we could hit wall with face as, yes, the room was in complete darkness. So you're feeling your way ahead, worrying that you may bang your head cos you're quite tall and you're laughing cos your wife bumps into you. Then you find a bit of zen lit up and you make your way out. Enlightened? Erm.....probably not. Entertained? Oh yes.



So today we were due on a cycle tour of the city and, after yesterday's typhoon we had to make sure it was going ahead. As there was only a a 20% chance of rain....there's a 100% chance we'd get rained on which is of course what happened. The rain was nowhere near as bad as yesterday thankfully and it did actually stop at times so a-cycling we did go.



I guessed we would have some Americans on the tour and was dreading them being like the ignorant rude ones I've ranted about before. And sure enough along come Kyle and Jessie fron New York and I thought my blog would be heading for the usual rant and filled with the word peckerhead. But no! USA take note, these are the sort of people you should be allowing out of your country not the Stephens of this world. They were polite, funny and friendly. What is the world coming too?!?!



Kyoto station is huge so when you are told to take a particular exit and you need to ask someone how to find it, it gives you an idea of the sheer scale of the place. It makes London Euston look like a Thomas the Tank Engine play set. We did find said exit and followed Google maps to Cycle Kyoto where we met Jamie our Chilean guide for the day. Apparently he has a Spanish name longer than the hair from one of the East German shotputters armpits from the 1970s so we stuck with Jamie.



A genial chap who entertained us throughout the day not only with facts and stories but also teaching us to count in Japanese. Claire was most taken with the toilet at their office which was something we hadn't encountered before....only in Japan is something often said and I reckon this toilet fits the bill. Okay, so on top of the toilet lid the water goes up a tap and comes out so you can wash your hands and then the water goes through a hole and down into the cistern. Ecologically brilliant.....which is why these box cars surprise me even more...



And we were off and it wasn't raining and we cycled along main roads, up back alleys, by the river, across the river etc etc. Sometimes the intersections appeared to want us to stop but, following Jamie's lead we ploughed on regardless. And lived to tell the tale. No-one beeped at us or appeared to get annoyed and people moved out of the way when we had to cycle on the pavement. Kyoto is quite flat too. Which is nice.



We visited various temples and shrines and a University that was designed in a style copied from Britain. Kyoto actually has 38 universities as they tried to stop the brain drain back when Tokyo took over from it being the capital. Another interesting fact about Kyoto is that during the war a Japanese envoy did a deal with the Americans so that Nagasaki would be bombed instead of Kyoto as the yanks had Kyoto down as their next target. Kyoto is thus very historical and retains its ethnicity at the expense of the poor Nagasakians.



Hopefully my pictures of the golden pavillion will do it justice as it is quite spectacular. Oh and talking of pictures, one temple we went in yesterday had a sign saying 'No photos, No sketching.' I mean, you could sketch something from a book for goodness sake.... The 'no pictures' thing does annoy me-no flash I can understand but the no pictures thing is just so they can sell you a guidebook.



Anyway the next stop was lunch and a dream come true. All you can eat sushi! Lunch was included in the price and again I was impressed with our American friends as they weren't afraid to eat their fill despite being slim. So there was one belt that had the usual sushi going round and then another belt above. The belt above was for items ordered from the screen at the side of the table. This food would then speed to your table and stop by you for you to collect. Absolute bloody genius.



The screen had more varieties of food on including desserts and food would arrive quickly. I ate loads. I had a bloody good time. And even more genius as you slid your empty plates into a slot and when you'd deposited five plates your order screen became a slot machine and the reels would spin to see if you'd won a prize!! Despite getting through 48 plates between us we only won once but Claire now has yet another cat fridge magnet but what a great story to tell of how she got it. Oh and the prize is in a little plastic ball which pops out above the screen.



I really could eat there every day. I don't think it was that expensive either and, judging by the queues, it is very popular with the locals. It boasts of having no additives and every single thing I had was gorgeous and mainly pretty healthy too. What are the chances of them opening a branch in Stoke??



The afternoon brought the rain but we weren't going to stop a little Stokey weather spoil the day. We had a stop outside the former Royal Palace but didn't actually see anything which we found a bit odd as we thought that was on our itinerary. Ah well.



Our last stop was Fushimi-Inari Taisha which is where 10000 orange gates are lined up for you to walk through. Some of them have been there a long time and companies pay to have their names on them. That doesn't make them as gaudy as it sounds as this Japanese writing isn't exactly the same as me scrawling 'Wadey woz ere' on a lamp post. We didn't have time to do the whole pathway which would probably have given us this enlightenment we've been encouraged to get but we may have got some pictures without some sodding tourists in them. Hopefully!



We returned our bikes, thanked Jamie and planned to go into Gion again. We went back to Kyoto station and attempted to get the right train but first you must find the right railway of which there are many and then the right platform and then the right train. And there are no maps with all the stations on which tell you much that is useful but we finally worked out where we needed to change and headed there on the subway train.



By the time we got there we both admitted we were knackered, headed in the direction of home, stopped off in Nijo for a drink and then headed for home. That last walk to our apartment from the station is a killer after a long day but....we made it! Claire wasn't enlightened enough, well awake enough, to write her blog so her quintillions of followers are going to have to wait until tomorrow.

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