Go, Go, Kyoto, Go!

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The one day we need the kids up early for a day trip, they both sleep in and have to be dragged out of bed. We are heading out to Arashiyama and hope to beat the crowds.

For a city with mountains on 3 sides, Kyoto city is remarkably flat. Every bit of flat space is filled with the suburbs of Kyoto. Arashiyama is further out at the base of Mt Arashiyama. We've come to check out the bamboo forest and so have the other thousands of tourists - both Japanese and foreign. The bamboo grove is beautiful but crowded. The surronds are calming but the crowds diminish the vibe. Beyond the grove and avoiding the tourist trap of a traditional garden, we find look-outs that provide a breathtaking veiw of the Oi river and the wooded hills around it. The green, brown hills are speckled with the whites and pinks of the cherry blossoms. You can imagine the autumn colours would be equally beautiful.

The peace and serenity of the stoned path is calming as we decend to the river. Deaks goes off-track to touch the cold river water and takes a moment to "meditate" on a rock near the waters edge. Gondolas cruise up and down the river as floating kitchens approach them to sell an assortment of delicious smelling food. The aroma of the cooked meats and flavours hits us on the bank of the river. Must be time for a bite to eat.

We cross a hundred and fifty year old bridge and stop for a hot drink to warm us up and some rice balls, meat on a stick and meat covered rice balls to sustain us for the climb up Mt Arashiyama.

I'm not a huge fan of zoos, but I'm mad for a bit of feral monkey action. We ascend through a beautiful forest, some 160 metres above sea level to visit a family of monkeys that has been living free on this mountain for 60 years. These are some pretty lucky monkeys! They hang out on this mountain and wait for visitors to hand feed them apple and peanuts. But be warned, if you look tghem in the eye, crouch down too close, they'll tear you apart! Well that's how the warning signs all along the path make you feel.

We descend the mountain and stroll along the river enjoying the sunshine, cherry blossoms and the aroma of bbq meats. How can I be hungry already? The kids badger us for an ice cream all the way back to the train. We promise an ice cream in the future but they won't let up. We avoid the tourist ice cream parlours and opt for an ice cream from Lawson Station convenience store near our apartment. I'm glad we did. This biscuit covered combination of ice cream and chocolate is a revelation! We are so enarmoured with these sugary treats that I even consider importing them to Australia. Australia needs them!

I try to use my translator app to get a name for these iceblocks but it fails again. The app is a bit hit and miss. It did enable me to identify ham at the supermarket but it also interpreted a pack mini butters as "cow pee leaves" and the sign at the park next to our apartment read "food cat in this neigbourhood. Do that." It can't be trusted. What can be trusted is the map.me app. Even without wifi or cellular connection, this app tracks you on the map of the city you've downloaded. This has been a priceless tool in these rarely marked streets.

Navigating Kyoto has been easier than Tokyo. It's streets are in grid formation and the major avenues are named in descending order from the main train station. Once you get the hang of this and can recognise the japanese number names, it's hard to get lost. Plus you can always head for the imposing Kyoto Tower to get your barings.

After an afternoon sugar hit we jump on the Keihan train bound for the Geisha district - Gion. It's an ornate quarter of the city and at dusk is packed with fellow tourists hoping for a glimpse of the stunning Geisha. We are there to watch a showcase of traditional Japanese culture. The 6pm show is sold out and we have to queue for the 7pm show to ensure we get tickets. They are mad for a queue here. Nobody seems to get impatient and sometimes I think they are queuing for the sake of it.

The wait will be an hour or more and Milla and I leave Jules and Deaks in the queue and seek some suitable dinner. The alleyways are packed with restaurant menus that make your mouth water. We find our only takeaway option at the Familymart and grab some seaweed wrapped rice balls and sandwiches for the kids.

On our way back to Gion Corner, I spot the 7ft tall Finnish/Hungarian bloke from the queue and he is walking fast and clicking his camera furiously. He's spotted a pair of Geisha in blue and he's hot on their tail. I catch a glimpse of the illusive Geisha but Milla is obscured by the row of taxis cramming the street. Kyoto Geisha Count - Milla = 0 Daddy = 2!

We sit for close to an hour waiting for the Gion Corner show at 7pm. We've walked in excess of 15 kms today and it's showing on the kids. It's also showing on our patience. Not a moment too soon and we are seated in the theatre.

The show starts with a tea ceremony and not backward in coming forward, my hand shoots up at the first mention of volunteers. He indicated two during the Japanese introduction and I was just waiting for the English version before my big Australian hands shot to the sky. Success! I'm one of the lucky volunteers and get to have tea prepared and presented by the traditionally dressed hostesses. It's quite a performance with every gesture deliberate. The formality is quite intimidating. When do I bow and when can I drink it. The green tea is poured, whisked and presented and there is two sweet cakes (more like sweet rice crakers) on the table before us. The matcha is bitter to taste but improved when drunk after tasting the sweet biscuit/cake. Hot enough to be drunk immediately and very tasty. I'm glad I shot up my arm like the teacher's pet. I return to my seat and Deaks tells me I didn't bow correctly. Apparently if someone serves you food you are supposed to bow lower than them in thanks. With my back as it is, they're lucky I bowed at all!

The show goes on with flower arrangement, centuries old dance performances and a comedic play involving two servants being tied up and stealing sake from their master. A Maika (trainee Geisha) performs mesmerising dance routines. She was chasing a butterfly in one of them and the other was as equally enchanting performance. Her expression barely changes and her movements are understated, gracefull and poetic. The costume is colourful and intricately worn while her make-up is pure white and smooth. Her expressionless face like a doll - only her eyes coneying her mood. I wish there was more of this and can see the appeal of these mysterious and beautiful women.

The show finishes with a puppet show and these puppeteers do their job so well that you sometimes forget they are even there. Strangely, two of the puppeteers are masked with black hoods and one is not. I assume he's the main dude but find his exposed face distracting.

Kyoto Geisha Count: Milla, Deaks and Jules = 1 Daddy = 3!

Milla wants to get a taxi home but we aren't "taxi" people and jump on the nearest train. I spot baseball on the TV of a local bar and we detour to get breakfast supplies for tomorrow (and a couple of cans of Asahi for the game). It would appear that bars might have pay tv - there is nothing but strange Japanese reality TV shows and badly dubbed news on the box. Probably best. The amount of kms we've walked today, I won't take much rocking.

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