Blogs from Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, Asia - page 53

I arrived in Kyoto yesterday having spent my fourth, and last, night in Tokyo at the Asakusa Riverside Capsule Hotel. It was cheap, friendly and comfortable enough once the mild sense of claustrophobia had dissipated. I would recommend it to anybody who doesn't mind sharing their personal space. The "Hikari" left Tokyo at precisely 12.06 p.m. and arrived at Kyoto's extremely impressive new station at exactly 14.43 having devoured several hundred miles between the two. The time went quicky thanks to: an excellent "Bento" box (packed lunch of suchi etc), the smoothness of the "Shinkansen" which dampened the sense of speed and the fact that Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto seem to form part of a single, unbroken conurbation extruded between the mountains and the sea. My first impression of Kyoto was of another typically crowded city ... read more

Seoul (Nov. 17-22), Japan: Tokyo (Nov. 22-26), Kyoto (Nov. 26- Dec. 2), Bangkok and Cambodia (Dec. 2-10) It begins with things like the toilets- the differences in Asia, that is. Coming from Laos and Vietnam and heading straight for Korea and Japan is a stark contrast possibly humorously described by toilet experiences. Even in pretty decent Vietnamese restaurants, there is a hole in the ground with 2 places for your feet (thank god I am a guy!). The bathroom in the lobby in Seoul had about 8 buttons and a seat warmer (no wonder Scott hung out there for 30 minutes at a time). I have to admit, I really missed the warmth of Vietnam but fall was in full session in eastern Asia, it was beautiful to see the various colors of leaves and to ... read more

Well, my Japan leg of the asian tour has come and gone, and i have to say, its the best country that i have ever been to! Maybe I enjoyed it so much because it is so westernised and i am starting to long for home, but the people here are the friendliest nation i have met, not even a townie in sight, the trains are extremely fast, they have embraced the world of technology without forgetting their traditional routes. its just a great place. Its like a much much better england and it has nice weather. It was one big hole in the pocket though. We caught a two day boat crossing from shanghai, if your looking to get there from china it is the cheapest way. I will leave the boat stories for another ... read more

Shortly after the Second World War, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)was established in an effort to promote peace and to prevent nasty little conflicts such as World War III*. Stemming from that came the World Heritage Center, a body which aims to preserve cultural heritage and conserve natural areas of a global importance. Since the creation of these two bodies, Kyoto has had 17 sites recognized and placed on the World Heritage List, a fitting tribute to over 2000 temples and shrines located within the city. *Note: I'd like to point out that two of the main founding states, the U.K. and France, were really only there ... read more

A five hour bus ride throught the gorgeous green mountains of Shikoku, across the bridge to Honshu (Japan's main island) and into the ancient city of Kyoto. The inland sea was teeming with ships, freights, and day cruisers. Much of the countryside was green forest, even as we approached Kyoto city. The cities here are concentrated into smaller spaces where everyone lives on top of one another. But at least this method leaves some nature... Arriving in Kyoto on the southern side of the train station, Katie and I had a little trouble finding our way to the opposite side where our youth hostel was located. Carrying our packs in the heat and the sun, we walked through the city and came to the front entrance of Kyoto station. A wall of glass and shiny siver ... read more