Goodbye Kyoto - Cock-up Day at Himeji

---

So... we’re back in Tokyo! Yesterday was our last day in Kyoto. We spent it visiting the Northwest of the city. Our first aim was to get, by bus, to the so-called ‘Golden Pavillion’. Like other temples, it used to be a residence and later it became a temple. It was very impressive but packed with people. It was difficult to take pictures without someone’s head or arm in the background. We walked around its gardens, admired its beautiful pond (several mounts with bonsais scattered around) and even tried out luck throwing coins at its Buddha statue. Visitors are not allowed inside, which is only normal, but it was worth seeing the surroundings and imagining the life one must have had living in such a magical place, in a (literally) gold palace with this perfect and ordered nature as background. From here we decided to follow our guide’s incomplete and vague directions (Lonely planet, you need to make better guides!!) in order to find an old Japanese bath, somewhere in the area. We walked for an hour or so, getting lost in some park on the way, but were finally unsuccessful. Thankfully, we managed to find a really nice and cheap place to eat – lovely sushi, which I’m in love with again (after attempting to have a McDonalds and a pizza -terrible- other days). After lunch, we reach NIJO-JO castle, the residence of the first Tokugawa ‘shogun’ (something like a leader or a king? He had several rooms to receive feudal lords... so he must have been important!). This castle we could admire from the inside: amazing paintings inside (on paper) depicting tigers, birds, fantastic bonsais and cherry trees.... all from 17th century. To think in Europe at the time, Rubens was in fashion! Such differences in art, in the same world, during the same century!!! M was impressed by the wooden floors, called ‘nightingale’ (which one could hear ‘creak’ when someone was coming, as a defence) and the concealed chambers from where bodyguards kept watch. The final visit of the day was going to be Tofuku-ji, which has the oldest Zen main gate in Japan. Unfortunately when we got close to it, it was 4:30 pm already and it closed at 4 pm. Time to go ‘home’, pack our bags and ready for our next day! Today has been disappointment day. We took the bullet train (1 hour back and forth) to see the most important castle in all Japan (HIMEJI, also called the ‘white heron’ for its white exterior) but unfortunately, once there, we were sad to encounter a building undertaking renovations and therefore completely covered. I was amazed to see a young couple on their wedding day (thick beautiful white kimono!!) taking pictures with the ‘covered castle’ as background. Alas! Love is blind. For the time being, we entertained our minds walking around a ‘dog competition’ (finally!! First time we see this many dogs together in Japan! Beautiful AKITAS again – similar to a Siberian Husky but smaller and even cuter) and taking a look at the local zoo. Zoos make us sad, animals seemed sad and bored, and as I don’t really agree with the concept of caging wild animals, we leave. On our way to the station, we find a sort of ‘alley market’ where groups of people are cooking deliciously-smelling food. We accept offers from a group of old ladies, cooking OKONOMIYAKI, one of my favourite dishes up until now (egg, vegetables, soy sauce, meat or fish – all together in a nice thick ‘omelette’) and TEMPURA (fried vegetables).... they’re taken with M, I can tell! They all smile and laugh and offer him some more tempura ‘for free’. Sweet as a nut! We head to the station with our ‘packed lunches’ and wait for the train. From here on, it’s all train after train to get to Tokyo again. We’re finally here, spending 2 more days and then CHINA HERE WE COME!! Next time, it’s M writing... he promised 😉
B & M xxx

---