Snow Falling On Kyoto

I woke up this morning to a snowy forecast and it lightly snowed all day. Should make for some nice photos on a day for temple hopping in Kyoto! At the hotel, I had a western breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and a latte. And then I was off to explore Kyoto and to brace the cold.



Before leaving, the hotel sold me an all day bus pass for ¥500 as Kyoto has an extensive bus network. A block from my hotel, I grabbed a bus to northwest Kyoto to visit the most famous zen garden in the world at Ryoan-ji Temple. Here I had to take off my shoes for some beige slippers and enjoyed looking at the rocks. Apparently there are 15, but at only one given time you can see 14. Once you've reached enlightenment, you're supposed to see all 15. I guess I wasn't enlightened, but it was calming and I could feel my blood pressure coming down.











I walked through the complex and around this pond which is known for their ducks. Again, I'm supposed to meditate during these strolls, but all I could think about was my giant wedgie - I had worn many layers to brave the colder weather and they were bunching!





On the road, I picked up another bus to Kinkaku-ji temple, or the Golden Pavilion. As I entered, some tourists were fighting with some guard - pretty awkward when the guard lunges for the male. I hadn't seen anyone lose their cool here, especially in these meditative environments so it was a bit odd.

Nonetheless, the pavilion and the surrounding pond was beautiful. Apparently various rocks were placed in the water and again, we are meant to be contemplative:









After a walk through the complex, I exited to the main road and waited for a tourist bus called Raku. My pass works on it and it specifically makes a loop pass all the famous sites.

I crossed town on the bus to visit Ginkaku-ji temple, which is the Silver Pavilion. But before heading in, I knew I would get hungry by the end of it. So I found Omen Noodles which was highly recommend by my Lonely Planet guide. They specialize in noodles that you dip into a sauce served with seasonal vegetables and sesame seeds you can put in the subtle broth to your liking. I got the noodles with tempura lunch set and it was all delicious.



Full from lunch, I headed into the temple which was lovely with zen gardens and views of the city:












At the bottom of the hill from the temple was Philosopher's Path that leads you to Honen Temple. A famous philosopher used to walk this stretch and it's supposed to be beautiful during cherry blossom season:



By this time, it was about 2 pm and I had 2 more places I wanted to visit. Although Kiyomizudera was more convenient, it stays open until later, so I opted to bus it to Nijo-jo Castle, famous for where the Tokugawa shogun family lived before they handed over control to the Emperor which led to the Meiji Restoration.

I'm glad I had decided on this order as they were only accepting entrance until 3 pm. The castle had beautiful gates, surrounded by walls and moats, and beautiful gardens:









Then I went back to Kiyomizudera Temple via bus. To get to the temple, like many, there was a shopping street up a long hill. Apparently this one is called Teacup Lane. At the top, there is a massive complex with the main hall going under an exterior renovation:













Here, there’s a famous pair of stones that if you walk successfully to the other one with your eyes closed, your wishes in love will come true. If you’re guided, then you will need help in love. Here’s one of the stones:



There were shrines everywhere and I made a wish at one that was especially for one that helped grant ladies' wishes.





At this point of the complex, folks lined up as drinking the water will evidently bring you good health:







I guess it should considering they have this ultraviolet machine to kill germs. I didn't drink straight from the cup, but wondered if the Buddhists many years ago envisioned the ultraviolet machine especially designed for these cups!

Then I headed down the hill and perused some stores. You can kind of see the crowds in the photo:



At the bottom, I hopped into a matcha café and had some sweets with my tea and to rest my back and feet:



Afterwards, I headed to Gion, the famous district of Geishas and walked up and down Hanami-dori street, famous for the restaurants lined with lanterns:



And then Shinbashi street which was very lovely and had antique stores as noted by my guidebook:



I then walked over to Pontocho street, again famous for restaurants and bars where geishas entertained. I didn't see any geishas who apparently go to gig to gig in this neighborhood. If I did see one, I would have qualms about taking their photo like a paparazzi when they are just trying to get to work. Here’s a photo of the narrow street, again lined with lanterns:



Still not hungry, I walked down Shio Dori street which was lined with western stores and luxury goods, and of course a Starbucks. There was a massive Takashimaya department store which reminds me of the one on 5th Avenue.

I needed to take the bus back to my ryokan, so after locating the bus stop, I turned off to a side road and found a small restaurant. A lot of the restaurants here offer expensive beef or kaiseki meals which are very elaborate multi course meals. I was not in the mood for either so I ordered fried chicken and beer:



After dinner, I waited for the bus and headed back to the hotel to rest my back and feet, as I was all temple-d out!

Trains, Trains, and Trains

After checking out of the hotel, I walked 10 minutes to Shinjuku station. Although my Romancecar ticket says all I need to do is show the paper receipt or my smartphone, apparently you had to buy a train ticket and all I had done was pay the surcharge for the express and reserve a seat. I guess that's what happens when you plan an international vacation in under 3 weeks.

Not having enough time to go buy the normal ticket, the guard gave me an unpaid ticket to use at the turnstile and I had to pay the fare adjustment when I arrived in Hakone. As I had already returned my Pasmo card, I had to use their paper ticket.

After arriving at Hakone-Yumoto 90 minutes later, I bought my ticket to Odawara for later and bought breakfast - a bacon and cheese wrapped in bread toasted and an excellent matcha latte. The café overlooked the railroad tracks while I killed time before the onsen opened.



I had desperately wanted to try an Onsen or hot springs while I was here. There are many resorts around the country and many of them were booked or outrageously expensive due to being the end of year holidays. As such, I decided to book a day onsen in Hakone which is famous for these resorts and of views of Mt. Fuji. People from Tokyo take day trips to Hakone, but I thought I would stop through on my way to Kyoto and maximize my time.

I decided on an onsen called Hakone Yuryo as they have 5 minute shuttles up the steep hill from the station and I booked a private room for an hour. Many of the onsens don't allow tattoos (which I don't have), so people book the private ones to avoid getting in trouble or in general, for some more privacy.

The onsen was delightful, clean, and traditional. I enjoyed my privacy in the 104 degree water. As Japan has a lot of volcanic activity, there are many natural hot springs and there are inns, resorts, and day spas throughout the country.

There are a lot of rules to an onsen - besides the no tattoos, no dunking your head, no dunking towels, and showering before you enter. Right next to the tub were all the amenities needed for a shower and I got ready for my tub. My Korean sauna going friends would have loved this!

You could see the steam!

After sufficiently being pruned and enjoying the steamy water and fresh mountain air, I headed down to the shuttle and back to the train. I had to take a 15 minute train ride on the Hakone Tozan Railway to Odawara to pick up the famous Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train that travels up to 200 miles an hour. I had reserved tickets, so I just needed to pick them up from the kiosk.

There are 3 types - the local (Kodama), medium (Hikari), and express (Nozomi). I reserved for the medium and then transferred to the express at Nagoya - which saves me 13 minutes. I had fun trying to take video of the trains whizzing by - I missed the fastest one as I couldn't get my camera ready in time! You really weren't sure if it was just a breeze or a train that was on its way!



I got to my reserved window seat and there was a Vietnamese girl traveling solo with luggage bigger than the one I forwarded in my seat. She was reading a Ted Talks book, so I knew she spoke English. She was surprised I didn't have anything, but a duffel and I explained the luggage forwarding services. When I asked her if she thought the mountain we were passing by was Fuji, she said no, as she said it was way up north (I knew this was wrong as you're supposed to be able to see Mt. Fuji from Hakone). When several Japanese people around us starting taking photos, I confirmed it was indeed Mt. Fuji. Um, okay - here's not Mt. Fuji:



When the food and beverage staff walked through, I made sure to order a bento box lunch. The Shinkansen bento lunch boxes are supposed to be amazing and a Mama Kim dream. Not sure why it's all about Australia and makes me think of the Burke family, but it was tasty delicious for this Asian's palate:



Since it was only 2 pm when I arrived in Kyoto, I stashed my duffel in a coin locker and decided to hop on the JR Sagano line to Saga Arashiyama for 15 minutes from Kyoto station. My primary goal was to see the famous bamboo forest in Arashiyama.

On the 15 minute walk to Tenryū-ji Temple, it started to drizzle and then rain. So I took breaks underneath awnings until I got to the Heavenly Dragon Temple. Here I paid an entrance fee for both the temple and beautiful zen garden. You actually had to take off your shoes to walk around the temple and down long walkways. They gave us these really bright blue slippers. Here are some pictures:





The garden was beautiful and relaxing against the mountain backdrop.





















Through the garden, I reached the entrance to the famous bamboo forest. By this time, the sun started peeking out. Despite the many people, I found the walk to be magical and relaxing.











After the forest, I walked down to the busy touristy shopping street and passed an owl and cat café with live owls in the window. I had heard of both, but not combined in one place. The Japanese are so funny - they can make anything a "thing" and people pay to hang with these animals.



At the end of the street was a famous old bridge called Togetsu-kyō and nearby was a hydropower plant:



There was street food everywhere, so I sprung for a Yuba (tofu skin) and Cheese on a stick with a place that had a decent line and was apparently on television. Then I sprung for a matcha green tea frozen yogurt. It definitely wasn't warm enough for yogurt, but kids everywhere were eating them, so I got envious.



Walking back to the station was a lot more pleasant without the rain and a train was just about to depart. In Kyoto, I picked up my bag and walked the few blocks to my Japanese inn or ryokan, called Matsubaya. I struggled to find one that was affordable and convenient and this was recommended by my Lonely Planet guide.

The front desk clerk, Budi, was chatty and kind. My suitcase that I had forwarded was also waiting for me in my room. He explained the layout and the ways of the Japanese inn. Unfortunately, the Japanese-style breakfast is not available during my stay as the cook was going on holiday - they are only offering a western breakfast while I'm here. I was super bummed, but I guess the cook deserves a vacation too.

The room is a traditional Japanese room where I sleep on the floor. The sleeping on the floor was not new to me as we sleep on the floor in Korea. But I was looking forward to the elaborate Japanese breakfast. Budi said he knew a place nearby if I was still interested. The room also comes with a "Teachings of Buddha" book which just reminds me of the Gideons...



I knew if I stayed too long, I would never eat dinner. So I asked Budi for a recommendation and he suggested a ramen restaurant nearby - I had the spicy ramen before returning back to the hotel.



All in all, I took 4 different train lines today: Tokyo to Hakone (Odakyu), Hakone to Odawara (Hakone Tozan), Odawara to Kyoto (Shinkansen / JR Tokaido), and Kyoto to Arashiyama and back (JR Sagano). The rail system here is extensive, efficient, and on-time. If you're going to be here for a long time or traveling far, it's worth getting the JR pass that is only available to foreigners and heavily discounted compared to in-country prices. I wasn't here long enough to make the pass worthwhile, but I definitely got my fill of trains today. Also, the website Hyperdia is a must in planning train travel in Japan.

After all the trains today, and my vagabonding in Tokyo, I'm glad to be staying put for three nights!