Off to Kyoto!

Up bright and early after overdoing it slightly on Christmas Day, on the old orange train at 8am, then the super-duper fast train at 9.30am, we were all ready and raring to go, bouncing around with the energy and excitment of kids on Christmas Eve... ok, the picture to the right tells a different story! As much as I would have loved to join the two old birds in a quick snooze, I have a severe inability to remove my eyes from the window when travelling; drinking in the beautiful, clear-skyed, sun-bathed countryside, until I was suddenly greeted with...


...THIS! It seemed this is what we were headed for. Ice, snow and blizzards. Yikes. But it passed, and instead we were greeted with...






...this. Lovely. After a little wander to find the ryokan I'd booked on the net, and a little apprehension that I may have booked us into a cold, dark cell, we we're pleasantly surpirsed to find...





...this. A wonderful little ryokan with a little garden, tatami mats and duvets to die for. Splendid. Greeted by a jolly little man who looked like he might just keel over at any minute, I tested out my Japanese, and he tested out his English. Bless him, he kept repeating 'My name, my name' whilst handing me a pen and gesturing to the sign-in book.




After chilling over a cup of steaming green tea, fussing over the pretty little paper doors, and photowhoring around the ryokan like only digicam-armed tourists can, we set out to conquer Kyoto. We walked. And walked. Then walked a little more. But it was worth it when we found...



...this. So, this was not our target. Our target was a very famous place called Sanjusangendo. We arrived at 3.30pm. It closed at 3.30pm. Fiddlesticks! So, we crossed the road to the little-temple-who's-name-I've-forgotten. Pretty, but nothing too special. Although they were showing a video of Japanese history inside. In Japanese. Pass. So off we went to Kiyomizu and were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of...



...this beautiful little lady. A maiko. A rare sight for those not part of the flower and willow world. So of course, we did as tourists do best; squeeled and whipped out the cameras. Damn paparazzi!! Then onwards and upwards, as I charged the old birds up the hill to reach our final destination...



...this. Impressive, huh? This is Kiyomizu. It's right dead famous, it is. And right dead big. It just keeps going. We were both blessed and cursed arriving there at dusk, stumbling along the cold unlit path to be greeted by the wonderful view of Kyoto city in lights.

Rounded off by a trip to Gion for a spot of window shopping, a clumsy subway journey back to Kyoto station, and a windy hike to the 11th floor of the station building. Day one was declared a success!