Trip - Japan - Day 8 - Going to Kyoto

Good Morning Blog,

Yesterday night we had a discussion and changed of plan, we were supposed to travel to Nara and leave our luggage in the locker by the station, then travel to Kyoto. But require to pull our luggage for 1.5km to the nearest station to Nara; which is unfavourable among most of them.

So the backup plan will be, to travel to Kyoto and leave our luggage with the Airbnb host then collect at night after we had settled most of the things for the day.

Sounded like a great plan and personally, I will skip Nara for this trip to save money and explore Kyoto (there are WC and ZX) will like to go for a shopping spree and cannot recognize the route that well, so I will stay to take care of them. So Kyoto let's go!

Based on Google, we were directed to exchange at the Tokaido-Sanyo line.

It seemed like we had to stand throughout the journey.

Not that we were not prepared for it.

Reaching sooner...

Knowing that we will be travelling to Tokyo, getting a Shinkensei ticket to secure our seats is essential. I didn't purchase earlier because travelling in a group, there are so many possible hiccups if we bought way too early.

Oooo, Kyoto! It looks rather big than what I could imagine from the view of Google Earth and Maps.

Like twice the size. Hmm, I should not underestimate it.

This time, we will be staying in a house like this.

Looking at this electrical stuff along the street makes me feel and understand building a city/town up is not easy; as you need to organise and know where to pull the source, and replace the right one if required. I ever saw from. In some countries, their power cables are a mess until no one bothers.

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Along or corner Japan street, you will find a small shrine like this, and it comes in many different forms and outlooks. You can read more here. Personally, it is to display an idea of people living along side with spiritual individuals.

After we left our luggage with the Airbnb host, time to find ourselves a proper meal together because we had been FamilyMart and 7-Eleven regulars.

Oooo... Epic house. I believe the plants will take over this place sooner.

Travelling in Kyoto is easy as Osaka.

As we arrived at the Vegetarian restaurant... it was closed...

Back to FamilyMart regular again, which I don't mind at all.

Now we split into two groups - One Kyoto Shopper and Deer Nara.

Kyoto shopper group, may I request?

To visit places like this along the way? This is Higashi Hongan-ji Temple 東本願寺. This temple is East and There is another temple which is at the West but we didn't visit it 😪

What an intriguing design here

Ooooo. What a big yard. That space is something I can never own besides my imaginative space. I read somewhere about this temple, it was built in 1602.

Oooo! I know how to read this one! 靴をお脱ぎくさい (please remove your shoes) ooo... Okay... There is English below it. But I had been constantly looking out and read any Japanese text whenever I can... But sadly, I also know Chinese so... The kranji just becomes Chinese to me.

No photography and I snapped it eventually outside. Such space does allow us to experience contemporary Japanese Buddhism. It is also one of the largest wooden hall in the world.

Oooo, I love how clean and zen this place is, even in the toilet. If they give me the toilet space, I will be happy.

Yup, space can really widen the tension in our emotions and mind. Personally, it is all within our minds. I can actually learn to widen the mind-space within and cultivate zen-ness in our life which I have to do.

Just look at how marvellous construction was built. No steel or nail, it is pure precision and skill of mankind towards their beliefs.

I wondered what is this pool of water for... 🤔

Beautiful dragon but I demanded an explanation!

It seemed like Kyoto is really bigger than I can imagine... Perhaps us the amount of space it has, everything seems twice from I could imagine. Through this experience, I realised my strength is to able to navigate, as I brought my friends around Kyoto shopping as if I stay there and even going for dinner...

We had to find our way there... It was quite exciting to find location in an alien place.

Finally! We found it and it was our first proper vegetarian spot in Japan! The Nara group had already settled in.

It seemed like we are inside someone's house and the family was making their food in their own kitchen.

A simple place but limited seat

A rack filled with vegetarian products

Some display on benefits of being vegetarian and its effects on the world.

We came in from this door and had small group seating here and a table of six.

I feel so happy that I can read the word here. Vegetarian Cafe Ren.

Their simple menu and price

Wet clothes wrap

Let's celebrate our first proper meal!

Oh my! These might take a while to prepare but these were delicious (maybe we were just hungry) but really tasty! おいしー

(Credit the staff) Smile everyone! ご馳走様でした!

Time to return to our Airbnb... The smile just sticks with us for a short while... 

As it was raining heavily, we had to push our luggage, carry our bags and umbrella, get ourselves wet and cold, walked like 1.3km to find our Airbnb. Not a good experience but thanked my friends for embracing me as my energy went down fast. Tomorrow then I will show you our AirBnb apartment.

Jeff