Kyoto and Nara!

So, I think that I'll be able to combine the rest of our stay in Kyoto into one post.

On Sunday morning, we visited Nijo Castle, which was conveniently located just a few blocks from our hotel! We stopped at 7-11 (of course. But I think that today might be the first day that we don't go to some sort of convenience store...the prospects are looking good!) to get some breakfast to eat at the site (I got a yummy cream-filled bread).

Nijo Castle

The castle was a very popular place for Japanese schoolchildren (whom I suspect are on their "school trip," an annual event where the entire class goes on a week-long field trip together; Kyoto, with its cultural heritage, is a common destination). Inside the main building, which was in the process of being restored, there were screens with fantastic artwork, and intricate paintings on the ceilings and doors.

Next, we walked to the Imperial Villa, which was located in the middle of a sprawling park. The park itself was very nice, and would be an ideal spot for a picnic (minus the bothersome mosquitoes. Japanese mosquitoes seem particularly vicious, and their bites stay itchy for a long time.). When we got to the villa itself, however, we couldn't really see much of it, and judging from the guards and police cars at the doors, we think that there might have been someone of importance staying there.

After our trip through the park, we decided to split ways- Katya and I would go down to the shopping district and look around, while Sherri would continue her pilgrimage to all these temples/shrines. We decided to at least eat some lunch together, with Katya and I going on ahead while Sherri glanced in at one last temple. Katya and I waited for about half an hour before walking back, seeing no one, shrugging our shoulders and moving on, while Sherri, leaving the temple and not seeing us, had gone the other way. It's a bit funny, in retrospect.

Anyway, Katya and I walked down past Kyoto City Hall to get to the district, where we ate ice cream cones and split a chicken bento box. We then headed back to the hotel, and watched Studio Ghibli movies before going out and eating udon again.

The next morning, we got on a train and set off for our next destination, Nara. Once we got to the station, we were recommended to request a volunteer college student guide. We did, and we got a 20-year old girl named Chisato (my new facebook friend!). Chisato spoke excellent English, and was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the whole 3-hour tour. She told us she had lived in San Francisco for 2 months, and studied at UC Berkeley.

Nara was great! There are deer everywhere, and they just roam freely, lounging in the shade or wandering the streets. Sometimes they try to grab a bite of your clothes, though, so you have to watch out.

Chisato took us to quite a few temples and shrines, all the while telling us the fascinating history behind each one. We even visited the largest Buddha statue in Japan!





As we walked from place to place, we would talk with Chisato and ask her questions about Kanji, or Japan, etc. Since Katya and I were pretty overwhelmed by the amount of kanji in everyday life, we asked Chisato how long she had been studying it. Her answer: 15 years! No wonder we're having some difficulties!

Anyway, she asked us what kind of Japanese foods we liked, and I told her that I wanted to try okonomiyaki (I heard this businessman with a hilarious laugh talking about it in an elevator in Tokyo). To my surprise, she asked "iku?" (Do you want to go?) And that was how we ended up eating okonomiyaki for lunch. It was delicious, eggs and vegetables mixed together on a grill and coated with some sauce (rather like A-1 Steak Sauce, I thought) and mayonnaise, and bonito (fish flakes) for the so-inclined. I've heard okonomiyaki described as "Japanese Pizza," but I think a more fitting term would be "Japanese Omelet." Either way, it was delicious, and I hope that I can find a recipe and make it at home!

Chisato, me, Sherri, and Katya posing for a photo together

After our lunch, we returned to Kyoto for a bit more sightseeing. We headed over to the Ginkakuji Temple, which I had heard to be very beautiful. The walk up to it was lined with vendors, one place proudly displaying a sign stating "Leonardo DiCaprio was in Japan while filming Inception. While here, he bought a popsicle from this shop."

Katya and Sherri ascending the stairs at Ginkakuji

The temple itself was very nice, with green gardens and such, but I felt that paying 500 Yen for just the opportunity to stroll around the garden was a bit much.

After leaving Ginkakuji, we walked along the "Philosopher's Path," which was simply a little stone pathway next to a canal that was not really all it was chalked up to be. We got some good views of the Japanese suburbs, though, which was interesting in its own right.

When we got back to town, Katya and I spent our last night in Japan at the same udon place for dinner (cheap, and good!).

I have to get ready for dinner now, so I'll post about our trip to Miyajima and the flight to Korea later, I suppose.