Two night photos

 

November 30 2024

Hiroshima to Kyoto

Okay now. Comfy room, feet up, hot soaking tub beckoning. Ya, just for a few minutes of a nice warm soak. Gracious that feels good.

Look Theresa ! You didn’t come to Japan to lounge in a tub of hot water, like a tea bag. This tori gate was in the top three sights to see in Japan for you. If you don’t get the flip up you are going to not get the shot and you are going to bitch at yourself for the next 10 years. GET UP!!

Dried off put on the closest clothes I could find. Broke out my winter parka, the fleece just wasn’t doing it in the daytime, so needed to upscale my warmth. I grabbed my shoes and hit the cold hard streets of Miyajima.

It was cool and the streets were paved, so I guess they were cold and hard. One thing they weren’t was, busy. The major walking street that was so crowded the you needed to snake your way through the crowds, regardless of if you were going upstream or downstream. Now ghostly empty. The stores all with their metal shutters pulled down and locked tight. The restaurants all closed, except for Starbucks with a lone customer. This is at 7pm on a Friday night.

There were several coveys of school children. All herded by one or two adults. There must have been three or four groups all in their uniform following the tall guy. The rain was barely more than a mist, but enough that I didn’t feel that going around the bay to get the full dozen shots were worth it. If I can get one pretty good shot I’ll be satisfied.

The children were congregating in one spot that I kind of liked, so I schooched to the side and braced my phone on a concrete street lamp (handheld night shot, don’t you know?) and pressed the button a few times. The iPhone took 2 seconds to get the exposure for each press.

I moved a few more street lamps and took a few more. If this didn’t get the exposure I wanted, I would just have to find a picture on the internet and claim it was mine. (I didn’t)

Back to the hotel with the tori gate and the wind behind me, through the empty streets to the hotel, and more soaking tub.

Morning came like it frequently does and I really didn’t want a Japanese breakfast. The one I experienced on in Kyoto all looked good, just not for breakfast. Tossed things into bags and looked wistfully at the soaking tub and checked out of the hotel. I did have one room charge and that was for the dinner the first night. A seafood extravaganza and in a hotel, if I can get away with $50 I won’t cry too much. 2200 Yen ?!?!?!? ($15) the same as ten story building in Hiroshima. Bargain time!

Breathing the fresh morning air, I pass a mature woman on the street, she smiles and warmly “Konichiwa”. Lady, what in the world are you doing being nice to a wandering tourist? Konichiwa back,ma’am.

The ferry terminal was easy to find and 30 seconds of reconnoitering to find the correct place. The man at the ferry ticket booth asked me where in wanted to go, he suggested the JR Ferry and then streetcar to town. That was an hour and a half on the street car and so many ways for things to go wrong, and I sure don’t want to taxi again.

This ferry ticket gets me close to town and I’ll catch a taxi from there.

I was the only person on my ferry going to Hiroshima, lots and lots of people going to Miyajima but still too early for the return crowd. The ferry was fast! I was on the street in perhaps 20 minutes.

I espied the signs for taxis and noticed a street car, marked Hiroshima Station just sitting there. Due to depart in 5 minutes. It was basically empty, maybe five other passengers what can go wrong? Nothing it seems. Got on, rode to the end of the line and got off, all for the beep of my Apple Watch.

Escalator up to the ticket counter. Still bypassing the ticket machines. If I can’t beep or speak to a human I’m staying still. The humans got me a seat on the train and with just a small bump in courtesy on my part by taking a reserved space for my luggage, I’m now seated going 150 mph towards Kyoto.

The train arrived just like it was supposed to, and not late either. I am staying at the same hotel as before so I just put it in autopilot and made my way there. Handed over my passport and quizzical looks. I can’t find your reservation. Oh, wait! You are at the other Sakura, that is four blocks away. Of course it is.

I walked and rolled to the new hotel. Same company, but most assuredly a step down from the previous Sakura. There appears to be no meal service. My room is different than all the others I have stayed in this trip. It is Japanese small. I am afraid to bring my wheeled luggage into the room for fear of then not having any room for me. I know on vacation rooms are for toilet and sleeping. It is one room that I won’t linger, that’s for sure.

With the luggage secure, I headed out to see the sights I had missed the first time through. There is a five floored pagoda that is located at the end of a street where the Geisha’s are said to frequent. I plugged it into Apple Maps and it said it was too far to walk today, that the bus was the best option. The 202 or 207 would get me within a few hundred feet. None of this 1.8 miles B.S.

The bus stop is just across the street from this hotel, and just as I arrived, it arrived. Sat down and went the requisite number of stops and exited to find I was not at any five floored pagoda. I was at a Shinto shrine. Oh, well. I’ll get an autograph in my book if nothing else. I snapped some snapshots, and tried to figure out how to find this damn pagoda. In line for the autographs a woman who looked like a tourist who might speak English became my new found tour director.

She was not a native speaker of English, but I showed her a picture of the temple and she said she knew it, and started to pull it up on Google. The first word she types is ‘pagoda’ and she had the name in 1/2 a second. With that in hand I could plug it into Apple Maps. I had looked it for half a dozen times, using search like “Gion temple” (Gion area of town it is located) the same with ‘shrine’. Results came back with too much information. Sort of like typing ‘church’ in Rome when you want to find the Vatican. you would get 1000 results and none of them would be right. I never thought to type ‘pagoda’.

Maps said it was only a few blocks away. Maps was right this time. I ran into it and all the rest of my fellow tourists who I hadn’t met yet. We were shoulder to shoulder up the street and if you wanted to take a photo and didn’t want anyone else in the picture, well that was an impossibility. If you wanted a picture without someone else’s phone in your frame you might have to wait a minute. I was nice that I got there at late afternoon, because the light on the pagoda was great.

Too soon the light faded and evening was coming. One of the famous temples that I have already visited is open after dark and the grounds are illuminated. I think other tourists might have heard of this too, because walking up the street was so crowded that there were pedestrian traffic cops keeping the Up line from encroaching into the Down line. Of course there were those who just couldn’t wait and passed. I might reach out with my shoe as they passed and catch their heel and make them have to reset their footwear. Not to say that I would do such a thing.

The line reached the top and after admission was paid I was in. I thought the street was crowded. The balustrades were six people deep all waiting for the darkness to come and the lights make the wait worth it. At exactly 5:30 the lights came on and the whole scene changed from muted muddled colors to yellows and reds. I found a spot that was only 4 people deep and slowly wormed my way towards the front. I swear, I think I got engaged a couple times on the way to the edge. I have been less intimate with people I have dated.

I got my photos. Not sure if they are keepers or not, but shooting the same thing over and over isn’t going to make them right, just more of the same.

Back on the street. Taxis looked scarce so I plugged into the Go app and requested a taxi. While I waited for it, 3 other cab companies stopped and offered me a trip. I don’t know what would have happened if I had accepted.

I had him drop me at the train station at the other side than my usual, and immediately got lost. I had to call up Maps to find my way out of the station. I have been there at least 1/2 a dozen times and I got lost.

Now Moscow Mule on table by my left hand in the hotel it’s quarter to 9pm guess it’s a night

Oysters, scallops and clams. Oh! My!

 

November 29 2004

Miyajima Island

Well ! I never !! Four minutes late to Hiroshima, what in the world is this coming to. Some way I was able to survive that dreadful calamity in my life.

Exited the station following the TAXI sign and found the stand along with a Majordomo collecting destinations and relaying them to the taxi drivers. I told him I wanted the Mayajima Ferry terminal. The what?? What Hotel ?? I showed him the reservation. Oh ! Miyajima ferry ! Dude how many ferry’s do you have around here that sound anything like that? If a non English speaker came to my town and asked for the Forhaven ferry, I could deduce they meant Fairhaven. Regardless I got a taxi and was on the way to the Miyajima ferry terminal.

The last time I was in Hiroshima I thought I saw at the bomb site the ferry was near there. The driver scoots through town and it is taking longer than I expected, true the train station and the rest of the tourist world are seldom close to each other, but this is getting silly. Waze app to the rescue. 12 miles ?!!?!??! Oh, my flippin’ God, i just bought a cab !!

The fare wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but I put it on plastic, because it would have eaten my cash reserves. The ferry terminal had 3 choices of ferries. I picked the JR one and ran face to face with a challenge. How to buy a ticket from the machine. A nearby attendant came over and asked me what I was paying with. Suica. Ok, just walk through the gate like a train.

Clomp, clomp, swipe “Beep” and the gates open. No sooner am I through that some guy in a uniform comes yelling at me in UFO language and not listening to any language, including Suica. Back to the IC swipe pad I put my wrist on it and get a GIANT red X. See attendant. I thought Mr. UFO was the attendant. He talks to another uniformed man, they talk UFO for a bit, and I get a wave of the hand and “Arigato”. Dude, where’s my ‘Sumemasen’?? You owe me !

The ferry did what ferries do and stopped at the other side. I got off the boat and looked for the swipe plate. This is one of those once you are on you have already paid, and the return trip is included (I think)

At concrete and asphalt by the TAXI sign I stand. Dark, nearing 6pm, in a town that rolls up the sidewalks at 5pm. Tap, tap, tap, goes my toe. Come on a taxi should come by soon. Tap, tap, tap. A woman on bike comes by and asks me my destination. She knows it. she looks at the sign and in the fine print, it explains no service after 5:30pm, and I was on the 5:40pm ferry. She offers to guide me, but I decline. You know who maps says 9 minutes walk. How lost can I get n 9 minutes. 15 minutes up hill pulling a suitcase through quiet neighborhood streets, grinding it all the way. I do arrive it to the hotel, after making that sound that suitcases make, waking babies and the dead.

Check in was efficient and with the warmth of a Polar bear’s nose. Breakfast included, what time? I Have to pick a time? Ok, this one. I’m hungry and it’s dark out, do you have a restaurant here. Oh, yes! What time do you want to eat 6 or 730? It was past six, so the default was 730. I am confused.

Dinner was a WOW! I have no idea of the cost, but it was as broad a seafood spread as I have seen. Live, oysters, scallops, abalone, shrimp the size of small dogs. Salads and deserts. Plus the usual, rice, curry, miso soup, fried everything that was raw and some cooked in a butter sauce. Load your plate up, go back to your eating position and put the raw things on the grill and let them sizzle while you down the other things. I am not sure if it was just being on the safe side, or not, but the sign recommended the seafood not be eaten raw. Everything was good, some better than others. My peers seemed to feel that whatever they were paying, by god they were going to get their money’s worth. One woman must have had six oysters and an equal number of small Abalone on her tray. I’ll give her a mental break of not being a pig, maybe she was going to deliver the orphanage she had at her table.

I did my share, but didn’t overdo it, and called it a night.

Prices here for food are reasonably inexpensive. One of the things that make it so, I realized, it the food is almost universally 20% less since it is a no tipping country. Even the Starbucks, doesn’t have the plastic begging box at the register.

The room is nice, the room has too many lights that are always on. I love, hate the room. It has a huge soaking tub too.

Breakfast at 0930, I am out the door at 0800. High tide is around 8:30 and I want to get some morning pictures of one of the reasons I came to Japan. As well as the reason I didn’t come to Japan in early 2020 (It was under renovation). It was raining a little, mostly sprinkles. Lots of umbrellas, but nothing that a Western Washington resident needs to avoid. My hair got damp, but not enough to matter.

The day trippers had mostly not arrived, so the best picture locations were easily accessible. Even the coveted one at the end of a pier with a shot straight through the was clear. I got several pictures, and then one of the women points to me “Rainbow” in her. Accented English. what’s a lucky sight, I looked and gawked, and thanked her for telling me, because I totally was not looking in that direction. That was really nice of her, to find the English word and tell me.

Got my shrine autograph, and wandered more, looking at the gate. The sun was out now and the sky blue with some white clouds. Postcard beautiful. I make a turn and found myself looking at a little Buddha, well either the shrine is confused to I have stepped into a temple. There was the temple autograph guy who took my coins and artfully noted my visit in my book.

Alright. Now what? It’s almost 10, I’m late for Japanese breakfast at the hotel (0930), I guess ill have to do without fish head soup for breakfast. I do remember seeing a temple of coffee earlier, perhaps I can locate Starbucks again. Yes, Grande Americano, hot? yes, please. I looked at their bakery offerings. Nothing that said, buy me.

Out on the street, the town is just waking up, I see a store selling stuffed Maple leaf shaped cookies (?). That sounds like it will go well with Starbucks coffee. Two pumpkin filled please. They did go quite well together.

Have the major sight seen, have two religious writings, had street breakfast, now what. There is a thing called a rope way. I got general direction to it and was on the shuttle bus to it in a few moments.

At the tram station the choices were one way or round trip. I chose Round Trip.

The ropeway is your standard ski gondola, only in miniature. Holds six and even if you are 5’2” you still need to duck your head to get in. The ride was smooth, and only one of my tram mates squealed each time we bumped of a stanchion on the way up. Half way up we had to change from one gondola to another to get to the top.

At the top the view was outstanding. Out over the cities to the west and south overlooking Japan’s inland sea. I’m not sure I can see the islands I wanted to bike on the 72km bike ride. That will be for another trip, it is just too cold and windy in late November to be pleasant for me.

I started walking down the trail to another sight and people would pass with a smile and a ‘Konichewa’ (good day!). Back home you only get the ‘good mornings’ on the trail with the before 10am crowd. Here I think there clock is broken, because it was almost noon per my watch.

I briefly thought about walking the trail back to the city, but the sign said to anticipate a 3 hours hike down the hill. That might be fine in the summer but not today. Besides my knee would cry all day tomorrow.

Back in reverse, and on the bottom of the lift. I came around to walk down to the shuttle bus ride and the line to get on the ropeway was hundreds of people long. I don’t know? 4 to 500? At 6 per gondola they are going to be in line those 3 hours I might have been walking down.

The shuttle bus was eating lunch, might as well follow the stream trail back to town. At the base of the trail was an ice cream stand that for a pittance more would decorate your soft serve cone with things. I chose the stars and the Tori gate. I think captured it on my phone, though not my best work. One handed photos never come out ideal.

I asked at one restaurant what was there closing time, and she said 5pm. Some only open until 4pm. If I am going to not eat hotel tonight I best start thinking of a 3pm dinner. I found an Okomiyaki (??) restaurant. Okomiyaki is street food frequently, this time it was inside seating. Steel hot plate, oil, batter, cabbage, noodles, scrambled egg, dried onions, ketchup, mayo and whatever the chef thinks it needs and served like an 8” pancake. I hope they give lessons on how to eat this with chopsticks, because forks and knives are not in sight.

It was good and very filling.

I just realized I have been wearing my jammies all day. The t-shirt I sleep in, I had intended on returning for breakfast, so just put on a bra and yesterdays pants and left. Whoops! I hope no one noticed.

Now back in the room. I want to get a photo of the gate at night lit up, I am also very comfortable in the room. I wonder what will win.

My major sights on my Japan list have been accomplished and I still have five days left. Time for some homework and see what there is to see.

Seven minutes late !

 

November 28 2024

Train Kyoto - Hiroshima

Thanksgiving

Last night was indeed hotel dinner. I was tired and didn’t feel like walking a block and a half to get food. Lights out at 9pm, expecting to get an early start to see the last two items on my Kyoto list. How 6am scheduled time became 8am is beyond me.

Quick cup of Starbuck’s best instant in the room and out on the streets. I am not anything, if not optimistic. Let’s see where Apple Maps opts to send me today.

There is a temple that sits on a hill and is the essence of a Kyoto picture postcard. Golden surrounded by trees overlooking the city proper. This was the goal the first failed walk on arriving in Kyoto. Apple Maps see, bus 202 seven stops.

There was an orderly line at the bus stop of about 10 people. In (I guess) the appropriate time the bus arrived and we all squeeze in. Standing room only and not a lot of that. No toes stepped on, either theirs or mine.

Well a stop of the bus is not a bus stop, so 1 - 2 - 3 ….. 6, time to worm my way to the front and 7!. Apple Watch please work, I fed you this morning . Click, ‘Beep!’, concrete under my feet, and no honk from the bus driver. Success.

I am pretty much where I ended my walk the last time. come to find out I was not where I wanted to be. There was still another 1/2 mile trudge uphill to the temple. The place I was at that I thought was closed was something else.

Uphill myself and a pile of others started walking. The street is narrow and the tour buses are large, so are the delivery trucks. Of course the majority of people are going against me, unless I change sides of the street, then they are going against me. I am so glad I left my luggage at the hotel.

The temple is as spectacular as the photos suggest. The crowds (including me) are tolerable, though in summer it would be hard to breathe. Got my temple autograph, and finally told how to say Thank you properly. I used to say ‘Arigato GoSeeMa”, seems it is “Arigato Hoz’eye’ma”. Really happy she set e straight, alas it is about 10 days late.

Past the ‘Easy Childbirth’, temple. Seems maybe there should be more of those. Then off to the Temple of Pee. Of course there was a line. That seems universal. No matter where you go, there are always men hanging around, with purses that do not match their shoes, and a line of women close by trying to look like they aren’t waiting to relive themselves.

After, cold water hand wash, no soap and no hand towels or jet engine blower thing. As the girl who’s dating the football player says “Shake it off”.

Apple Maps says again bus 202, four stops this time. I de-bus and have .9 miles of streets ahead to get where I think I want to go. We have all seen that winding street, with the temple at the end, and the geishas walking under a paper umbrella in the foreground. Well where ever I was going it wasn’t that. I did arrive after an hour. It was less that a mile away and could have been made in 2/3 that time, if it wasn’t for the stop lights. You don’t have a Green Walk man on the light at an intersection, you wait. Doesn’t matter if any vehicles are coming or not, you wait. I can see the lone Japanese man after the apocalypse walking the streets of Japan, stopping and waiting at each intersection for the light to change.

The marked location was a castle. Well frankly a castle is a castle at this point of my trip and current interest, besides my feet are pleading for mercy. Ten bucks to see a castle I couldn’t care less about, no thank you.

Apple Maps, tell me how to get back to the area around the train station. There are busses passing, maps says go across the street and catch the subway .. what the heck? you make me walk a mile and there are busses and subways near the destination? Apple Maps you are a bitch. You couldn’t get me to a place to transfer buses to .. oh forget it.

TAXI !! Kyoto station please.

OMG !! We left the last station 7 minutes late !! (On Shinkansen at the moment) an announcement was just made with a big apology.

All moving vehicles so far, be they taxi or bus. The driver shifts into PARK each and every time they must stop at a traffic light. I wonder what the thinking behind that is.

Back at the hotel, get my luggage and head back to the train station. The Shinkansen ticket kiosk still intimidates me, so I go into the JR ticket office. There is the laziest, most unhelpful full counter agent in Japan. If he doesn’t care this much at this stage in his career he’s going to be a peach in 20 years. I’m buying a Green car ticket, first class and it makes me wonder how the little people are handled by this guy.

We are really screaming down the line, to make up those lost minutes., the train feels different like it’s straining to go that fast.

I had a scone at Starbucks, so I got a quick bite at the station. One of those rice triangles. This one had English subtitles. Almost grabbed the Cod Roe one, got salmon on. The tuna mayo was better.

Choo choo for Hiroshima arrived for on time. Found my seat and all is right in the world. Next to a ferry and then a hotel on an island. Leaving Kyoto with 2 of three required sights seen. I still wonder where that crooked street is.

Rude national treasures

 

November 27 2024

Kyoto

It was hotel food. Easy to get, menu that I can understand and didn’t get wet getting there. I have my rain jacket I purchased for the Amazon in Peru a few years ago and didn’t need it then. I’ve used it a couple ties when biking around town at home. Until last afternoon, I hadn’t needed it while on any vacation. I have it sealed in a vacuum bag and hate to break the seal for one days use.

This morning both weather Apps said no rain until evening, so I left the rain jacket sealed an at the bottom of my suitcase. I left the hotel about 9. I had originally booked the room for 2 nights, then realized it wasn’t enough time for Kyoto. I went back to the booking app and tried to get the same room, but it had been sold already. So I had to pack everything this morning, lug it to the front desk, check out, leave the luggage and check in this afternoon. The one plus to this is that they did promise to take my bags to the new room for me.

Out the door and off to Kyoto station to go to Nara, a town about an hour away with temples and shrines for my autograph book and deer for my enjoyment.

Apple Maps gave me the information I needed, and Google backed it up. I’m in the trust but verify mode with Apple at the moment. Get on such and such train line, got to platform #3 and get on the train. It worked!

What is it with men and their flipping balls? They get on public transportation and lean back and spread their knees wide apart so their balls can, what? Breathe? Deodorize? Show the world he has balls? What? I know a dick looks somewhat like a nose, but I didn’t know they were inhaled through. .. and this is not exclusive to Western males, the local guys ‘let the boys breathe’ too.

One thing I will say about Japanese men vs Western men is their backpack courtesy. I am forever getting knocked in the face or arm by some six footer wearing a backpack on his back and then he suddenly turns. Like a dinosaur tail that backpack swings clearing a path bigger than two men. If I knock the damn thing out of the way, I get the “What the fuck, bitch?” Glare. Well Dude, then next time you get on a crowded train, inconvenience yourself a tiny fraction and take the pack off and put your arms through and hold it in front like you are carrying a watermelon. Then when you get out of the crowded area, then put the pack on any way you wish, like the Japanese men do.

Rant - over for the moment

I told Apple Maps which temple I wanted to see, and it suggested a stop before the main Nara station. It didn’t look right to me so I smartly ignored it’s advice and exited at the main city station. There it was a straight walk up a main thoroughfare to the main tourist spots. At least I woundn’t have to inspect the back of every home in the city this way, even if it is 20 more steps.

Up the street me and my fellow tourists climbed. Along to way there were men and women selling larger than a silver dollar sized stacks of wafers to feed the deer. The deer are everywhere. They are a national treasure. Tell that to the local gardeners. One benefit I did see, was there were no Roses around so I didn’t need my allergy meds.

These deer can spot a sucker in a New York second. No cracker and you wander through like so much human flotsam. Stop to even look at a cracker sales person and it looks like unloading UN relief truck at a refugee camp. Suddenly there are pairs and pairs of deep brown eyes and wet black noses looking at you. Look at one of those pairs of eyes and the deer bows it’s head and asks for a cracker. Some just gave the minimal of a nod and that was enough for 1/2 a cracker. Some really did the full bow, nose almost touching the ground, that was a full cracker. Later up the trail, was where you met the inventive ones. There was one deer standing between to lamps, slightly about the trail, and he was a great bower and had crackers almost forced on him. What a schemer! I did feed a buck a couple crackers, just because. I turned to walk away and he grabbed my coat and pulled hard. Not ripped clothing, just deer spit and cracker crumbs. There are signs around warning what they can be aggressive and also that they are national treasures so I guess bopping them in the nose, is a No-No.

Up and up, past more deer and shops selling trinkets, ice cream, pastry and other consumables.

The first stop on the day, unless you count rude deer, is a Buddhist temple containing one of the largest bronze (? Brass?) Buddhas. I’ve run into so many largest something or other (tallest, longest, fattest, crabbiest) Buddha idols in other countries, this one was just one of many for me. Yes, it is big. Ya, it lives in a big house. Okay. Does it do anything, besides sit there? Doesn’t look like it. Yes, I am jaded, if it wasn’t for getting the temple autograph in my book, I probably wouldn’t have paid the admission.

I think the Buddhists learned from the Hari Krishnas, get the money. Every Buddhist temple has an entrance fee, so far this trip. The Shinto Shrines don’t. I have to say though that the temples have my things to gawk at than the shrines.

Up to the Shinto Shrine for more gawking and autograph seeking. I am getting a fair collection so far. Some really great and some normal. I may have to google Shinto to find out what I am looking at.

A Matcha ice cream cone sounded good, and was good. I ate it down to the bottom of the cone and offered that to a passing deer, I had left a nubbin of ice cream in it and it touched his nose and I get the F U look of the year from him. The next deer I turned it around and that went down better. I heard a passing could mention I was feeding my ice cream cone. I don’t know if this was a dis or a mere observation. I didn’t see any signs that the deer were Lactose intolerant, or had cone allergies.

A nice stroll amongst the trees and it started to get a chill in the air, and my feet were getting tired, so I headed back to the train station. All down hill. That entrepreneurial deer was still in the lanterns. The train company I wanted was easily marked, track #3 again. About 40 minutes to wait. A woman explained to me that the 1350 train I was expecting was a special upscale train. Black and gold, with Pullman seats and some cars with private rooms, just to follow the exact same rail route as the cheap-o train, for twice the price. True less than a 40 story building, but still, all you got as richer other tourists and velour under your butt. I’ll wait the extra few minutes for the 2:11 train.

While killing time, the cone didn’t satisfy me, there was a Lawton’s (7-11 type store) and they had Onigiri. Rice in the shape of a triangle, with sushi seaweed on the outside and a dozen different flavors inside. I could take my chance and just grab one, but I cheated and had Google translate the label for me, with my camera. Tuna Mayo, good snack.

2:11 arrived at 2:00 and we boarded and sat for the 11 minutes before the doors closed, and were heading back to Kyoto.

Got back, got to the hotel, found my new room was down sized from the first, which is fine and 1 1/2 hours later, here we are.

I’m tired. 6 miles on foot and so it’s hotel food again.

Tim, you gotta talk to your Maps people

 

November 26 2024

Kyoto

The train to Kyoto was on time to the minute. Someone told me this trip that the nation wide yearly deviation from scheduled time per train is like 50 seconds. Well mine didn’t deviate a second. I found my seat and sat down. Like a genetic push in a rocking chair The train began and just kept getting faster and faster and then we were screaming along at near 200 miles an hour. Looking on the window and then in a flash for 2 seconds another Shinkansen in the other direction passes you. So fast it is kind of frightening. I mean a closing speed of about 400 miles an hour. Yikes.

The Green Car is certainly the way to go. Not the luxury of the Executive car in Italy with it’s 8 seats in the whole car, but you get aircraft type seats, wide, reclining, table, foot rest. Seems decadent getting that comfort for a couple hour train ride. I’ve heard said, never ride in the Green car, because afterward any other class is misery.

We pulled into Kyoto and got off to one of those mega terminals. I’m getting the hang of that and the intimidation factor is lessened. While on the train I used their WiFi to make a hotel reservation. I didn’t know what part of town to look at so I just picked one in my price range. Seems it is 2 blocks from the Shinkansen station. Of course Apple Maps sent me on a scenic walk about that covered 4 blocks.

Nice room. I bet the tv is an 85 incher. I have never heard of a tv this big in a hotel room.

By the time in got into the room it was after 2pm still time to explore. I found the name of a Buddhist thingie that was a walkable mile and a half. Apple Maps says a little more than an hour.

Follow blue line. Go down main streets, turn down little alleys for a while turn again, and end up on the original big street, do this over and over. Sometimes it says cut across this field, only problem there is a 5 story apartment building in the way. Go uphill, so you can go downhill. It is frustrating. I’m going to try to remember to try Google maps and see if it’s less of a tour guide and more of a drill sergeant.

So the one hour walk is more on the 1 hour 30, or 45. I reach the gates and it is closed ! Closed tight. Tighter than a. …. You come up with a simile, because all mine are naughty. I can’t believe it. I’ll walk around to the side and see if I can slip in there, while no one is looking. Well they thwarted that great plan too, with a Do Not Enter sawhorse.

Guess I’ll head back. J(apanese) R(ailines) runs the Shinkansen so the train station is big, easy to find. I type JR train station into Apple Maps and start following the blue line. This time it is taking me exclusively down alleys and narrow streets. I mean, I haven’t seen a round eye and hour. Not since the tear filled ones at the closed Buddhist thingie. I am going under bridges, up stairways, down stairways. Down 1 street light streets. Ok Apple Maps, what gives? Well it ain’t totally A Maps fault. JR Train station is a local, and Kyoto station is where the big kids go. Recomputed and in a while, time has begun to mean nothing by now. Just put one foot in front of the others and try not to stumble or weave down the street.

Bright lights big city suddenly is at the end of a darkened alley and there it is ! Kyoto station. I realize the last thing I ate was breakfast on the ship. Feed me ! I’m not sure I’m up to meal choosing bingo, but hotel dinner seems a cop-out. To my left in a mall window I see a sign for food one floor down. Ok, lets go. I find food immediately. How do I know it’s food? Because of the Golden Arches. Yes, I have to admit, the first real meal in Japan is Mc Donalds. For under $5 I received a hamburger with bacon (more like thin ham) and lettuce, regular sized fries, and a soft drink. It all tasted just like it tastes anywhere, but with a slight variation. The Special sauce has a bit of a twang to it.

Back at the hotel I raise my feet above my hips and just chilled until time to close my eyes for the day.

I think Apple Maps planned my sleep last night. It was fitful to say the best. Partly because the room is huge and the ceilings high. By the time it gets warm at bed level, it is too hot to sleep and hard to cool off for sleeping temperature. Then there are those pillows. I had read about Japanese buckwheat pillows, but had not experienced them. They are as soft as a statue, light as an anvil, and thick as a Kleenex. It’s easier to move the bed and the pillows. They did not make good bedmates.

Day started and I had a hotel breakfast and then asked where the Shrine I wanted to see was. Apple Maps said a mile and a half that way. For once it got me to my destination without a scenic trip through the residential parts of Kyoto.

More and more round eyes, and more and more eyes in general began to appear. Then the ice cream shops and the Kimono rentals and I was in tourist Kyoto. This temple is located on a hillside and is famous for a path up and down the hill that is lined with red Tori gates. So tightly placed together that all you can see is a cave of red poles. The promotional pictures show pristine path lined with red. Reality is that you can barely see the gates for you and your fellows. In two by twos we marched up the hill and never had to worry about falling of stumbling, because you would bump into someone on the way down and their body would catch you. I got the I’ve been there done that checked off my list. Slightly disappointed, but I knew what I was getting myself into, just not expecting that many others to be doing the same thing.

I got my shrine autograph book signed by a priestess and then headed for the ice cream shop down the hill. A vanilla and sweet potato cone and once that was gone. Back to Apple Maps for my next destination. A golden building on a lake, but first. I still had a couple ship vacation cigarettes left. This was as good a time as any to burn one. I walked parallel to the tracks away from the general population before burning a stick of incense to the nicotine god. When I finished I flicked the fire off the end and tapped the remaining tobacco on the ground and was stuck with the filter. I looked in front of a few apartments for a trash can, I mean I could drop it and run, but that isn’t what the cool kids do. There was a construction guy playing with his phone in the cab of his truck. I excused myself and mimed “What do I do with this?” Hoping he’d say drop it on the ground. He smiled, removed the semi filled ashtray from the truck, held it out the window for me to drop it in. I did exactly that, and thanked him. He gave the best grin I’d had all day.

Gold building next. 1.9 miles. I’m tired of seeing alleys. So I press the bus icon on the directions in Apple Maps. Walk a couple steps over there, turn go a few more and get on the next train to Kyoto Station. Get off at Kyoto Station, hit track 32 and go until you hit the right spot and get off. Find bus 204, follow it for 6 stops and to have a 5 minute walk ahead.

That went like clock work, got on 204 bus counted six stops. Walked to the exit, but my magic watch with the magic bus card in to on the glass and stepped off. One step later “Honk, honk” from the bus, the driver motions me back, and shows me my magic watch didn’t have enough to pay for the full fare. I’m holding the bus up for 78 cents. I was lucky that I segregated the coins before leaving the hotel, so in one pocket was the 100 coins and the other had the 10 coins and I dropped them into the hole by the driver, all the time “Sumemasen”ing (Excuse me, I’m sorry, I’m a fuck up). The fare correct the driver gave me a sincere smile and pulled away.

Once on the sidewalk and almost getting creamed by a bicycle things were looking good. Bikes are allowed on the sidewalks here, and they do not yield to pedestrians unless it looks like they might scrape their bikes. If Japan ever goes to war again and needs Kamikaze pilots, I know the best people for the job.

Back to alleys, and major streets and at one point it wanted me to go down to a canal and walk along it, only to come back up to the same street 5 blocks later. More walking and at one point Apple Maps says .3 miles to the next turn. Okay I make It there and the turn and .4 miles to the next turn. Whoah! Wait a minute. This was supposed to be a short walk. Let’s see what a different app says. Waze is my default for driving, it will work. Yup. 1.8 miles to the temple. I counted the number of stops like you told me, where did we go wrong?

Forget about it. GO taxi app, save me. I am not following this stinking blue line anymore.

Less that a 40 story ride in Osaka and I was at the right place. It was worth the trip. Would have been worther without the detour but it was spectacular. Even with an overcast sky it was what the postcards said. Yes it was crowded and I had to wait my turn for a place at the railing sometimes to get my postcard shot, but it was a good sight. Three quarters of the way through the grounds it lightly began to rain, and then slowly intensified.

You all, know I live in western Washington state, where the state Bird is the Slug. So with a little rain just keep going. I’d left my raincoat in the room and it was starting to become actual rain. The sheer top I was wearing, if it got much wetter, I could compete in the wet t-shirt contest. Taxi ! No blue line, no number 204, Taxi !

Kyoto station, please. “JR Japanese something or other?” - Shinkansen. “Ok!”

Waze estimated the time and we got there about the right time. Scurried across the street, got a sandwich, chips and a water at 7-11 and made it back to the hotel without winning any contests. Might have been eligible for the wet dog contest.

7pm. Think hotel food, since it is still raining. Good night.