Our Kyoto arrival required a quick subway trip to the trendy Gion location of our Airbnb apartment. A nice older man greeted us there and showed us how to use all the high-tech electronic keypads and apologized for the low beams that were not well suited to six-foot men. The Kyoto tourist map is overwhelming with temples and museums so it took some time for us to decide to go to Arishikyama to see the Tenryuji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, and village. We’re there for the last hour of opening so it was rushed to see the peaceful garden but we manage. Finn was okay because he developed Asian Temple Syndrome which is closely related to European Cathedral Syndrome. Although he was embarrassed that I missed the cue to remove my shoes for the no-shoe zone but I recovered. The village outside the temple has the usual tourist shops and restaurants.
We walked a few hundred yards to the Bamboo Forest which is adjacent to the Tenryuji temple. There was still a good crowd for early evening and the density and height of the trees were amazing to see. After finishing the path through the forest, Finn suggested we eat when we get back to Kyoto Station area because we had not eaten since free breakfast except for shrimp and cattlefish sticks from the tourist shops. He chose a very hip ramen spot just outside the station found near the top of the ‘cheap eats’ filtered list that I triggered in TripAdvisor. The reviews said it was worth waiting in line so we’re okay waiting the 30 minutes to get in. The host came outside to distribute menus so we ordered while still in line. The place only has about 8 tables so flow is important. The whole scene gave a Seinfeld Soup Nazi feel with a Japanese Kanban flow. We ordered the regular ramen with pork, gyoza (dumplings), and beer. We drew the counter seats by the kitchen so we had the extra bonus of observing the prep – Food Network Live. The ramen broth, noodles and pork were fantastic as were the dumplings. Granted my ramen experience prior to this was the 30-cent microwaveable styrofoam version but this stuff is really good. And we’re determined to find more gyoza in Tokyo.
We were close to the Nishiki Market so we visited early Thursday but vendors were just opening which seemed late at 9AM. We just bought some Kit Kats at the 99 yen shop. G-Vic would have loved the two-level 99 yen shop. Kyoto is probably one of the best biking cities next to Amsterdam with a generally flat landscape, bike lanes on wide roads, and low-traffic narrow streets, all of which are laid out in a grid. The guides recommend checking the sights by bike so we rented bikes at the Kyoto Bike Project and rode three miles to the Kinkakuji Temple, the Golden Temple. Thursday was a sunny day and the place was pretty crowded with school trips and the shimmering Temple did not disappoint. However Finn was done with cycling so we rode back to the shop and returned his bike after a quick lunch at a café near the Temple. I continued cycling and rode along the Kamo River path for a few miles. He checked out the Kyoto International Magna (Comic Book) Museum on his own and liked it. He also liked that it was not a temple. We met again at the subway station after I returned my bike and we took the train to see Fushimi Inari Shrine two stops south of Kyoto station. The Shrine's huge main buildings are bright red and gold as you enter a two-hour climb of Mount Inari through many arches. We did not make the entire climb because it was late and we’re wiped out from the cycling and walking all day.
It worked on Wednesday for dinner so we again checked Trip Advisor and Finn chose a teppanyaki grill near the Station. We removed our shoes and sat at a low table with a grill. We had no idea what we’re doing. Fortunately the kind server helped us through the order and we had two cuts of steak, tomato kimchi, miso, and a mixed vegetables in a hot stone bowl.
We had our first bad rainy day on Friday so I’m disappointed we cancelled our plan to see Kiyomizudera, Hiroki’s favorite temple. It would have been messy so we don’t get to choose whether we drink from the fountain of longevity, love, or success. Fortunately we did not get our Shinkansen bullet train tickets in advance so we headed to Tokyo first thing in the morning. Finn is looking forward to our stay in the Akihabara – Electric City.
We walked a few hundred yards to the Bamboo Forest which is adjacent to the Tenryuji temple. There was still a good crowd for early evening and the density and height of the trees were amazing to see. After finishing the path through the forest, Finn suggested we eat when we get back to Kyoto Station area because we had not eaten since free breakfast except for shrimp and cattlefish sticks from the tourist shops. He chose a very hip ramen spot just outside the station found near the top of the ‘cheap eats’ filtered list that I triggered in TripAdvisor. The reviews said it was worth waiting in line so we’re okay waiting the 30 minutes to get in. The host came outside to distribute menus so we ordered while still in line. The place only has about 8 tables so flow is important. The whole scene gave a Seinfeld Soup Nazi feel with a Japanese Kanban flow. We ordered the regular ramen with pork, gyoza (dumplings), and beer. We drew the counter seats by the kitchen so we had the extra bonus of observing the prep – Food Network Live. The ramen broth, noodles and pork were fantastic as were the dumplings. Granted my ramen experience prior to this was the 30-cent microwaveable styrofoam version but this stuff is really good. And we’re determined to find more gyoza in Tokyo.
We were close to the Nishiki Market so we visited early Thursday but vendors were just opening which seemed late at 9AM. We just bought some Kit Kats at the 99 yen shop. G-Vic would have loved the two-level 99 yen shop. Kyoto is probably one of the best biking cities next to Amsterdam with a generally flat landscape, bike lanes on wide roads, and low-traffic narrow streets, all of which are laid out in a grid. The guides recommend checking the sights by bike so we rented bikes at the Kyoto Bike Project and rode three miles to the Kinkakuji Temple, the Golden Temple. Thursday was a sunny day and the place was pretty crowded with school trips and the shimmering Temple did not disappoint. However Finn was done with cycling so we rode back to the shop and returned his bike after a quick lunch at a café near the Temple. I continued cycling and rode along the Kamo River path for a few miles. He checked out the Kyoto International Magna (Comic Book) Museum on his own and liked it. He also liked that it was not a temple. We met again at the subway station after I returned my bike and we took the train to see Fushimi Inari Shrine two stops south of Kyoto station. The Shrine's huge main buildings are bright red and gold as you enter a two-hour climb of Mount Inari through many arches. We did not make the entire climb because it was late and we’re wiped out from the cycling and walking all day.
It worked on Wednesday for dinner so we again checked Trip Advisor and Finn chose a teppanyaki grill near the Station. We removed our shoes and sat at a low table with a grill. We had no idea what we’re doing. Fortunately the kind server helped us through the order and we had two cuts of steak, tomato kimchi, miso, and a mixed vegetables in a hot stone bowl.
We had our first bad rainy day on Friday so I’m disappointed we cancelled our plan to see Kiyomizudera, Hiroki’s favorite temple. It would have been messy so we don’t get to choose whether we drink from the fountain of longevity, love, or success. Fortunately we did not get our Shinkansen bullet train tickets in advance so we headed to Tokyo first thing in the morning. Finn is looking forward to our stay in the Akihabara – Electric City.
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