Temples galore in Kyoto and Nara

It has been two days of heavy sightseeing in Kyoto and Nara and we did not even have time to update our blog. So here I am today writing this at the hotel before we sleep and then head off to Hiroshima further south of Japan.

Our stay in Kyoto kicked off poorly with the Westin Miyako giving us a horrible room which was more akin to a two-star hotel than a five-star hotel. Luckily, when we got back yesterday after a day of sightseeing, we were upgraded to a deluxe room which was by far superior to the room we had on the first night.

Giulia could not face more Japanese food on Saturday evening so she spotted a Spanish restaurant on the map that the hotel had given us. At the same time, I was reading the DK guide and seeing the same restaurant we decided to head there where we ate Western food for the first time in nearly two weeks.

We started off with tapas of prawns, octupus and jamon serrano and then had a squid ink paella topped with a nice white Spanish wine. I had not enjoyed a bottle of wine so much for ages given that over the past days I had been on sake, Japanese beer and water.

The next day, we headed to Gion, the Geisha district Eastern Gion and the Higashiyama. At the Yasaka shrine, we stopped to see two Japanese weddings which turned out to be a great photo opportunity. As usual photos are on www.flickr.com/photos/brincs/

We also walked by the Maruyama Park, famous for the cherry blossom but we had to make do without since we arrived too late in Spring.

In the area, full of temples and shrines, there were many Japanese wearing the traditional kimonos and even Japanese Geikos (Kyoto's proud geisha prefer the term Geiko) so I took loads of photos. There were a few groups of them. They hang around in groups. The first group we saw were three taking photos of each other, the second group had a photographer accompanying them while the third group just entered a shrine and took some photos of each other using their mobile phones.

The Gion district, during the morning hours was a big disappointment. It was nearly Paceville after a heavy Saturday. We then went to the Pontocho Alley, a really nice alleyway which becomes even prettier in the evenings where we returned for dinner.

This charming alleyway is full of bars and restaurants overlooking the river and these restaurants alll erect platforms overlooking the river.

Our next stop was the Nijo Castle, best known for its unusally ornate interiors and nightingale floors which squeak when you walk on them. The Karamon Gate is really beautiful as are the Kano paintings that can be found in the Nijo castle.

We then headed back to the area near Pontocho first to hit the shops and then to eat fantastic dish of sushi and sashimi in Pontocho alley. This was the best ever sushi. Extremely fresh, the selection was fantastic. Just before we started however, I was shocked since the guy next to me had a piece of fish with its tail still moving. We were lucky that among the selection we choose there was no such fish served.

Today we headed to Nara, 50 minutes away from Kyoto. This used to be the gand diocese of Buddishm and the far eastern destination of the Silk Road. Many buildings have survived.

We must have walked at least 8 kilometers across Nara Park, where most of the temples are located. Here there are loads of tame deer which just walk around with the crowds waiting for people to feed them food which can be bought from street vendors close by. With 1,000 deer, these vendors make brisk business.

Our first stop was the Kofuku-ji Temple followed by the Todai-ji Temple which has a great Buddha Vairocana inside the main hall. We then went to the Kasuga shrine which is surrounded by massive trees and 3,000 or so stone and bronze lanterns which must be a great spectacle when they are lit up.

Twice we were stopped by Japanese school children asking us questions in English as part of their studies and then wanting to take photos with us.

We then walked in the Naramachi District also trying to find a shrine which was supposed to be a world Heritage site since it is the oldest shrine in Japan but turned out to be a disappointment, first because we could not find it and then, when we found it, because it was nothing spectacular. Here again we experienced Japanese hospitality at its best when we asked for directions and the person who gave us the directions in the street got on her motorino and started to follow us to make sure that we went in the right direction. Unbelievable but true.

We returned back to Kyoto at around 8pm and headed for an Italian restaurant. Giulia ate pizza, she had been craving for one for the past three days while I tried my luck with pasta. The sauce was good but the pasta left a lot to be desired. It was meant to be spaghetti but I clearly got noodles instead.

As the saying goes when in Rome, eat like the Romans do. So for me, back to Japanese food as from tomorrow :-)