(Sorry this entry is so late. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry.)
We came on Tuesday. (It seems we can only make one entry per week on average which actually includes what we have done. Coughtheentriesbelowcough. Oh, nothing.
So. Tuesday. Was a shit day all included. We woke up early, showered, gathered our stuff, had nothing to eat, went to the train station (I hate my suitcase.), bought very expensive onigiris', catched the train, stood on our luggage for an hour, scrambled out (I hate my suitcase.), realized it was even hotter in Kyoto than it had been in Osaka (about 35 degrees celcius in the shade), realized we would have to walk in that weather for a few kilometres to our hostel. Did I mention I hate my suitcase? It broke up on me. The wheels didn't move anymore and the handle was... Well let's say it wasn't working. We got to the hostel, sweaty and pissed, luckily didn't have to wait the two hours until the reception opened as we initially thought we'd have to, and flung out our computers.
And found out we didn't get in where we applied to in Helsinki University.
(See entry below.)
Maybe that's enough about Tuesday.
Wednesday we went to a local shrine which a a flee market going on. Also hanged out in Kyoto station, which is EFFING HUGE. It's like the same size as Helsinki-Vantaa airport? Architecturally similiar, too. Lol.
I bought a NEW SUITCASE, which is my new lover and which I would marry if it were legally possible. Fortunately for all of you potential bridesmades for that it isn't, so moving on. We bough a bagful of donuts, just for the hell of it, and decided we understand what it is with the Japanese and donuts. The were actually good, not that fat-dripping crap for obese kids we are used to. I also got my daily proportion of manga by buying a few volumes of Air Gear, while Mia bought a magazine or two.
Thursday we went to Kinkaku-ji and Rokuon-ji, the former of which if you haven't heard of, SHAME ON YOU. It's the Golden Pavilion, and it was very beautiful, calming. Though it was a bitch to get a decent picture of, as there were quite the number of tourists mulling around at all times.
+Rokuon-ji (rock garden). It wasn't large either in any mean of measurement, but the surroundings were beautiful.
We had a one-day pass for the busses so we took a bus to Gion, a traditional part of Kyoto in the central of the city. We hanged around for an hour or two, walkings past a hundred tea shops (which were all very expensive so we didn't get to try them). Apart from said tea shops the area is known for its Geisha/Geiko, which we saw (another day) but had bo chance of photographing.
On Friday we visited Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is known for it's path of torii gates, red offerings by worshippers. We were supposed to be there for about an hour or so, so of course we ended up walking four hours around it, mostly uphill.
After Fushimi Inari Shrine we took a train to Arashiyama to see the beautiful surroundings there, but unfortunately we were pretty knackered and didn't end up staying long, only doing a quick look-over.
Saturday we woke up early and me our new acquintances Fiona (from New Zealand) and Ai (from Tokyo) in the lobby, to go see the Gion Festival! The festival mainly included a long parade with traditional instruments and cloating. The best part were the lions in the festival: they walked around as if waiting to find pray, and randomly bit people in the head (which brings good luck by the way)!
The quality of the following video isn't very good (I drop the camera at one point, I'm ashamed of myself) it still tells more than a mile or ten of my words.
One of the highlights of the day was the restaurant Ai took us to, where the options covered mainly rice (with several meat possibilities) on top of which you poured green tea. It sounds suspicious, I know, and it was surprisingly delicious! After eating (and re-watching the parade from the windows of the restaurant which opened to a shopping street) we walked about the shopping district and tasted random weird things, DEEP-FRIED CHOCOLATE amongst other things. Yeah. It was good though!
Also, I'll spam you with a picture from the shopping area:
MODELS OF ICE CREAM.
I want to bring these things home with me.
While going around we saw a postcard of Sanjusangendo, and decided to go there as it was quite close by. See the link to get more info of the Temple, I'm feeling lazy and photographs were prohibited inside the temple.
On Sunday we rented two bikes and pretty much went around in circles in the central area of Kyoto. We cycled to the Imperial Palace Park (kvg) and again to Gyon (to get me Dango, those things are addictive I tell you).
Monday, our last day in Kyoto, we used to go to Kyomizudera, which was an unvelievably beautiful experience *---*
Check the link for photos or Google it, and still you won't even understand how wonderful the place was.
I'd want to add pictures but they're in Mia's camera so I won't. Sorry. I'll edit them here later so come check this entry again in a week or so.
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