Konichiwa Kyoto!
Shinkansen - Trip to Kyoto!
Finally, after years of hearing about these Japanese super bullet trains - today was going to be the day we would finally experience the smooth and seamless ride! This morning Steve and I awoke to our last morning in Tokyo. After a little bit of a sleep in ( as checkout time was 11am), we checked out and asked the hotel to hold our bags briefly while we went out searching for breakfast. We also wanted to just figure out how to purchase the correct ticket for the Shinkansen train to avoid any fare problems later. We also were free of our luggage and had the flexibility to wander around without being weighted down with our cases. Breakfast ended up being at the Vie De France café just outside Akihabara station.
What I have forgotten to mention is that the Japanese are still very liberal when it comes to smoking in public areas - perhaps a bit like the French but with more structure as in places they have designated smoking rooms or areas. I first noticed this outside of Narita Airport Terminal 1 when Steve and I were waiting at the bus stop for our hotel shuttle. It was a very dreary looking room, but somehow I imagined it being full of robust Japanese men smoking cigars and discussing business in a cloud of smoke. In cafe's and restaurants however, there are designated smoking and non-smoking areas but as all non-smokers have experienced and detest is that the non-smoking area always becomes a secondary smoking area. It just makes you want to finish your meal or coffee or what not and get the hell out back into the fresh air. YUK. Seriously, I am so pleased for our strict non-smoking laws in Australia. Its reassuring that those who choose not to poison ourselves with tobacco are able to breathe freely.
After escaping from the smoke filled breakfast venue, Steve and I went back to our hotel picked up our luggage and waved Goodbye to the reception staff at the APA Hotel and headed back to the station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto. On this particular occasion, we did investigate purchasing our tickets via the automatic machines available but decided against it and went to the customer service window to do just that. Steve and I had discussed previously what kind of ticket we would purchase and decided to just bite the bullet and get a lovely first class GREEN CAR reserved ticket. We thought to ourselves "Seriously, when are we going to do this again?" and slapped down the exuberant cost of $360 roughly (approx. exchange rate between AUD and Japanese Yen) and went on our way.
Following some indecision and confusion about which platform we were sposed to be on, we boarded the train and were on our way to Kyoto. I commented in our previous blog about the beauty of the Japanese countryside we had experienced on the way to Mt Fuji, the trip between Tokyo and Kyoto gave us much more of the same. Before we knew it, we were arriving at Kyoto Station. I just love arriving at a new destination, Steve and I always go through the same temporary angst of orienteering ourselves after exiting the station. *chuckles* We never really know which side we've come out of and which direction we are facing so there is always a small amount of confusion, short tempers and irritability until we realise we are heading in the right direction of our hotel.
On arrival at the New Miyako hotel and practically getting the royal treatment and finding our room in this hotel was about three times the size of the one in Tokyo, we dumped our luggage and went out in search of lunch (it was actually around 3pm). Steve and I had snacked on the train, but were clearly very hungry by the time we decided to head out in search of food. After a few day in Tokyo, I was seriously craving some normal food and more importantly salad. I hadn't seen any form of salad in days and was just craving vegetables. Both Steve and I were really hungry and our tempers seemed to get shorter and shorter as we wandered around the PORTO shopping area under Kyoto Station in circles in search of the SUBWAY. We had a MAP but because of our tiredness and hunger it just didn't seem to make any sense! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity - we found it and promptly ordered some 6 inch subs loaded with lettuce, tomato, pickles and jalapenos! YUM!
After having a good munch, our moods improved and we set out to begin exploration of the city of KYOTO. By then, however it was almost 5pm so we set out and marched north towards some of the temples/shrines but found them to be closed. We both seemed rather tired today, so on the way back to Kyoto Station we stopped at the FAMILYMART and picked up some more salads and took them back to our hotel room to eat.
This day in Kyoto ended rather uneventfully. I've been burning the midnight oil organising our photos and writing these blogs. I wanted to mention that by comparison to our hotel room in Tokyo where the room was overly tiny.. and I'm talking SHOEBOX and the bed being rather overly soft, we've kind of gone the other way here in Kyoto. The room is much bigger, but the bed is ridiculously firm! We've both been sleeping pretty soundly tho regardless of the level of comfort in our beds!
Until tomorrow....
