Kyoto

16th - 18th July

Finally! Our first travel journal! We left London on Saturday 15th July for Japan and got off to a good start with a free bottle of Champagne because our TVs were playing up! Didn't get much sleep on the 11 hour flight although we weren't too jetlagged.

When we landed we went straight to Kyoto on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train), which was very fast, clean and comfortable! We probably got more sleep on the 3 hour train Journey than the plane to Tokyo! Unfortunately it was raining lots in Kyoto and continued until we got back to Tokyo 6 days later! The hostel (K's house) was very nice and was a very comfortable first home away from home.

Our first full day in Kyoto began with the Gion Matsuri Festival, involving 30 wobbly floats, some upto 3 storeys tall, and hoards of people liningh the streets (plus umberellas). We escaped the crowds early to find lunch, good job as the food in Japan is so unrecogniseable!

Next day we did the Higashiyama temple walk on the East side of Kyoto, the rain was a bonus keeping us cool climbing the 100's of steps. The highlight was Tanai Meguri, for its pitch black narrow walled windy chamber, to a glowing wishing stone (we wished you could all be with us... but it didn't work!). We also found many pretty traditional Japanese gardens.

Kyoto Station itself was an attraction with 11 floors of shopping malls and eateries, and a brilliant skyline view of Kyoto. By far the highlight of Japan was the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its 4 Km winding hill walk lined with sunset orange gates.