I arrived in Ｋｙｏｔｏ ｌａｓｔ night after a long but uneventful flight from Vancouver to Beijing, two hours layover in Beijing, ｆlight to Osaka, and bus ride to Kyoto. At breakfast this morning many of the group had already arrived. This was a free day, and people broke into groups to explore different parts of the city. I took the time to walk around the central part on my own, getting the feel for the place, and in general just having that freedom to just go any where that interested me in the moment. This is one of my favourite things of arriving in a new city when travelling.
Its been over twenty years since I was in Japan, but it immediately felt familiar. The whole experience has a distinctive quality to it. The style of the buildings with the ornate roofs and classic square pattern, the look and mannerisms of the people that seems colorful and reserved at the same time. Even the smell has a unique character, like a kind of spicy mix of tatami mat and incense.
I walked along the river to a major market area. It was Sunday morning so people were out walking and jogging. Once in market area, I walked up and down the Nishiki Food Market, where you can sample, for sample, a little snack consisting of a tiny octopus with its head stuffed with quail egg - Im not kidding! It seems to be the place where even Japanese come to try something different.
The rest of the market has an assortment of stores for clothing, accessories, etc. Lots of young people. And every once in a while, tucked in an alley behind the main market, a temple or shrine which is always busy. There are some simple rituals that people perform at a shrine, like washing wands in a well, ringing a bell, and there are charms you can by. I find it interesting that young people and groups of friends partake in these, perhaps mostly just for fun.
After the market area I walked to the other side of the river to an old area of Kyoto called Gion, where there were quite a few girls in traditional dress.
I spent quite a bit of time at a very old temple called Kenninji. There were several buildings in the temple complex with beautiful gardens and fantastic artwork. Maybe because it was Sunday, there were many people hanging out in the large tatami mat rooms overlooking the gardens.
By then it was getting close to dinner time and so I walked back to the market area to a Ninji Restaurant I had seen earlier. Instead of one room with tables, it was a large dark lambrynth and every table was in its own little cave. A ninja guide put on a show taking you to your table through secret passageways. And during dinner someone came to do magic tricks. Campy but fun.
Its been over twenty years since I was in Japan, but it immediately felt familiar. The whole experience has a distinctive quality to it. The style of the buildings with the ornate roofs and classic square pattern, the look and mannerisms of the people that seems colorful and reserved at the same time. Even the smell has a unique character, like a kind of spicy mix of tatami mat and incense.
I walked along the river to a major market area. It was Sunday morning so people were out walking and jogging. Once in market area, I walked up and down the Nishiki Food Market, where you can sample, for sample, a little snack consisting of a tiny octopus with its head stuffed with quail egg - Im not kidding! It seems to be the place where even Japanese come to try something different.
The rest of the market has an assortment of stores for clothing, accessories, etc. Lots of young people. And every once in a while, tucked in an alley behind the main market, a temple or shrine which is always busy. There are some simple rituals that people perform at a shrine, like washing wands in a well, ringing a bell, and there are charms you can by. I find it interesting that young people and groups of friends partake in these, perhaps mostly just for fun.
After the market area I walked to the other side of the river to an old area of Kyoto called Gion, where there were quite a few girls in traditional dress.
I spent quite a bit of time at a very old temple called Kenninji. There were several buildings in the temple complex with beautiful gardens and fantastic artwork. Maybe because it was Sunday, there were many people hanging out in the large tatami mat rooms overlooking the gardens.
By then it was getting close to dinner time and so I walked back to the market area to a Ninji Restaurant I had seen earlier. Instead of one room with tables, it was a large dark lambrynth and every table was in its own little cave. A ninja guide put on a show taking you to your table through secret passageways. And during dinner someone came to do magic tricks. Campy but fun.
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