Day 6-16/12 Kyoto - Fushimi Inari, Arashimaya bamboo forest

Our last day in Kyoto.  SE was all well, fortunately.  We checked out and took the bus to Kyoto station.  The bus-stop was just outside our hotel.  I got onto the bus there not realising hubby had stopped to adjust something (either his scarf, bag or the like haha).  The door closed before he and SE could get on.  We had wifi (roaming for hubby, eSims for me and JE) so I called him to take any bus which all go to Kyoto station from that stop.  No issues, we arrived about the same time.  Our first job, to find a locker for our luggage.  So happy that all the bags could fit into 1 large locker!  Just 700yen and job done. 

Next target, the Moomin shop for SE.  That was quickly found, phew.  SE was happy and we bought a few things. 

Moomin shop for me!

Next agenda, lunch.  We were outside Pronto which I rejected - why eat pasta in Japan right?  However we walked around and kept coming back to the same place.  Decided not to challenge fate any longer and just went in.  Hmm the pasta was good!  I would actually be looking for Pronto at later days when I got tired of sushi and ramen - never did find a convenient outlet when I wanted it though.

Pasta for lunch

Tummies filled, on we went!  I was hoping to make up for lost ground this day although timing would be tight.  First, train to Fushimi Inari for the torii gates, the traditional Japanese gates found at shrines.  Fushimi Inari is obligingly located right outside the station heh. 

Outside Fushimi Inari

Us at the low torii gates

Realised the series of torii gates at the entrance are lower.  After that stretch, the next gates are higher.

SE at the higher gates

The gates go on for miles but reviews say they are similar, just that further up the track there are fewer people so you could take better photos.  We walked around a bit then left at 3pm.   

From Fushimi Inari, we went on the train directly to Saga-Arashimaya station.  So convenient, made my target to visit the bamboo forest achievable bearing in mind the 5pm sunset.  It was a 15min walk to the forest from the station, which we are used to by now.  

At last yes, the bamboo forest!  Reviews say there are crowds of people and that the bamboo isn't actually planted that densely.  Reality exceeded my expectations - the crowds had thinned out this late in the day and the bamboo WAS dense.

Bamboo everywhere

I didn't expect the area to be so huge.  There were multiple shrines, walking paths and areas with bamboo.  It would have been fantastic to have rented kimonos in this area - only 2500yen and the background would have been beautiful.  We had just enough time for the main sights before it got dark.

Picturesque road with just me

Getting dark... a last picture

The shops and cafes looked pretty all lit up.  But we had to get to Tokyo and I was anxious not to leave it till too late.  Oh well at least we managed to see this area.

One pretty building

Back we went to Kyoto station and bought our Shinkansen/bullet train tickets.  I was amazed these tickets could be bought from machines when they cost so much - 13000yen/RM400 each.  I would have been feeding RM1,600 into machines for the 4 of us.  Anyway as it was, we returned JE's prepaid ICOCA card at a counter for foreigners and bought the tickets from the very helpful guy there.  SE had lost her card a few days back.  Each card had a deposit of 500yen and there was an admin charge of 220yen.  The helpful guy informed that if there was money in the card, the admin charge would be deducted from there.  If there was no money, there would be no deduction.  Strange system haha.  We spent the balance in the nearby 7-11 and got back the full 500yen. 

I picked a slightly-later train (they were so frequent!) to have time to buy some dinner.  This had been on my wishlist - eat an ekiben/bento in the train!  

My set and JE's

Many items arranged nicely

Well the bento was all right.  I didn't see any heated ones so our sets were cold ones.  Some items were sweet, some salty... ok lah try once enough.  SE was sitting with hubby in front but she said she was too tired to enjoy the ekiben.  

We got to Tokyo station.  Gosh the station was so huge.  We spent quite some time trying to find the line we wanted and it turned to be rather a long walk.  Eventually we made it to Otemachi station where we took the train to Shibakoen station.  From there finding our apartment was smooth enough.  I now realise I didn't take any photos in the apartment heh.  Besides it being late and we tired, the place didn't wow us especially after our nice Kyoto hotel.  

Anyway rating of this day: Successful - caught up on all planned sight-seeing for Kyoto (albeit less time for each) and made it to Tokyo!  Pat on back for trip planner.  Oh but I caught the bug from SE and from this day had ongoing blocked nose and cough, also fever twice.

Day 5-15/12 Kyoto - Nishiki Market, Pontocho Alley

SE woke me up in the middle of the night saying she couldn't sleep.  Touched her and she was burning hot.  Oh dear oh dear.  Gave her a Panadol but an hour later, she felt as hot as before.  The thermometer we brought decided to malfunction.  Gave her another Panadol and luckily this time it seemed to work.  Her temperature was normal by morning.  But she still wanted to sleep.

Hmm holidays do depend on people NOT falling sick.  Hubby offered to stay with her so JE and I could go out sight-seeing.  My plan for the day was actually a packed one and included going for a kimono experience.  That wouldn't have been fun without hubby and SE.  However we didn't have many days in Kyoto as I'd wanted to leave more for Tokyo. 

Poor sick girl

Luckily SE woke up at mid-day feeling better.  We walked out to get a thermometer and meds, then on to Nishiki market.  I noticed local restaurants in Japan are not inviting to the casual customer.  E.g the shop doesn't look open, the entrance would be difficult to find, people would be seated with their backs right against the front of the shop so all you can see when you look inside are people's backs.  Sometimes we thought the entrance is at another side, but voila there would actually be a sliding door which doesn't look like an entrance.  This one was below ground like our dinner place the previous day. 

Let's lunch down here

JE ordered a lemon drink.  The slices were frozen into a tower which eventually folded down when defrosting.  The food is mine... beef slices with various side dishes.

Beef set with lemon drink

SE had apparently turned into some kind of walrus.

Chicken set (I think) with various sides

Walked on to Nishiki market after lunch.

Almost there

Hubby likes this kind of place.  He had wagyu again and desserts.  I was feeling cold though and mindful that SE just recovered so wasn't in the mood to enjoy the place.  We started walking back to the hotel slightly earlier.  I did see interesting things which I would have bought if more in the mood.

Two kinds of matcha desserts

That night we walked out to Pontocho Alley.  It was supposedly a beautiful atmospheric lane packed with restaurants.  Hmm it seemed rather quiet that night.  Not many people, not many shops open.

We picked a restaurant at random since it was already late.  Hubby picked various items which were uncommon back home.  He always enjoys doing this at decent Japanese restaurants.    

At the counter

Me, I'm no expert in fish.  Menu items looked expensive and I just picked the cheapest set which had 8 pieces.  SE followed suit.  Doesn't look like a lot huh?  Erm now I can't remember the price and have thrown away the receipt.  I noticed a young guy leaving and thanking the chef loudly at the door.  Hubby said this was the norm there.

Take a picture of my dinner then will attack

I later noticed there was a 418yen table charge per person.  So we pay a lot to eat there, then must pay table charge and then also must thank them for having us?  Haha.  Later when I asked the kids which meal they liked best, JE named this one.  I guess it was worth it then!

To wrap up, at least it not a wasted day as far as the kiasu trip planner was concerned.

Day 4-14/12 Kyoto - Ninnenzaka, Sannenzaka, Kiyomizudera

We headed out to Ninnenzaka, Sannenzaka - these are stone-paved lanes lined with shops in traditional buildings which lead right up to the Kiyomizudera temple.  It was drizzling.

Ninnenzaka

Still Ninnenzaka. Actually Sannenzaka looks the same

The shops were nice to look at, selling merchandise at tourist prices. 

Peter Rabbit shop

Ghibli shop

Giant vegetables - in Japan we pretty much saw only cabbage served

Hubby started feeling the cold and wanted a pit-stop.  I was however keen to push on as it was already past 4pm and it gets dark at 5pm.  Told him we could stop at the shops later, after the temple.

Finally, arrived!  

At the entrance to Kiyomizudera

We walked around but didn't go inside the temple proper.

Part of the temple

After the temple, we started going to the shops.  Hubby tried out ice-cream from 2 shops...

Green tea ice-cream

There were cucumbers on a stick.  Who would want to buy a 300yen/RM9 cucumber on a stick?

Cucumber, just cucumber

Oh apparently these cucumbers were on JE's list to try.  

I have a cucumber!

Tasted ok, crunchy and only-slightly-pickled unlike a dill pickle.

Crunchy

And then.... we met up with my brother's family.  They started out in Tokyo, we in Osaka and our schedules overlap in Kyoto.  :)

Two familiies here in Kyoto

There didn't seem to be many restaurants.  Found this one below ground which had this table shown below, another 5 seats at the counter, and that was about it.

Play phone while waiting

After dinner we walked to the nearby Tatsumi bridge famous from Memoirs of a Geisha.  Then headed back to the hotel, tired and cold.  

Tatsumi bridge

Trip planner mode: Achieved a lot today!  I wasn't sure hubby would agree to walking that much.  Glad to have made it to all these places.

Day 4-14/12 Off to Kyoto

There is a special train, the Kyo-Train Garaku, between Osaka and Kyoto which runs only on weekends and holidays.  The carriages are decorated in different themes, some even having an indoor zen garden.  Since we happened to be going to Kyoto on a Saturday, we HAD to take this train!  These run every 2 hours.... we let 3 or 4 normal trains pass - the trains run like clockwork and are very frequent.  Bought sushi sets for lunch - good stuff, one piece was even a sea urchin one (I grabbed that piece hehe). 

Here's one sushi set

Our designer train arrived.  Yep, pretty.  

Taking our pretty train

JE's doggy and SE's piglet enjoying the view

It was only a half-hour ride to Kyoto station.  From there we walked to our next hotel, Hotel Kyoto Traveltine Kawaramachi.  This was the most expensive hotel in our trip and I had my fingers crossed it would live up to expectations.  Ended up, it was lovely. :)  There were 3 staff who bowed to us as we were going up to our room (by comparison, the previous hotel in Osaka had only 1 person at the front desk and you had to ring the bell for him to appear).  There was a 24-hour lounge with coffee/tea/juice machines and snacks.  Light breakfast was provided - 3 types of pastries, assorted types of cheese and jam.

The room was large and well designed.  There were cabinets and drawers.  The toilet automatically made chirping noises whenever you stepped in.  I should have recorded the chirping for memory sake!

SE stretching on the bed

The other end of the room

Day 4-14/12 Leaving Osaka

It was time to leave Osaka after 4 days.  As the trip planner, I was slightly relieved after each stage of the holiday since there were a number of stages.  Being a first timer to Japan myself, I wasn't absolutely sure hotels I booked would be as advertised, we would be able to find the correct station/train, destinations would be easy to locate, etc.  Erm yes I am rather a worrier. :)

All right, declaring the first stage a success!  It was drizzling lightly.  SE decided to wear the raincoats I brought.

Button up first

I couldn't stop laughing at the next 2 pictures... is it a hunchback?  A turtle?  Or SE?

My bag is also protected

Turn for  Mummy to take another picture

The hotel kindly gave us umbrellas.  They looked good to me - normally I would have loved to take them home but obviously not all the way from Japan.  SE decided to bring one.

Put it on the bag here

Oh it is dragging on the floor

Put it lengthwise better

Despite multiple 'suggestions' to leave it behind, she managed to bring that umbrella all the way to Kyoto.  Where finally she agreed to leave it behind.

Day 3-13/12 Osaka - Mipig, Namba Yasaka, Kuromon Market

SE and me were going to pet pigs!  Definitely not something we could find in our country haha.  I read that the pigs may vomit on you despite a blanket being provided to cover yourself.  So to be safe, arranged this as the first agenda of the day.  Then we could return to the hotel to change if needed.

The cafe was only a short walk away.  JE wasn't interested and would hang around the Amerikamura area with hubby.  Oo the pigs were so cute!  There were large and small ones.  They walked over, obviously liking to be stroked until they dozed off in our laps.  They were slightly bristly to the touch, didn't smell and no, none vomited on us.

Two piglets sleeping in our laps!

Look I have FOUR pigs!

Sigh, hands-down the cutest session ever! 

Had lunch in a food court.  Hubby wasn't thrilled... I was good to try different types of places.  And as I was telling him, those 2 chirashi bowls didn't come cheap, about RM80 for salmon/tuna and salmon/ikura.  SE had crabmeat udon.

Lunch first

Then we walked to the Namba Yasaka shrine.  Picked this for the unique-looking lion head building.

Lion head building

The lion's mouth has teeth, and gums too

SE found this stone statue of a frog with a baby on its back.

Aww so cute

Next we headed to Kuromon market.  One more item crossed off on my list - strawberry daifuku!  Hmm basically it is a mochi with your choice of filling, then split in the middle for a strawberry to be stuck in.  Rather expensive at RM15 each.  I was happy with just one.  Hubby bought another 3 or so throughout the trip haha.

Strawberries for all

Asked SE to take a picture at this wall with whimsical artwork. 

This wall is like from a storybook

Reached Kuromon market where hubby went for more grilled wagyu.  Those stalls he picked only had beef or I might have tried some of the seafood.  But optional lah, not super keen. 

 

Mucho food items

What I did try though.... uni/sea urchin!  Another item off my list.  Mmmm I found it creamy, rich and briney - overall good.  Hubby said they would cost a bomb back home.

Let's try sea urchin...

The market closes relatively early, about 6pm or so.  Walked back to the hotel for a rest.  There was a light drizzle so we ducked into a random place for dinner.  Quality wasn't topnotch - hubby complained the sushi he ordered wasn't good and one type was so tough he had to make himself swallow it.  Well for me, my bowl of hot udon tasted fine - almost anything would when you are hungry and it is cold outside!  My first time encountering udon with tauge/beansprouts inside.

With our bowls of udon

The weather had cleared up after dinner so we walked around Dotonburi.  And one more item off my list for the day... having takoyaki from Dotonburi.  :)  Picked the salted lemon sauce which wasn't much different from original.  

Want some?  Hehe

We visited 'our' bakery before going back for the night - Mahoroba bakery opens at 5pm until 3am/sold out (interesting concept).  Our last night in Osaka already.  Overall we took things slow, and there were still items on my list which we didn't get to.  Oh well, the major ones were all done.  KPIs achieved!