みんなさん！ごめんなさい！ (Minna San! Gomen nasai!) So sorry everyone! I kept on meaning to update but never was able to muster up the energy. The whole blogging thing got really old. But never fear! I am... here...
Sorry again, that was lame. Anyway I'll do my best to remember the details.
My first full day in Kyoto I was super tired. I didn't get up until like 10. I figured I'd get food somewhere out so I left without breakfast. I hopped on the same bus I had taken from the train station to the Inn which was heading for Kinkakuji michi, or Kinkakuji shrine. A 20-30 minute ride later I was blindly following the crowds towards what I figured was the shrine.Let me tell you, it is weird, in a good and bad way to travel alone. I could do anything I wanted, and was sort of adrift, but I didn't have anyone to take my picture at places or to consult with. I suggest trying it at some point.
So I arrived at the shrine, paid the 800 yen fee (about 8 dollars) and headed in. The shrine is known as the Golden Pavilion. It is literally this gorgeous little building (three levels) with the top two levels covered in gold leaf. There were facts about it like it was burnt down by a 'discontented priest' sometime during the Tokugawa Shogunate and rebuilt later, but I don't remember most of them.
There was a path to walk, with little mini shrines around and bells you could ring and stuff. It was all very nice and peaceful. Even the shops selling overpriced souvenirs at the end.
There, I experienced my first Japanese Fanta. It was a small can of orange flavored Fanta drink, but it was deceptively special. It had jelly in it. Yes jelly. It was *awesome*. I wish we were as cool here in America. But no. So I shook it up a bit, and drank the wonderful mixture of carbonated drink and jelly with glee. My only regret is not trying it earlier.
After that, I decided it being lunchtime, that real food was in order. I found a conveniently labeled cafe that sold "LUNCH" and "COFFEE". It seemed like a safe bet. So I entered and sat down, there being another foreign (but not American) family eating, which I entertained myself with observing subtly. I had nothing interesting to note about them though.After a delicious bowl of temura udon noodles, I headed out again. I had nothing else planned to do (that was how unmotivated I was) so I decided to walk back instead of taking the bus. Just to see everything slower and closer. It was a straight shot on one road so I knew I wouldn't get lost.
It ended taking forEVER but it was worth it. I kept checking the bus stops along the way to make sure that the 205 bus took the route I was walking to be sure.
My adventures along the way found me several things. Three more shrines, a store where I bought a small towel having forgotten to bring one, a vending machine where I bought a water bottle, the first street-car I'd seen in Japan, lots of cool buildings, and hot hot heat marked my trip.
When I finally got back to the Inn (after between a 1 1/2-2 hr trip) I basically just took a shower (wonderful shower it was) and collapsed on my bed to chill. I especially liked when the inn owner turned on the wireless. For dinner, I decided to do it differently (also I didn't feel like finding a restaurant) so I went to the supaa (supermarket) for a sandwich. As a treat to myself however, I stopped at a bakery and got a slice of cake. とてもおおいしかったです！ Totemo ooishikatta desu! It was very delicious!
Then came sleep. The next day was only a little more interesting. I headed out to Gion, the location of the most famous festival in Japan. I missed it by a few weeks, but I just wanted to be there.
I found the bus, and got off at the bus stop, and found (surprise, surprise) a shrine. I forget the name of it, but I wandered on site of course and entertained my eyes for a bit. I headed out to find food/shop. I didn't end up buying much of anything, because it was all very upscale and expensive.
I did stop at a restaurant and had my very first okinomiyaki. Okinomiyaki is like a pizza/omelet/pancake thingy. It seemed to be an egg omelet, but with a slightly pancake like consistency, and inside there were all sorts of toppings with a sauce on top. I don't have a clue what was inside that thing, and I don't think I want to know, but it was okay.I wandered a lot and took many pictures. I even found yet another shrine on one street. It was really small and cute. Such is Japan.
I then hopped on a bus headed for Kyoto station, because I needed to stop at the post office there to cash in some travelers checks. I had a hard time finding it so I asked at an info desk and was pointed in the right direction. I found it with ease then and waited in line for my turn. Cashed the checks and got on yet another bus back to the inn.
I went to the supaa again for dinner (uninspired I know but I figured I'd have a great last dinner the next day in Narita). My treat then were a bunch of grapes. I LOVE Japanese fruit. The grapes were these delicious tiny purple thick skinned grapes that you squeeze out of the skins into your mouth. It was far too much for one person (three bunches was the minimum you could buy) but I desperately wanted them and figured I'd make a friend at the inn and share them or something.
In the end, I didn't make a friend and ended up stuffing myself silly with those things. It was a good day. Sleep came again, and the next morning I was off.
The shinkansen (bullet train) left around 11:00 and I arrived 1:30ish, having bought a sandwich for the trip. I ended up at Tokyo station where I purchased a ticket on the Narita Express to the Narita airport where the owner of the Narita Airport Hostel would pick me up. The trip was another hour or so, I called the hostel and got picked up about 20 minutes later.
The hostel was small and in the middle of nowhere. Small, I was used to, but the middle of nowhere, that was new to me in Japan. Everywhere I had stayed before was packed close together with bikes everywhere and stores and restaurants all over. This little building had some other buildings around, but not close together and there was one 7-11 down the street. Imagine my disappointment upon realizing that my last dinner in Japan would be food from 7-11.Regardless, I explored around a little on the bike provided by the hostel and enjoyed myself. I was a little surprised at the lack of bikes being ridden out there, but I suppose it was more common to ride cars out there, just like in the suburbs of America taking a bike would be less practical.
I spent some time that evening talking to my Dad on AIM, and slept yet again. My morning started earlyish, as I took a brief shower and caught a ride once again back to the airport.
I got my suitcase no problems (the kuroneko delivery service was a wonderful idea) and got my ticket no problem as well. The whole trip was basically no problem. Security seems the same as in America, and I ate something (I forget what) and shopped around a little to get rid of the last of my yen.
Got to the gate exactly when they started boarding (I knew what time I needed to be there so I wasn't just cutting it short) and settled in for the long haul. Once again I experienced the long miserable trip, watched "I Love You Man" and "Monsters vs. Aliens" and "Star Trek" (again) and some other stuff. You know a trip is miserable when you don't even feel like watching movies you enjoy. I couldn't sleep for the life of me though.
We got in about 20 minutes late (we were supposed to be in by 3pm), then took another 20 minutes to taxi into the gate, then the bags took at least 30 minutes and then I was out! Free in America (oh yeah and security too but that was easy peasy).
I met up with my parents, we got to the car, and headed out to our friends the Tillman's house. They had invited us to dinner as they were only about 30 minutes from the airport. We had a lovely dinner (hamburgers! I love America) and chatted for a bit. By the end I was barely conscious. I was all out of whack sleep-wise. I slept hard on the 2 hour trip home and woke up only long enough to change and pass out in my wonderful, wonderful bed.
The next morning, and for several mornings after that, I was physically incapable of sleeping past 7:30. I kept passing out around 9-10pm too. It was weird. Fortunately I had time to acclimate peacefully. My parents held a lovely party with my family where I got to talk about myself for the entire evening (and goodness knows I love to do that as this blog evidences) and eat delicious grilled chicken. I'm making myself hungry...
Anyway, to (briefly) wrap it up, the trip was amazing. I loved (almost) every moment. Even the bad ones though are treasured memories that I will look forward to thinking and talking about for the rest of my life. I will hopefully have a chance to go there again, as a student would be best, and I know that given this first wonderful experience, I will be able to manage it just fine, if not better.
Plainly put, I can't wait.
Finally, さようなら！
