Leaving a hot and humid Tokyo, we successfully negotiated Tokyo station and headed to Kyoto. Arrived in a downpour but found our way to the Shionjin temple where we were staying for one night. I was expecting a tatami mat thin mattress on the floor with very basic amenities. Hadn’t shared these thoughts with Husband, knowing his love of all things luxury and dislike of anything vaguely resembling camping. So it was with slight trepidation that we followed the officious lady to our rooms.
WOW! We had a huge room with a dividing screen and separate bathroom and toilets! Proper beds! It was stunning. So peaceful – we all whispered for the first hour or so as it felt like were in a temple just being in our rooms. The rain stopped briefly and the sunset was amazing. Being a Sunday night, Bert suggested a ruby, so we headed out to the local Curry house which had been recommended. Was odd eating curry in Japan, but my word it was tasty! The naan breads were enormous!
It started raining again as we returned to our temple but we dried off pretty quickly. After a great night’s sleep, we woke up to more drizzle and then it bucketed it down every half hour or so. UBert texted to say a typhoon was about to hit, and we had to cross town to our new lodgings. After much planning, we packed our suitcases, which are full to brimming, and headed to the nearest bus stop. At the precise time of expected arrival, a bus pulled up and four wet tourists with enormous bags stepped onto the bus. Luckily it was fairly empty. A few stops later and the bus was full to brimming too. We weren’t 100% sure of which stop we needed, but then google maps and Bella made the decision and it was perfect. Negotiating through thenstanding masses with large cases and very wet clothes was hard but everyone made way for us and even the bus driver was cheerful. He had been giving a running commentary all the way – sounded like Leonard Cohen on a good day – could have recorded him and sold it as an aid to falling asleep.
Husband was so excited about the bus ride. He had taken video and everything. I was pleased that something had taken his mind off the fact that he was soaked through from head to toe. I think the bus ride was a highlight for him. A shortish walk and we arrived at our second temple lodgings. This was an Airbnb booking and again, I was expecting very little. The lady who owns the temple met us and showed us everything – she was so helpful.
It is a lovely place. Very Japanese – with lots of sliding paper doors (I just can’t stop remembering the Simpsons episode when they go to Japan and Homer walks straight through the paper wall). It’s massive and we have loads of room. There is a kitchen, separate bathroom and toilet. Husband was nervous about putting the hot cup on the wrong table, or breaking a door, claiming clumsiness. With a bit of zen, I reckon he will be fine.
Once we had had a cup of royal milk tea and changed into dry clothes, we headed for the market. It hadn’t stopped raining since we left the first temple. So going to a covered market seemed the best option rather than staying in the room and driving each other crazy. The market was about 30 minutes by bus – flat fare for all the bus rides of 230 yen, which is good value. We got soaked again walking from the bus stop to the market but it was heaving with people, many Chinese tourists and quite a few Europeans, and with that amount of crowd, we dried off fairly quickly.
Great market – with lots of food stalls. We had a pancake which had mainly cabbage inside it, with an egg on the top, folded over and smothered in bull dog sauce (bit like daddies but 100% nicer). Delicious!
I had to have an ice cream after that and, by chance, the stall not so far away had roasted black sesame ice cream. Yes, I know it sounds a bit weird, looks very grey, but my word, that’s a taste which will linger in my memories for a long time.
Much retail therapy was done. And I mean much. Never before have we spent so long in one shop and bought so much as a family unit. Husband was unstoppable. We need to buy yet another suitcase. In no particular order, we bought five Hawaiian shirts, four kimono jackets, three pairs of trousers, two aprons and a partridge in a pear tree.
Oh, and in the stall opposite, Husband found another pair of must have trainers…
Two notables from the market were the ceiling and the opportunity to buy some barbecued sparrow. Didn’t try that, by the way.
Having dried off nicely, we headed out into the rain and into the Gion district to catch some glimpses of geishas and to go to a restaurant that Bell had been to last year. We got really soaked again. And I think the geishas had the right idea of staying in. Bell received some emergency alert on her phone in Japanese and we were a little spooked. Unfortunately, the place she wanted to go to was closed but there was a lovely place close by which served great food. Bert had another curry, I had the eel set menu, and husband and Bell had the fish set menu. Everyone received the same text message alerting them to the emergency just as Husband went to the loo – I thought it was an alarm to let everyone know there was someone using the toilet. But the TV was on with live reporting of the typhoon and its devastating effects.
We got the bus home – was a bit worried that the buses would be suspensed then remembered we were not in England. Happy to fall into a slightly weird mattresses on the floor with towels for sheets….
Snoo's kitchen 