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| Gion, Kyoto - Day 2 |
Day 1
Today we made the temporary switch from the Morning Calm to the Rising Sun, on account of the sodding builders next door completely ruining any chance of anything that resembles the tranquility of morning calm, but also because it's SUMMER HOLIDAY!
I hate airports. They're places designed to make your already anxious two hour wait for the big flying box as miserable as humanly possible. I cannot fathom the thought processes of the man who thought it would be a good idea to have at least 50% of all seats pointing away from the screens relaying information on check-in times, delays etc. Why did he think this would be a good idea?? Anyways, it transpired that after we'd booked our flights with AirBusan, we'd actually be flying with Asiana Airlines. I won't make a Wi Tu Low joke, but it did further unnerve me somewhat. We met a few pretty cool people at the airport - all Waegooks going to Japan - and realised one of the guys we spoke to lived with one of the teachers we replaced whilst they attended the same university. I can confirm that it is indeed a small world, after all. The flight wasn't too bad; the Asian airline market hasn't quite latched onto the debilitating 'budget experience' that Europe has (I would mention Ryanair here, but I won't) so we did get quite comfortable seats with legroom not designed solely for the legless dwarf market. We also had the screens come down from the ceiling and they just played You've Been Framed-esque clips of dogs headbutting owners' gentleman veg or people at weddings falling over. Other people's misery certainly cheered me up somewhat.
A week or so ago I'd finally got my 'Global' check card from the Korean Expat Bank. They assured me that my Global check card would work anywhere in the world. That I could venture into the deepest regions of the most isolated lands of the earth, but still access my account. They lied. I took an hour's flight and it was immediately rejected from just about everywhere. A Seven-11 saved the day though.
We finally had the glorious moment of getting to lie out flat on the bed after the afternoon travelling at about 8.45pm. The room was small, the bathroom was even smaller. But, the receptionist told us we do have access to the traditional Japanese baths in the hotel, which will be interesting.
It was decided that after lugging our baggage up to the room we'd go and have a little exploration of the locality. No more than thirty yards from the hotel entrance did we find Earl's Bar & Restaurant. It had specials painted on a Guinness sign. We'd travelled another 500 miles or so further into the Far East, yet somehow I felt closer to home than anytime in the past four months. On the menu they have 'Bangers and Mash', chicken tikka masala, fish and chips, steak and chips, all sorts of British classics. The best though is the fact that our quest to find Pimms this summer is over.
After a few rounds of Pimms and a steak and chips, with Miss Turtle opting for the bangers and mash (complete with HP brown sauce), we had a more thorough wandering round the backstreets of Kyoto. The place is a complete mesh of incredibly new and just very old, but it works. There are hundred year old shrines interspersed between the new, incredibly modern buildings that have right-angles everywhere. The one thing we did notice was how much more thought is given to the aesthetics of the exteriors of living quarters here. In Korea, due to the vast amounts of high rise buildings, there's not much thought for the outside; but in Japan there is clearly a lot more thought that goes into making things look as nice as possible.
Anyways, it's past midnight and I'm shattered, so I'll stop writing about Japanese house fronts. Big day tomorrow.
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| Man in Gion, Kyoto, striding purposefully. |
A week or so ago I'd finally got my 'Global' check card from the Korean Expat Bank. They assured me that my Global check card would work anywhere in the world. That I could venture into the deepest regions of the most isolated lands of the earth, but still access my account. They lied. I took an hour's flight and it was immediately rejected from just about everywhere. A Seven-11 saved the day though.
We finally had the glorious moment of getting to lie out flat on the bed after the afternoon travelling at about 8.45pm. The room was small, the bathroom was even smaller. But, the receptionist told us we do have access to the traditional Japanese baths in the hotel, which will be interesting.
It was decided that after lugging our baggage up to the room we'd go and have a little exploration of the locality. No more than thirty yards from the hotel entrance did we find Earl's Bar & Restaurant. It had specials painted on a Guinness sign. We'd travelled another 500 miles or so further into the Far East, yet somehow I felt closer to home than anytime in the past four months. On the menu they have 'Bangers and Mash', chicken tikka masala, fish and chips, steak and chips, all sorts of British classics. The best though is the fact that our quest to find Pimms this summer is over.
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| Bangers and mash, they were a bit tight on portion control, still beautiful though. |
Anyways, it's past midnight and I'm shattered, so I'll stop writing about Japanese house fronts. Big day tomorrow.
Day 2
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| Nijo Castle, Kyoto - the unshoeing quarters. |
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| And strictly remember, no fun. |
Today the plan was to see Nijo-jo Castle, which was only a short walk away from our hotel. At breakfast it was absolutely lashing it down, so I wore jeans. Unfortunately when we left for the castle (after undergoing a small, yet glorious, nap) it was scoldingly cloudless. What a faux par that was. We found the castle with relative ease, which was both unusual for us and a massive relief.
The castle took 23 years to build and was completed in 1626 and was used for over three hundred years as the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I think the reason it lasted so long was it's Nazi-like enforcement of the no shoes policy it employed. With no one traipsing all manner of muck through the hallways, it's much better to maintain the place (although that's just what my mum always told me, but with more swearing, usually just after I'd traipsed all manner of muck up the stairs coincidentally..) It was probably in grand condition due to the fact they were all killjoys with more signs than British roadworks: "No photographs or sketching" (?!?), "Please keep off" "Route this way" everywhere. I understand it's to preserve the place, but it didn't half make me feel like I was just a mindless farm animal being herded around before exiting through the tatty souvenir shops (bought souvenirs, but that isn't the point).
Overall though, it was a beautifully preserved and very pretty place. Japanese culture emphasises the idea of ceremony and this was definitely evident in the castle, it had reception room after messenger room, grand chamber after grand chamber. The attention to detail was remarkable too with fine details in just about every wall, ceiling and floor. It was a good place to start.
After heading back towards the hotel we stopped by a little delicatessen which did a range of sandwiches, homemade cakes and some stuff I didn't understand/was quite scared of. We ended up eating our sandwiches (I accidentally purchased a breast of 'chicken tandry', I have no idea what a tandry is, but it was delicious) outside a Starbucks with our caramel mocha frappe choca latteccinos and discussed Japan and what it'd be like to live here. Japan, from what we've seen, is like the link between the East and the West; not geographically speaking obviously, but in terms of the culture and community here. I suppose we have to remember that there's been Western involvement in trade and business pretty much since the end of the Second World War. Korea, comparatively, has only competed as a big economic power in the last twenty years or so. Whereas Japan has had three generations of the West, Korea has only had a couple of decades.
After a quick relaxation period up in our room, we headed out with a view of going on a walking tour of Gion, possibly the most well-preserved area of Kyoto. If you're going to find yourself a Geiko (Geisha from Kyoto), it's going to be there. We set off with a skip in our step, hoping to find ourselves all manner of Geikos. I had a plan in my mind where I could convince three of them to be my Charlie's Angels (Jordan's, obviously) and use them to fight crime. It didn't happen. It didn't happen for three main reasons: firstly, their company is incredibly expensive and you can only meet them via invite. Secondly, the walking tour only operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Today is Thursday. And thirdly, the TV series, nor the movie of Charlie's Angels, gained particularly good ratings here, they would never have understood the concept.
It was decided, after the disappointment of walking to Gion for a walking tour that didn't exist, that we'd just have a walk around ourselves before getting some sushi - when in Rome and all that. Gion is a really nice place. The houses are pretty much all wooden and the roads all cobble stones. It sort of looked how I'd imagine an Asian Bruges to look like. The canal carving through the streets, straight as Vladimir Putin, only added to the calm and tranquility of the place.
Had sushi for the first time. We did intend to go to this place we'd found rave reviews of on the online, but had little joy actually finding the place. Instead, after asking directions from a local man in a suit walking past, he decided to alter his route to take us to this other sushi place that was "berry cheap". Maybe if I'd have combed my hair that day he would've taken us somewhere more upmarket... We did the whole conveyor belt of uncooked delights experience for extra authenticity too. Some of the stuff was delicious. I had about eight of the salmon, onion and mayo concoctions in a row, before getting adventurous and later feeling a bit ill. Thankfully, my chopsticking skills, now at level: expert, made me look less foolish than I felt; in a room of people conversing over the intricate delicacies of Japanese cuisine as I was deploying a much more hit-and-hope tactic.
Once back in the room, feeling suitably full and utterly knackered, the Turtle suggested it might be a good idea if we made use of the traditional Japanese baths downstairs. If you don't know much about the traditional Japanese bathing scene, it basically entails getting your todge out in front of a bunch of strangers whilst you all sweat away in a little Jacuzzi style bath. As I was putting on my yukata I felt sick with anxiety. If I couldn't score points in this part of the world, I may as well just cut it off and call myself Janet. The Turtle seemed a lot more comfortable about the whole thing than I did. I presumed it'd be as awkward as being stuck in a lift, or any confined space, with someone consistently tells you of things they've 'brought' when they clearly meant 'bought'. I got into the changing rooms and an elderly native did some basic gestures as guidance. I clearly looked confused and scared. I took off my flippy floppies, placed them in the locker. I took the belt off my yukata, placed it in the locker. With a gulp and a quick shake to wake it up a bit, I took off the yukata, and placed that in my locker too.
I was ready.
I looked toward the frosted glass door of the bathing room and walked towards it, with naught but fear pulsing through me. I slid the door back and... GREAT SUCCESS! The whole place was empty! I did nothing short of a dive bomb into the pool. Chuffed to bits that I didn't have to dangle my danglies in front of a bunch of strangers. I sat there, content, lapping up the views of the hotel's neat and tidily trimmed gardens (no, I won't make a joke about that). After sitting there for a good while, stewing in my own relaxation, two more Japanese men walked in. They bypassed the pool and headed straight for the showers on the side I hadn't actually noticed. They must have been there for a good fifteen minutes, cleaning every single part of themselves thoroughly. I did feel a little bit guilty. I'd sweat like a pig on fire in my jeans earlier on that day. They were there, lathering, rinsing, repeating, doing everything in their power to keep the bath as clean as possible whilst I lay there doing about as much damage to the water cleanliness as a BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Later on a German fellow, in Japan on business, came in and I told him what to do, like I was a complete pro, we then discussed English Second Language programs and their implementations across Europe and in the East, before determining the roles and importance of more vocational subjects, often neglected at secondary level.
Today I learned I can be a right boring bastard.
The castle took 23 years to build and was completed in 1626 and was used for over three hundred years as the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I think the reason it lasted so long was it's Nazi-like enforcement of the no shoes policy it employed. With no one traipsing all manner of muck through the hallways, it's much better to maintain the place (although that's just what my mum always told me, but with more swearing, usually just after I'd traipsed all manner of muck up the stairs coincidentally..) It was probably in grand condition due to the fact they were all killjoys with more signs than British roadworks: "No photographs or sketching" (?!?), "Please keep off" "Route this way" everywhere. I understand it's to preserve the place, but it didn't half make me feel like I was just a mindless farm animal being herded around before exiting through the tatty souvenir shops (bought souvenirs, but that isn't the point).
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| Bit of garden, think this was at the castle. |
After heading back towards the hotel we stopped by a little delicatessen which did a range of sandwiches, homemade cakes and some stuff I didn't understand/was quite scared of. We ended up eating our sandwiches (I accidentally purchased a breast of 'chicken tandry', I have no idea what a tandry is, but it was delicious) outside a Starbucks with our caramel mocha frappe choca latteccinos and discussed Japan and what it'd be like to live here. Japan, from what we've seen, is like the link between the East and the West; not geographically speaking obviously, but in terms of the culture and community here. I suppose we have to remember that there's been Western involvement in trade and business pretty much since the end of the Second World War. Korea, comparatively, has only competed as a big economic power in the last twenty years or so. Whereas Japan has had three generations of the West, Korea has only had a couple of decades.
 |
| Gion again. |
After a quick relaxation period up in our room, we headed out with a view of going on a walking tour of Gion, possibly the most well-preserved area of Kyoto. If you're going to find yourself a Geiko (Geisha from Kyoto), it's going to be there. We set off with a skip in our step, hoping to find ourselves all manner of Geikos. I had a plan in my mind where I could convince three of them to be my Charlie's Angels (Jordan's, obviously) and use them to fight crime. It didn't happen. It didn't happen for three main reasons: firstly, their company is incredibly expensive and you can only meet them via invite. Secondly, the walking tour only operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Today is Thursday. And thirdly, the TV series, nor the movie of Charlie's Angels, gained particularly good ratings here, they would never have understood the concept.
 |
| Rather peckish. |
Had sushi for the first time. We did intend to go to this place we'd found rave reviews of on the online, but had little joy actually finding the place. Instead, after asking directions from a local man in a suit walking past, he decided to alter his route to take us to this other sushi place that was "berry cheap". Maybe if I'd have combed my hair that day he would've taken us somewhere more upmarket... We did the whole conveyor belt of uncooked delights experience for extra authenticity too. Some of the stuff was delicious. I had about eight of the salmon, onion and mayo concoctions in a row, before getting adventurous and later feeling a bit ill. Thankfully, my chopsticking skills, now at level: expert, made me look less foolish than I felt; in a room of people conversing over the intricate delicacies of Japanese cuisine as I was deploying a much more hit-and-hope tactic.
Once back in the room, feeling suitably full and utterly knackered, the Turtle suggested it might be a good idea if we made use of the traditional Japanese baths downstairs. If you don't know much about the traditional Japanese bathing scene, it basically entails getting your todge out in front of a bunch of strangers whilst you all sweat away in a little Jacuzzi style bath. As I was putting on my yukata I felt sick with anxiety. If I couldn't score points in this part of the world, I may as well just cut it off and call myself Janet. The Turtle seemed a lot more comfortable about the whole thing than I did. I presumed it'd be as awkward as being stuck in a lift, or any confined space, with someone consistently tells you of things they've 'brought' when they clearly meant 'bought'. I got into the changing rooms and an elderly native did some basic gestures as guidance. I clearly looked confused and scared. I took off my flippy floppies, placed them in the locker. I took the belt off my yukata, placed it in the locker. With a gulp and a quick shake to wake it up a bit, I took off the yukata, and placed that in my locker too.
 |
| Tidy garden. |
I was ready.
I looked toward the frosted glass door of the bathing room and walked towards it, with naught but fear pulsing through me. I slid the door back and... GREAT SUCCESS! The whole place was empty! I did nothing short of a dive bomb into the pool. Chuffed to bits that I didn't have to dangle my danglies in front of a bunch of strangers. I sat there, content, lapping up the views of the hotel's neat and tidily trimmed gardens (no, I won't make a joke about that). After sitting there for a good while, stewing in my own relaxation, two more Japanese men walked in. They bypassed the pool and headed straight for the showers on the side I hadn't actually noticed. They must have been there for a good fifteen minutes, cleaning every single part of themselves thoroughly. I did feel a little bit guilty. I'd sweat like a pig on fire in my jeans earlier on that day. They were there, lathering, rinsing, repeating, doing everything in their power to keep the bath as clean as possible whilst I lay there doing about as much damage to the water cleanliness as a BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Later on a German fellow, in Japan on business, came in and I told him what to do, like I was a complete pro, we then discussed English Second Language programs and their implementations across Europe and in the East, before determining the roles and importance of more vocational subjects, often neglected at secondary level.
Today I learned I can be a right boring bastard.
Part 2
Will be up early next week sometime providing I don't develop a social life between now and then. Until then, stay safe and always wash before getting into Japanese public baths.
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