Thought I'd tie up all the loose ends and list how much it costs, good sites which I relied on for research and inspiration and some last thoughts (though that can never be since I am still thinking/reading/lusting over Japan!) on the trip!
Some idea of costs:
Airfare for me, Gillian and Trin on SQ : Free - we used Krisflyer points! :-)
SQ's fuel surcharges and taxes: S$460 (can't escape! :-( )
Airfare for KH, Owain, Caitlin and Isaac on NorthWest (taxes included): S$2725
Shinkansen, 3N in hotel New Miyako for all of us: $2700
4N Hotel in Tokyo - 2 triple rooms in the Family Fifty's Maihama: S$1100
1N Ryokan Kangetsu standard room for 5: S$180
Spending money (which includes food, transportation, admission and shopping): S$2000 - note: I actually brought S$3000 but when we came home, realised that we actually had S$1000 in yen left!
Total cost: S$9165
The yen to the Singapore dollar: S$1 to 126yen
Good sites:
Kids Web Japan
Japan National Tourist Organisation
Japan Guide
Francois Jordaan's and Kelly Henderson's Japan blog
Solo Japan
Books that I liked:
Lonely Planet Tokyo
Lonely Planet Kyoto
Lonely Planet Japan
Japan: The Rough Guide
Japan: Frommer's Guide
Lost Japan
Places I haunted for research: JNTO office in Robinson Towers, NATAS travel fair, JTB in Takashimaya
People I talked to for research: my colleagues Chow Chee Yong and Helen Ho who lived in Japan for several years and Synthia Lim who went to Japan and who swopped info with me since she was heading over there around the same time too!
Places that I missed and would like to cover the next time round (with or without kids!):
Saga-Arashiyama Torokko train in Kyoto from Arashiyama to Kameoka
Hakone
Ghibli Museum
Kanazawa
Takayama and the Alpine route
Kusatsu Onsen
Hiroshima
Shikoku - Iya Valley, Naruto whirlpools
Miyajima
Nikko
Kamakura
Himeji
Nara
Now to squeeze all that in would easily entail at least a 14-day trip and definitely a JR Pass! Must start saving up!
We had a lot of adventures on this trip - the trip that almost did not happen thanks to the drama of the days prior to it. But it is the drama and the adventure that lend the trip such colour! I don't think I would have done anything differently - even getting separated at Tofukuji, traumatic as that was (though I think I would be wise enough next time to carry some cash with me!). I did wish we hadn't lost the Burberry though. Painful lesson - never buy anything for anyone on any trip! I wish we had more shopping done - not the clothes etc but just time to go through the art shops, the pottery shops, the fabrics, the tackiness of Oriental Bazaar, the flea markets, trawling Amenoyoko Arcade etc.
Today, months after the trip ended, I can't remember the specific details unless I look at my photographs, read the blog, check my journal. But I am left with a fuzzy warm feeling, an achy feeling of missing something or some place and a yearning to go back some day. Preferably soon. I still leaf through Alex Kerr's Lost Japan once in a while, browse through the same Japan Guide sites. I think I am homesick.
So there it is - no regrets about going to the Land of the Rising Sun. I blogged earlier about finding a thread of wistful solitude about the place even before I went. Now that I have gone and returned, I think what I found there is exactly what I thought I'd find and this sort of solitude amidst crowds, the modern and the ancient, the very contrast is exactly what I am all about. One more piece of the jigsaw that is me fell into place in Japan. I believe everyone of us has a special place on earth - literally - places that we gravitate to, that speak to us in our hearts in a way that others may not, places so comfortable and so familiar you believe you've been there before in another life. I feel this about Japan. It is the same feeling I got about Venice, Assisi, Vernazza.
One day, if I am able to and can afford it, I'd like to live there for a while - a few months to a year? Take Japanese lessons, learn the art of the tea ceremony, ikebana, imbibe that spirit of solitude and independence... Is this wishful thinking?
Day 9 25 Nov 2007 Tokyo and Singapore
Our last day in Tokyo.
I woke up feeling a sense of well-being and contentment mixed with sadness, knowing that in a few hours, the trip I had been working so hard to plan for most of the year, would come to a close.
We packed our stuff for the last time, sorted out where the dirty laundry would go, stuffed them in the appropriate packs etc, and then checked out of Kangetsu Ryokan. The kids were disappointed that our stay in Kangetsu was so brief. They really liked and enjoyed their ryokan stay. Well, I too felt the same way. Kangetsu was a mite out of the way, but I think it is worth the commute - the quiet neighbourhood is a real haven in noisy, busy Tokyo.
We stopped outside the ryokan to take a few pictures and then headed to Chidoricho station. From there we planned to head all the way to Ueno station where we would buy tickets for the Keisei Skyliner.
It was a smooth morning ride all the way from Chidoricho to Kamata and then to Ueno. We passed the big neon signs of Akhihabara district before Ueno station and I wished we could have gone for a walk there - it being the key electronics and manga district of Tokyo. A drink in a maid cafe would have been fun! I promised myself - next trip.
But our peace came to an abrupt end when, at Ueno station while trying to figure out where the Keisei station was, we realised that the Burberry paper bag was missing. In it was the 38,000yen Burberry Blue Label bag my brother had asked me to buy. Aaargghhhhh!!!!!
Where did we leave it? Was it on the street outside the ryokan when we stopped to take pictures? Was it on the platform at Chidoricho? We racked our brains trying to remember. I think it would be safe to say that our morning was utterly ruined.
I decided that KH would go ahead to the Keisei station which we discovered to be just across the road with the kids. I would make the long trip back to Chidoricho and Kangetsu to try to find the bag. Hope was slim since we are talking about a brand new Burberry Blue Label still in its packaging. But then this was Japan where honesty is the best policy and the Japanese are known for their low tolerance on crime and petty theft. I was just crossing my fingers that some kind soul had picked it up, denied their temptations and deposited it at the station master.
So we parted ways. I got on another train heading all the way back. I scoured the platform at Kamata - no luck. Through halting Japanese and English and sign language, I asked the station master and the office - but no one had turned in a Burberry bag. So I took the train onwards to Chidoricho.
Have to say that while I was anxious about the bag, I did enjoy my ride. It was the only time in the trip that I got to feel like I was travelling alone (a rare pleasure!) and could observe the people around me carefully. I liked the quiet neighbourhood in the morning - it was still as quiet as ever. Seeing kids on bikes in their baseball uniforms heading for practice or a game was another interesting sight. Chidoricho provided no luck. The pavement outside the ryokan was also empty. No Burberry paper bag.
I headed back to the ryokan and asked for help. The lady manager was kind enough to help me. She was very concerned about the loss and very kindly allowed me to make an international call to let KH know what was the outcome and to tell him I would meet him half an hour later than we planned since I was delayed during the search. She also very kindly called the police, called the stationmaster at Kamata, at Chidoricho and all to no avail. I felt that she went out of her way to help. But as she said, shaking her head ruefully, it WAS a Burberry Blue Label...
So empty-handed, I headed back to Ueno, thinking geez lucky it wasn't me who was last carrying the bag. Had it been me, KH would never let me hear the end of it! Especially since the card was purchased on HIS credit card!
Back at Keisei station, I hit upon the idea of making a police report, hoping that this would help us cover our losses if we could claim from insurance. It was hard making the police report - we were like chicken and duck - no common language again! The policeman had to call an interpreter on the phone. And they would not give us a copy of the report - which stumped me no end as to how I was supposed to make a claim when I couldn't even have a copy of the police report! They just told me "your insurance people will call our insurance people here and talk!" Huh?? But it was hard pushing them and so we just gave up - Japanese bureaucracy was a brick hard wall that was pointless butting heads over.
While I was gone, the kids and KH had gone up to Ueno park, checked out the lily-filled Shinobazu pond and a shrine nearby. They had their last purification and bell-ringing-deity-wishing ritual for the trip.
Since we really didn't have much time left - the Keisei Skyliner left at 3.20pm giving us barely 2hours left in Tokyo city - we decided to take the subway one stop down on the Ginza line to Asakusa.
The place was crowded with people. We headed to Nakamise Dori. This was a street dominated by souvenir stands and stalls selling rice crackers on both sides. And it was jam packed with people - largely tourists, but also locals who were getting a piece of the rice cracker action.
In one swoop, we did most of our shopping for the trip just on Nakamise dori. We bought bags, yukatas, postcards of the Japanese woodblock prints, fake samurai toy swords etc. At Sensoji, we did as everyone else did - wave the smoke from the incense burner around us for good health. And I got my last fortune slip - it said dad would get better! Caitlin bought and loved the takoyaki balls - and yes it was a roadside stand, like pasar malam style, but it sure tasted good!
From there it was a train ride back down to Ueno, to Keisei where we bought some drinks from the vending machine for the ride to Narita. At 1900yen, the trip was cheaper than the Narita Express. So maybe the next time I head back to Tokyo I'll just take the Keisei Skyliner.
Watching the urban landscape zoom by in the sunset was sad. I was saying goodbye to a place that still intrigued me and I wasn't really prepared to go just yet. It seemed like the past few days just flew by in a blur.
We travelled over bridges that spanned large rivers, passed the ubiquitous pachinko parlours, the neon-lit signs, the grey ferro-concrete buildings with square windows that passed for apartments, and as the urban sprawl faded, we travelled amidst padi fields, bamboo forests and tiny towns. Our train into Narita that first night took place in darkness. So this was our first and last look at the countryside just outside Tokyo. I was taking it all in, drinking it in as much as I could, not wanting to waste or miss any last impressions.
I missed Tokyo even as I was leaving it.
All too soon, the ride ended and we arrived at Narita. At Narita, KH and I split up again. He barely made it for the Northwest check-in. I headed for the SQ counter.
There I saw a familiar face and a familiar brood - Rita and the Tans! We checked in quickly then did a whirlwind shopping spree before getting on the plane. For one last happy sushi meal, I bought a nice nigiri set and a tekka maki set from a sushi restaurant just outside the gate. Gillian and I ate this on the plane after take-off. I also bought a yukata for myself and some mentaiko (at 1000yen this was cheaper than Isetan in Singapore!) .
Take-off was smooth. Trin was nursed during take-off. I had a window seat because Gillian was too busy on the inflight entertainment system getting her fill of High School Musical - yes, again!
From the air, the lights of Tokyo looked like a string of diamond dewdrops suspended on a spider's web. A huge spider's web that sprawled across the landscape as far as the eye could see. It was breathtakingly pretty. I tried to look for landmarks of the places we had been to, but it was just too big and after a while, I gave up and just looked out at the darkness and the glittery lights far far below.
I promised myself for the umpteenth time that I would be back.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day9Tokyo
I woke up feeling a sense of well-being and contentment mixed with sadness, knowing that in a few hours, the trip I had been working so hard to plan for most of the year, would come to a close.
We packed our stuff for the last time, sorted out where the dirty laundry would go, stuffed them in the appropriate packs etc, and then checked out of Kangetsu Ryokan. The kids were disappointed that our stay in Kangetsu was so brief. They really liked and enjoyed their ryokan stay. Well, I too felt the same way. Kangetsu was a mite out of the way, but I think it is worth the commute - the quiet neighbourhood is a real haven in noisy, busy Tokyo.
We stopped outside the ryokan to take a few pictures and then headed to Chidoricho station. From there we planned to head all the way to Ueno station where we would buy tickets for the Keisei Skyliner.
It was a smooth morning ride all the way from Chidoricho to Kamata and then to Ueno. We passed the big neon signs of Akhihabara district before Ueno station and I wished we could have gone for a walk there - it being the key electronics and manga district of Tokyo. A drink in a maid cafe would have been fun! I promised myself - next trip.
But our peace came to an abrupt end when, at Ueno station while trying to figure out where the Keisei station was, we realised that the Burberry paper bag was missing. In it was the 38,000yen Burberry Blue Label bag my brother had asked me to buy. Aaargghhhhh!!!!!
Where did we leave it? Was it on the street outside the ryokan when we stopped to take pictures? Was it on the platform at Chidoricho? We racked our brains trying to remember. I think it would be safe to say that our morning was utterly ruined.
I decided that KH would go ahead to the Keisei station which we discovered to be just across the road with the kids. I would make the long trip back to Chidoricho and Kangetsu to try to find the bag. Hope was slim since we are talking about a brand new Burberry Blue Label still in its packaging. But then this was Japan where honesty is the best policy and the Japanese are known for their low tolerance on crime and petty theft. I was just crossing my fingers that some kind soul had picked it up, denied their temptations and deposited it at the station master.
So we parted ways. I got on another train heading all the way back. I scoured the platform at Kamata - no luck. Through halting Japanese and English and sign language, I asked the station master and the office - but no one had turned in a Burberry bag. So I took the train onwards to Chidoricho.
Have to say that while I was anxious about the bag, I did enjoy my ride. It was the only time in the trip that I got to feel like I was travelling alone (a rare pleasure!) and could observe the people around me carefully. I liked the quiet neighbourhood in the morning - it was still as quiet as ever. Seeing kids on bikes in their baseball uniforms heading for practice or a game was another interesting sight. Chidoricho provided no luck. The pavement outside the ryokan was also empty. No Burberry paper bag.
I headed back to the ryokan and asked for help. The lady manager was kind enough to help me. She was very concerned about the loss and very kindly allowed me to make an international call to let KH know what was the outcome and to tell him I would meet him half an hour later than we planned since I was delayed during the search. She also very kindly called the police, called the stationmaster at Kamata, at Chidoricho and all to no avail. I felt that she went out of her way to help. But as she said, shaking her head ruefully, it WAS a Burberry Blue Label...
So empty-handed, I headed back to Ueno, thinking geez lucky it wasn't me who was last carrying the bag. Had it been me, KH would never let me hear the end of it! Especially since the card was purchased on HIS credit card!
Back at Keisei station, I hit upon the idea of making a police report, hoping that this would help us cover our losses if we could claim from insurance. It was hard making the police report - we were like chicken and duck - no common language again! The policeman had to call an interpreter on the phone. And they would not give us a copy of the report - which stumped me no end as to how I was supposed to make a claim when I couldn't even have a copy of the police report! They just told me "your insurance people will call our insurance people here and talk!" Huh?? But it was hard pushing them and so we just gave up - Japanese bureaucracy was a brick hard wall that was pointless butting heads over.
While I was gone, the kids and KH had gone up to Ueno park, checked out the lily-filled Shinobazu pond and a shrine nearby. They had their last purification and bell-ringing-deity-wishing ritual for the trip.
Since we really didn't have much time left - the Keisei Skyliner left at 3.20pm giving us barely 2hours left in Tokyo city - we decided to take the subway one stop down on the Ginza line to Asakusa.
The place was crowded with people. We headed to Nakamise Dori. This was a street dominated by souvenir stands and stalls selling rice crackers on both sides. And it was jam packed with people - largely tourists, but also locals who were getting a piece of the rice cracker action.
In one swoop, we did most of our shopping for the trip just on Nakamise dori. We bought bags, yukatas, postcards of the Japanese woodblock prints, fake samurai toy swords etc. At Sensoji, we did as everyone else did - wave the smoke from the incense burner around us for good health. And I got my last fortune slip - it said dad would get better! Caitlin bought and loved the takoyaki balls - and yes it was a roadside stand, like pasar malam style, but it sure tasted good!
From there it was a train ride back down to Ueno, to Keisei where we bought some drinks from the vending machine for the ride to Narita. At 1900yen, the trip was cheaper than the Narita Express. So maybe the next time I head back to Tokyo I'll just take the Keisei Skyliner.
Watching the urban landscape zoom by in the sunset was sad. I was saying goodbye to a place that still intrigued me and I wasn't really prepared to go just yet. It seemed like the past few days just flew by in a blur.
We travelled over bridges that spanned large rivers, passed the ubiquitous pachinko parlours, the neon-lit signs, the grey ferro-concrete buildings with square windows that passed for apartments, and as the urban sprawl faded, we travelled amidst padi fields, bamboo forests and tiny towns. Our train into Narita that first night took place in darkness. So this was our first and last look at the countryside just outside Tokyo. I was taking it all in, drinking it in as much as I could, not wanting to waste or miss any last impressions.
I missed Tokyo even as I was leaving it.
All too soon, the ride ended and we arrived at Narita. At Narita, KH and I split up again. He barely made it for the Northwest check-in. I headed for the SQ counter.
There I saw a familiar face and a familiar brood - Rita and the Tans! We checked in quickly then did a whirlwind shopping spree before getting on the plane. For one last happy sushi meal, I bought a nice nigiri set and a tekka maki set from a sushi restaurant just outside the gate. Gillian and I ate this on the plane after take-off. I also bought a yukata for myself and some mentaiko (at 1000yen this was cheaper than Isetan in Singapore!) .
Take-off was smooth. Trin was nursed during take-off. I had a window seat because Gillian was too busy on the inflight entertainment system getting her fill of High School Musical - yes, again!
From the air, the lights of Tokyo looked like a string of diamond dewdrops suspended on a spider's web. A huge spider's web that sprawled across the landscape as far as the eye could see. It was breathtakingly pretty. I tried to look for landmarks of the places we had been to, but it was just too big and after a while, I gave up and just looked out at the darkness and the glittery lights far far below.
I promised myself for the umpteenth time that I would be back.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day9Tokyo
Day 8 24 Nov 2007 Kyoto, Tokyo
The day was physically and mentally exhausting and filled with drama galore!
First off we only had the morning left in Kyoto before taking the 2pm shinkansen back to Tokyo. So we checked out early, but left our bags in the hotel, once again crossing the road to grab a train - this time with the time constraint we had to keep it near, so we decided to go to the Inari Fushimi shrine and to Tofukuji temple, just two or three stops away on the JR line.
The Inari Fushimi shrine was nice and empty in the morning. Hardly any tourists - perhaps because there was little autumn foliage to be seen and the bulk of the Japanese visitors seem to be making a beeline straight for the places with coloured trees. So the shrine was left quiet and empty and very peaceful.
The shrine was dedicated to the fox deity and it was the headquarters of all fox shrines in Japan. It is known for its long long line of torii gates which stretch for many km into the hillside. The gates, given by devotees, form dark vermillion tunnels leading all the way up and into the hills. We didn't go all the way up because we had not enough time. Just enough to wander up a bit, take a couple of pictures and move down. It was an impressive sight though - to see so many thousands of bright orange torii one after another going on forever up the hills, through the trees etc. Lonely Planet commented that the further up you go, the eerier it can be sometimes - particularly in the late afternoon or evening. I would love to try that some time! Not with 5kids in tow though!
The kids insisted on buying their little fox good luck charms, which I know they would lose soon enough, but almost each one had an omamori by then, and this was really going to be our last stop in terms of temples/shrines, so I caved. Isaac and Owain both got tiny gold angular foxes which denote good academic success.
Finishing Fushimi Inari quickly, we went off one stop down to Tofukuji.
Just getting off the train should have set off the warning bells in us already about the size of the crowd - but it didn't. We could barely move off the platform - the crowd was that thick. It was slow moving all the way down, and out of the tiny station, then out onto the street. Gosh, it was so packed with people that everyone really just seemed to shuffle along instead of walking. Everywhere there was people, people and more people! I guess the turnout was larger than any I've seen before because Nov 23 was a public holiday too.
Gamely though, we pushed on, just following the crowds, so huge that policemen had to be deployed to do crowd control and crowd directions. We stopped at some sub-temples along the way just to get out of the huge river of people streaming along, always taking careful note of each other. I knew that this was prime situation for getting lost - and God help us if we did! A crowd this size, getting lost or separated from the kids would be a nightmare beyond nightmares.
And with Murphy's Law in full effect this trip, yep, it seemed we would do just that.
It happened right after we jumped out of the crowd to scan some nice trees in a quiet garden. When we decided to jump back into the crowd, for some reason, the crowd just grew larger and everyone seemed to swarm up front, pushing us apart.
So I had Isaac, Caitlin and baby Trinity with me. I couldn't see KH but hoped he was with Gillian and Owain. We were just swept along with the crowd. I gripped the children's hands and called to them to stay close and never ever let go of my hand. At the same time, I was worried about being separated from KH and with the size of the crowd, I had decided it was better to just forget about going to Tofukuji. So I called out: Daddy! KH!! Go to the left! Go to the left! Owain! Gillian! Left!
I don't know if they heard me and I had no response but we were still being swept inexorably onward. I could barely see above the heads of the people in front of me, but soon realised that there was a wooden covered bridge ahead. I knew that one of Tofukuji's highlights was a wooden bridge and the outstanding autumn views from the bridge. So I guessed this might be it - hence the eager crowd just pushing its way though.
Right at the front, we were pushed onto the bridge - everyone else seemed to be pushing their way, forcing their way up. I decided to be as Japanese as everyone and elbowed my way through too, to the railing of the bridge. In a split second, I wondered how the old bridge was going to hold the weight of so many people! But just then, I caught sight of the scene before me. Despite my anxiety at being separated from KH and the others, I could not help but marvel at the sight. The kids were open-mouthed too at the wonder before them - the glorious blaze of red and gold and yellows in the valley and the sides. It was autumn in full glow here. Absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I wished I had a camera to take a picture! I realised that this was not the famous bridge after all, but it faced the real one! The people on the other side of the gorge were also spilling out of the bridge gawking at the scenery and back at us!
After a minute or so of gawking, we were again pushed out the other end of the bridge. That end was quieter and the crowd had spaced out. The avenue led to the main entrance of the Tofukuji temple complex. Meanwhile, still no sign of KH and the kids. I was beginning to really worry about separation but I still had some aces up my sleeve.
The kids and I walked to the main entrance of Tofukuji and entered the grounds. We hoped to see KH and the rest waiting for us there. Nope. The place was packed but no sign of them at all. Isaac wanted to explore the grounds to look for him. I said no. It was just madness out there and I could not risk one more kid getting lost.
After a while, I gave up and said let's head back to the train station. My last ace. I thought that if KH gave up and went back, the station would be our meeting place. It was the only sensible place we had in common to meet.
So we battled the crowd at the bridge again and headed back, checking at every place we stopped before to see if they were there. No such luck.
Back at the front of the station, we plonked ourselves just outside a barbershop. The crowd was unbelievable, claustrophobic even, with people going in and going out and everywhere was just a big sea of faces and heads. I waited there, standing with Isaac and Caitlin and Trin in a sling. Thus far, Trin was sleeping. But KH was not there and never showed up. I really began to panic.
I had no money, no phone. I basically had no way of getting back to Kyoto station. We were stuck in Tofukuji! And I was aware that the minutes were ticking by and we risked missing the shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Yes I was in full-fledged panic by then. We looked so pathetic, like beggars at the roadside, and I felt so sorry for us being in this tight situation. Yet the kids seemed sanguine - I did tell them how and why I was worried, but it never really struck home for them. Only Isaac seemed panicky at times. He burst out with a sacrilegious "Damn them all!" once in a while. Which made me smile but I was still on the verge of hysteria.
I tried to keep it together - I knew I had to get to a phone or get some money. So I tried to borrow a phone. Most of the Japanese, despite the language barrier, were eager to help - until they realised I needed to call an overseas number (KH's Singapore number) and then they shook their heads. I tried asking a Chinese national in halting Mandarin - he tried to help somewhat but also limited by the phone's limitations. Tried asking an American man. But all he did was laugh and say: oh yeah in this crowd its kinda hard. I don't have a cell phone but I sure hope you meet them soon. Etc. Right, thanks!
I was really about to scream or cry hysterically. To add to the tension, Trin woke up and started on one of her inexplicable screaming fits. She kept pointing to the station gateway and screaming "There!" and crying. Nothing would calm her. The kids looked on helplessly. There was no way to sit down and nurse - every square inch of the place was covered with people walking! Honestly, I was really about to break down. Finally I managed to calm her and nurse her by tightening the sling and adjusting it so that she nursed sitting up in the sling. Thank God I was wearing a nursing top under the layers!
I think I stood there in this panicked state for more than an hour. Until I begged this nice group of Aussies for help. I told them my story and they couldn't offer their handphone too. But they did offer me money which I gratefully accepted. I have no way of repaying them though. They gave me about 600yen - enough to buy tickets back to Kyoto station. My plan was to run back to the New Miyako Hotel and use the phone there to call KH. I thanked the Aussies profusely and was practically in tears. At the same time, I felt so embarrassed to be caught in this sort of situation. Honestly we looked just like any of the many beggar families we see in Bangkok! There I was, two children and a baby in a sling, a hard luck story etc. Gosh!! It was awkward, and humiliating.
Even as we bought the tickets, I made Isaac run out to the entrance to check again to see if KH had come. Of course he was not there and still panicking and weak-kneed, we made our way back to Kyoto station and ran for dear life back to the New Miyako.
There in the lobby, sitting down on a bench - were the three of them - KH, Owain and Gillian! I was so relieved I teared up. I wanted to just bawl from the relief of the stress and intensity of the moment but controlled myself to just relating the story before we had to grab our bags and make a run for it. We had a scant 20min to make it to the shinkansen!
Again deja vu - we were off and running like mad to catch a train! We made it with minutes to spare, buying sandwiches and drinks for the journey. On the platform as the train pulled in, the kids jumped in while I made a last minute purchase. I had always wanted to have a bento sushi meal on board a train, buying it from the platform and I wasn't about to let this go to waste. So with the kids frantically gesturing and hollering at me to get on board, I grabbed a box of Osaka-style saba sushi, paid for it (all of 640yen!) and jumped on board - literally with not a minute to lose for barely had I taken my seat, the train doors whooshed shut and the train pulled away.
Wow.
The kids were on a high - recounting their adventures to each other. I later found out that Gillian and KH had heard me calling right from the beginning, but could not catch sight of me. They managed to push themselves out of the crowd but I could not and I was swept on. After that, the real split was when I continued on to Tofukuji in the mistaken belief that he would also press on and find me there. He, on the other hand, had already come out of the crowd before even getting on the bridge. So when I didn't show up, he turned around and went back to the station. He waited there for a while until deciding to head back to the hotel, believing I would follow them back to the hotel since we still had luggage there. The moment of truth only dawned on him in the train when Gillian asked: er dad, d'you think mum would have any money to come back to the hotel? Then he realised - I had nothing with me. No phone, no cash. And no way of coming back. And Trin's inexplicable crying, according to our accounts and our approximate timing, weirdly enough, that was right when KH and the kids were inside the station already, on the platform waiting for the train! Now how strange is that that she would wake up suddenly, point to the inside of the train station and howl 'there! there!' - sent chills down my spine! I remember walking her to the station steps itself and she kept on pointing into the station and I couldn't figure out why! My ESP baby!
We spent the two hours on the shinkansen eating our sandwiches, dozing off, and for me, just chilling out and releasing myself from the residual tension and the high. And I enjoyed my saba sushi! And so did the kids! I finally got my sushi-on-the-shinkansen experience!
We pulled into Tokyo station at 4.30pm and it was dark already. Owain was so tired he slumped on the floor outside the men's room while waiting for the rest to finish their turn at the loo!
We had to take a train on the Keihin-Tohoku line to Kamata station and from there, change another train on the Tokyo Ikegami line to Chidoricho station. The transfer was easy, but it was still a longish journey - made longer with tired cranky kids and heavy backpacks. I knew what we were heading on to - a comfortable ryokan with a hot bath - but the kids didn't and so didn't have this warm picture ahead to sustain them.
Chidoricho station, so far out of the Tokyo main drag, was right in the heart of suburban Tokyo. It was such a different picture. No neon for one! And so quiet! The streets were small, deserted, with only warm lights shining out from the odd restaurant and convenience store and of course, houses and apartments. The station was a single storey building and the train tracks were right on the roads, passing through backyards and houses.
We got off and asked a girl at a laundry for directions to the ryokan. The girl at the laundry was very helpful despite the lack of English for her and Japanese for me. She gestured and used sign language. We found our way easily enough. It was set across the tracks, up a small slope. Here we are now at Kangetsu Ryokan!
As we climbed up and passed through the bamboo gate, we found ourselves in a garden! Tiny garden lights and lanterns cast pools of light in a space of bamboo and trees. We crossed a small red 'bridge' and came to the warmly-lit open reception area. The lady manager welcomed us and showed us to our room on the ground floor.
Kangetsu Ryokyan is made up of two main wings - the older one (where we stayed) and constructed largely of wood and bamboo, with wall hangings and sculptures and wooden shoe racks and the newer annex, made of ferroconcrete - all Zen straight lines, grey and glass and minimalist stylish. Both wings were connected via the central garden and the reception area. Our room was in the older wing, on the ground floor. We didn't have a attached toilet but the common one was just outside our room, and since the other room sharing the space was unoccupied, it was practically as good as our private toilet!
The children were thrilled by the room - tatami-matted and large! It looked like two rooms instead of one. Three futons had been laid out on one side of the room with a screen door and another two laid out in the other space, along with a tv, a low table and cushions. There was nothing in the way of wardrobes, just a clothes rack, but the kids were ecstatic! They loved the traditional look and feel and were busy deciding who slept on which futon. I think it was actually quite a basic set-up, but it was still a unique experience for the kids and hence, loads of fun.
Suddenly they were energized again and were busy sliding open screens and exploring the space.
We decided to have dinner outside the ryokan first. So we clattered down and out the ryokan to check out the places around. The neighbourhood was so quiet that our family seemed to be very loud as we walked around, debating what to eat. We finally saw a hole-in-the-wall sushi place. It was manned by two middle-aged ladies and seemed to be largely a takeaway joint. We observed it for a while and saw people coming up to the open counter, rattling off their orders and taking away their stuff. But then at the side, there was a tiny doorway. And inside, the width of the doorway, was a counter with stools - just enough for all of us! Perfect.
We peered in and there was a man eating there. He saw us and hurriedly finished eating, smiling all the way. The lady of the store apologised but he said it was okay. Then we all went in and sat down, ordering our food. And boy did we order! It was our last night in Tokyo and we were ready to make it a good one.
We ordered a large set - take set which had about 30 pieces of sushi (salmon, tuna, prawn, yellowfish etc) then I ordered an otoro set which came in 6 pieces, Gillian had a shake-don (salmon with rice) bowl, and I ordered an 8-piece tuna set. We had loads of ikura too which the kids devoured eagerly. Back in Singapore, ikura and otoro cost an arm and a leg and the kids were always rationed on this - I would daintily pick and pop them just pearls of ikura one at a time. But here, each kid had at least one or two pieces of ikura sushi all to themselves!
We took up the whole space and we ate and ate. The middle-aged ladies manning the store were fascinated I think. They asked where we were from and nodded when we said Singapore. In general, I've observed that people in Japan seem to know Singapore, or at least they don't look blank when we say where we're from! The ladies saw Trinity chomping on ikura and asked me how old she was. I said she was two and they seemed taken aback in awe and asked to see her teeth. I got Trin to open wide and they nodded, satisfied and asked: what can she eat since we were all eating fish? I pointed to the ikura and the salmon and tuna and they seemed amazed that she was eating all that at two years old! I thought Japanese kids started on sushi even earlier so I could not understand their amazement!They promptly prepared some tamago maki gratis just for Trin. I thanked them profusely for their generosity!
The slices of fish were fresh, slick and generously thick - half a cm at least! - and long too, draping over the mound of rice. So unlike Singapore where you'd get a thin slice sitting primly on top with nothing draping over! That night we ate till our hearts' content, reaching a stage of satiation like we never would have back in Singapore - we actually had to ta-pao part of the tamago maki! And the bill? 4900yen. KH and I shook our heads - we just had the best and the cheapest sushi meal of all time right in the heart of one of the world's most expensive cities - Tokyo!
We strolled around the neighbourhood for a while before heading back to the ryokan. KH insisted on taking pictures at the rail/road intersection, waiting until the barriers came down, a car stopped and the train whizzed by! It was a quiet place and there was no noise at all, cars were rare and there wasn't even tv sounds or sounds of any family life. Compared to the rest of what we had seen at Tokyo, this was really very unusual - but in a good way! One thing we also found weird was the large number of laundromats and full-service laundries! There were at least five or six in a small area the size of a football field! Did nobody do their own laundry here?
Back at the ryokan, it was rotemburo time! I got the guys to babysit Trin while Gillian, Cait and I hit the hot bath. There was a common indoor ladies bath right outside our room, but we wanted to try the outdoor rotemburo - which was on the roof top of the annex. So Gillian and I dressed in our yukatas while Cait undressed to her long johns and we walked through the gardens, across a glass bridge and up the lift in the annex to the 4th floor.
It was a cosy, welcoming place! There was a sink, pigeonholes with wicker baskets for us to leave our clothes in, and a toilet with the bells and whistles. Once we had undressed in the warmth of the room, left our folded clothes in the wicker baskets, we took a deep breath and opened the door to the outdoor terrace.
The cold air hit us with a blast! I think it was about 9 to 10deg. We hurriedly hit the bank of showers. I washed Cait as quickly and as thoroughly as I could, then myself, shivering all the way. Thank God it wasn't very windy, but it was bad enough! We were all starkers in front of each other which was not a problem with me. No one else was using the rotemburo which was not very sizeable. One by one we got into the hot water. Steam was rising from the surface. It was fun to hear the 'oohs' and 'ouch' as Gillian and Caitlin inched themselves in. Then I went in. And my gosh, the water was great!!! It was blissfully hot and I could just lie in that heat forever! With the cold air and the hot water - man, it was heaven.
It was a really fun and a nice experience for all of us girls to share and till today, Cait still calls it one of the best times she will always remember from the trip. So nice to sit in there and soak in the hot hot water together, giggling and talking. I took pictures of course - all RA!
After a while, though reluctant to get out, we had to. The boys were impatient to go for their turn I was sure. So we rubbed ourselves dry, dressed in the yukatas and went back down. And true enough, Isaac and Owain were jumping in their impatience to go. I gave a clueless KH a briefing on onsen etiquette before they went.
While they were gone, I washed Trin, walked out to get myself a bottle of Coke from the vending machine and drank it in the room. Oh feeling so mellow from the bath!
It took a while and the boys came back and it was obvious they had fun! Owain from the waist down was the pink of boiled lobster! They didn't want to get out of the tub. I took a RA shot of him, balls and all, a lovely shade of hot pink!
After that, the kids headed out to the public spaces - rooms where you could use the massage chair, watch DVDs, use the internet, listen to music etc. I stayed in and snuggled under my futon blanket, nursed Trin to the background of buzz of Japanese tv and slowly fell asleep.
Now that, is what I call the real Japanese accomodation experience! I didn't want to leave Japan not having gone through a night in a Japanese inn, with a Japanese public bath experience. It was rewarding for me and a fun eye-opener into Japanese culture for the kids. Something they would always remember. Kangetsu Ryokan was a real haven for me that night - coming after the horrible nightmare of the morning, it was a real balm to my soul for the night. And as for the kids, they were busy oohing and ahhing and finding their own slice of memory in the ryokan that night. Gillian enjoyed listening to music from CDs in the outdoor pavilion, headphones on. Isaac enjoyed surfing the net and playing his net games online. Owain and Cait hit the massage chairs. They had loads of fun and told me after that they wished they had stayed here from the very beginning.
It was our last night in Tokyo, and I was glad I made it a memorable one for them.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day8KyotoAndTokyo04
First off we only had the morning left in Kyoto before taking the 2pm shinkansen back to Tokyo. So we checked out early, but left our bags in the hotel, once again crossing the road to grab a train - this time with the time constraint we had to keep it near, so we decided to go to the Inari Fushimi shrine and to Tofukuji temple, just two or three stops away on the JR line.
The Inari Fushimi shrine was nice and empty in the morning. Hardly any tourists - perhaps because there was little autumn foliage to be seen and the bulk of the Japanese visitors seem to be making a beeline straight for the places with coloured trees. So the shrine was left quiet and empty and very peaceful.
The shrine was dedicated to the fox deity and it was the headquarters of all fox shrines in Japan. It is known for its long long line of torii gates which stretch for many km into the hillside. The gates, given by devotees, form dark vermillion tunnels leading all the way up and into the hills. We didn't go all the way up because we had not enough time. Just enough to wander up a bit, take a couple of pictures and move down. It was an impressive sight though - to see so many thousands of bright orange torii one after another going on forever up the hills, through the trees etc. Lonely Planet commented that the further up you go, the eerier it can be sometimes - particularly in the late afternoon or evening. I would love to try that some time! Not with 5kids in tow though!
The kids insisted on buying their little fox good luck charms, which I know they would lose soon enough, but almost each one had an omamori by then, and this was really going to be our last stop in terms of temples/shrines, so I caved. Isaac and Owain both got tiny gold angular foxes which denote good academic success.
Finishing Fushimi Inari quickly, we went off one stop down to Tofukuji.
Just getting off the train should have set off the warning bells in us already about the size of the crowd - but it didn't. We could barely move off the platform - the crowd was that thick. It was slow moving all the way down, and out of the tiny station, then out onto the street. Gosh, it was so packed with people that everyone really just seemed to shuffle along instead of walking. Everywhere there was people, people and more people! I guess the turnout was larger than any I've seen before because Nov 23 was a public holiday too.
Gamely though, we pushed on, just following the crowds, so huge that policemen had to be deployed to do crowd control and crowd directions. We stopped at some sub-temples along the way just to get out of the huge river of people streaming along, always taking careful note of each other. I knew that this was prime situation for getting lost - and God help us if we did! A crowd this size, getting lost or separated from the kids would be a nightmare beyond nightmares.
And with Murphy's Law in full effect this trip, yep, it seemed we would do just that.
It happened right after we jumped out of the crowd to scan some nice trees in a quiet garden. When we decided to jump back into the crowd, for some reason, the crowd just grew larger and everyone seemed to swarm up front, pushing us apart.
So I had Isaac, Caitlin and baby Trinity with me. I couldn't see KH but hoped he was with Gillian and Owain. We were just swept along with the crowd. I gripped the children's hands and called to them to stay close and never ever let go of my hand. At the same time, I was worried about being separated from KH and with the size of the crowd, I had decided it was better to just forget about going to Tofukuji. So I called out: Daddy! KH!! Go to the left! Go to the left! Owain! Gillian! Left!
I don't know if they heard me and I had no response but we were still being swept inexorably onward. I could barely see above the heads of the people in front of me, but soon realised that there was a wooden covered bridge ahead. I knew that one of Tofukuji's highlights was a wooden bridge and the outstanding autumn views from the bridge. So I guessed this might be it - hence the eager crowd just pushing its way though.
Right at the front, we were pushed onto the bridge - everyone else seemed to be pushing their way, forcing their way up. I decided to be as Japanese as everyone and elbowed my way through too, to the railing of the bridge. In a split second, I wondered how the old bridge was going to hold the weight of so many people! But just then, I caught sight of the scene before me. Despite my anxiety at being separated from KH and the others, I could not help but marvel at the sight. The kids were open-mouthed too at the wonder before them - the glorious blaze of red and gold and yellows in the valley and the sides. It was autumn in full glow here. Absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I wished I had a camera to take a picture! I realised that this was not the famous bridge after all, but it faced the real one! The people on the other side of the gorge were also spilling out of the bridge gawking at the scenery and back at us!
After a minute or so of gawking, we were again pushed out the other end of the bridge. That end was quieter and the crowd had spaced out. The avenue led to the main entrance of the Tofukuji temple complex. Meanwhile, still no sign of KH and the kids. I was beginning to really worry about separation but I still had some aces up my sleeve.
The kids and I walked to the main entrance of Tofukuji and entered the grounds. We hoped to see KH and the rest waiting for us there. Nope. The place was packed but no sign of them at all. Isaac wanted to explore the grounds to look for him. I said no. It was just madness out there and I could not risk one more kid getting lost.
After a while, I gave up and said let's head back to the train station. My last ace. I thought that if KH gave up and went back, the station would be our meeting place. It was the only sensible place we had in common to meet.
So we battled the crowd at the bridge again and headed back, checking at every place we stopped before to see if they were there. No such luck.
Back at the front of the station, we plonked ourselves just outside a barbershop. The crowd was unbelievable, claustrophobic even, with people going in and going out and everywhere was just a big sea of faces and heads. I waited there, standing with Isaac and Caitlin and Trin in a sling. Thus far, Trin was sleeping. But KH was not there and never showed up. I really began to panic.
I had no money, no phone. I basically had no way of getting back to Kyoto station. We were stuck in Tofukuji! And I was aware that the minutes were ticking by and we risked missing the shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Yes I was in full-fledged panic by then. We looked so pathetic, like beggars at the roadside, and I felt so sorry for us being in this tight situation. Yet the kids seemed sanguine - I did tell them how and why I was worried, but it never really struck home for them. Only Isaac seemed panicky at times. He burst out with a sacrilegious "Damn them all!" once in a while. Which made me smile but I was still on the verge of hysteria.
I tried to keep it together - I knew I had to get to a phone or get some money. So I tried to borrow a phone. Most of the Japanese, despite the language barrier, were eager to help - until they realised I needed to call an overseas number (KH's Singapore number) and then they shook their heads. I tried asking a Chinese national in halting Mandarin - he tried to help somewhat but also limited by the phone's limitations. Tried asking an American man. But all he did was laugh and say: oh yeah in this crowd its kinda hard. I don't have a cell phone but I sure hope you meet them soon. Etc. Right, thanks!
I was really about to scream or cry hysterically. To add to the tension, Trin woke up and started on one of her inexplicable screaming fits. She kept pointing to the station gateway and screaming "There!" and crying. Nothing would calm her. The kids looked on helplessly. There was no way to sit down and nurse - every square inch of the place was covered with people walking! Honestly, I was really about to break down. Finally I managed to calm her and nurse her by tightening the sling and adjusting it so that she nursed sitting up in the sling. Thank God I was wearing a nursing top under the layers!
I think I stood there in this panicked state for more than an hour. Until I begged this nice group of Aussies for help. I told them my story and they couldn't offer their handphone too. But they did offer me money which I gratefully accepted. I have no way of repaying them though. They gave me about 600yen - enough to buy tickets back to Kyoto station. My plan was to run back to the New Miyako Hotel and use the phone there to call KH. I thanked the Aussies profusely and was practically in tears. At the same time, I felt so embarrassed to be caught in this sort of situation. Honestly we looked just like any of the many beggar families we see in Bangkok! There I was, two children and a baby in a sling, a hard luck story etc. Gosh!! It was awkward, and humiliating.
Even as we bought the tickets, I made Isaac run out to the entrance to check again to see if KH had come. Of course he was not there and still panicking and weak-kneed, we made our way back to Kyoto station and ran for dear life back to the New Miyako.
There in the lobby, sitting down on a bench - were the three of them - KH, Owain and Gillian! I was so relieved I teared up. I wanted to just bawl from the relief of the stress and intensity of the moment but controlled myself to just relating the story before we had to grab our bags and make a run for it. We had a scant 20min to make it to the shinkansen!
Again deja vu - we were off and running like mad to catch a train! We made it with minutes to spare, buying sandwiches and drinks for the journey. On the platform as the train pulled in, the kids jumped in while I made a last minute purchase. I had always wanted to have a bento sushi meal on board a train, buying it from the platform and I wasn't about to let this go to waste. So with the kids frantically gesturing and hollering at me to get on board, I grabbed a box of Osaka-style saba sushi, paid for it (all of 640yen!) and jumped on board - literally with not a minute to lose for barely had I taken my seat, the train doors whooshed shut and the train pulled away.
Wow.
The kids were on a high - recounting their adventures to each other. I later found out that Gillian and KH had heard me calling right from the beginning, but could not catch sight of me. They managed to push themselves out of the crowd but I could not and I was swept on. After that, the real split was when I continued on to Tofukuji in the mistaken belief that he would also press on and find me there. He, on the other hand, had already come out of the crowd before even getting on the bridge. So when I didn't show up, he turned around and went back to the station. He waited there for a while until deciding to head back to the hotel, believing I would follow them back to the hotel since we still had luggage there. The moment of truth only dawned on him in the train when Gillian asked: er dad, d'you think mum would have any money to come back to the hotel? Then he realised - I had nothing with me. No phone, no cash. And no way of coming back. And Trin's inexplicable crying, according to our accounts and our approximate timing, weirdly enough, that was right when KH and the kids were inside the station already, on the platform waiting for the train! Now how strange is that that she would wake up suddenly, point to the inside of the train station and howl 'there! there!' - sent chills down my spine! I remember walking her to the station steps itself and she kept on pointing into the station and I couldn't figure out why! My ESP baby!
We spent the two hours on the shinkansen eating our sandwiches, dozing off, and for me, just chilling out and releasing myself from the residual tension and the high. And I enjoyed my saba sushi! And so did the kids! I finally got my sushi-on-the-shinkansen experience!
We pulled into Tokyo station at 4.30pm and it was dark already. Owain was so tired he slumped on the floor outside the men's room while waiting for the rest to finish their turn at the loo!
We had to take a train on the Keihin-Tohoku line to Kamata station and from there, change another train on the Tokyo Ikegami line to Chidoricho station. The transfer was easy, but it was still a longish journey - made longer with tired cranky kids and heavy backpacks. I knew what we were heading on to - a comfortable ryokan with a hot bath - but the kids didn't and so didn't have this warm picture ahead to sustain them.
Chidoricho station, so far out of the Tokyo main drag, was right in the heart of suburban Tokyo. It was such a different picture. No neon for one! And so quiet! The streets were small, deserted, with only warm lights shining out from the odd restaurant and convenience store and of course, houses and apartments. The station was a single storey building and the train tracks were right on the roads, passing through backyards and houses.
We got off and asked a girl at a laundry for directions to the ryokan. The girl at the laundry was very helpful despite the lack of English for her and Japanese for me. She gestured and used sign language. We found our way easily enough. It was set across the tracks, up a small slope. Here we are now at Kangetsu Ryokan!
As we climbed up and passed through the bamboo gate, we found ourselves in a garden! Tiny garden lights and lanterns cast pools of light in a space of bamboo and trees. We crossed a small red 'bridge' and came to the warmly-lit open reception area. The lady manager welcomed us and showed us to our room on the ground floor.
Kangetsu Ryokyan is made up of two main wings - the older one (where we stayed) and constructed largely of wood and bamboo, with wall hangings and sculptures and wooden shoe racks and the newer annex, made of ferroconcrete - all Zen straight lines, grey and glass and minimalist stylish. Both wings were connected via the central garden and the reception area. Our room was in the older wing, on the ground floor. We didn't have a attached toilet but the common one was just outside our room, and since the other room sharing the space was unoccupied, it was practically as good as our private toilet!
The children were thrilled by the room - tatami-matted and large! It looked like two rooms instead of one. Three futons had been laid out on one side of the room with a screen door and another two laid out in the other space, along with a tv, a low table and cushions. There was nothing in the way of wardrobes, just a clothes rack, but the kids were ecstatic! They loved the traditional look and feel and were busy deciding who slept on which futon. I think it was actually quite a basic set-up, but it was still a unique experience for the kids and hence, loads of fun.
Suddenly they were energized again and were busy sliding open screens and exploring the space.
We decided to have dinner outside the ryokan first. So we clattered down and out the ryokan to check out the places around. The neighbourhood was so quiet that our family seemed to be very loud as we walked around, debating what to eat. We finally saw a hole-in-the-wall sushi place. It was manned by two middle-aged ladies and seemed to be largely a takeaway joint. We observed it for a while and saw people coming up to the open counter, rattling off their orders and taking away their stuff. But then at the side, there was a tiny doorway. And inside, the width of the doorway, was a counter with stools - just enough for all of us! Perfect.
We peered in and there was a man eating there. He saw us and hurriedly finished eating, smiling all the way. The lady of the store apologised but he said it was okay. Then we all went in and sat down, ordering our food. And boy did we order! It was our last night in Tokyo and we were ready to make it a good one.
We ordered a large set - take set which had about 30 pieces of sushi (salmon, tuna, prawn, yellowfish etc) then I ordered an otoro set which came in 6 pieces, Gillian had a shake-don (salmon with rice) bowl, and I ordered an 8-piece tuna set. We had loads of ikura too which the kids devoured eagerly. Back in Singapore, ikura and otoro cost an arm and a leg and the kids were always rationed on this - I would daintily pick and pop them just pearls of ikura one at a time. But here, each kid had at least one or two pieces of ikura sushi all to themselves!
We took up the whole space and we ate and ate. The middle-aged ladies manning the store were fascinated I think. They asked where we were from and nodded when we said Singapore. In general, I've observed that people in Japan seem to know Singapore, or at least they don't look blank when we say where we're from! The ladies saw Trinity chomping on ikura and asked me how old she was. I said she was two and they seemed taken aback in awe and asked to see her teeth. I got Trin to open wide and they nodded, satisfied and asked: what can she eat since we were all eating fish? I pointed to the ikura and the salmon and tuna and they seemed amazed that she was eating all that at two years old! I thought Japanese kids started on sushi even earlier so I could not understand their amazement!They promptly prepared some tamago maki gratis just for Trin. I thanked them profusely for their generosity!
The slices of fish were fresh, slick and generously thick - half a cm at least! - and long too, draping over the mound of rice. So unlike Singapore where you'd get a thin slice sitting primly on top with nothing draping over! That night we ate till our hearts' content, reaching a stage of satiation like we never would have back in Singapore - we actually had to ta-pao part of the tamago maki! And the bill? 4900yen. KH and I shook our heads - we just had the best and the cheapest sushi meal of all time right in the heart of one of the world's most expensive cities - Tokyo!
We strolled around the neighbourhood for a while before heading back to the ryokan. KH insisted on taking pictures at the rail/road intersection, waiting until the barriers came down, a car stopped and the train whizzed by! It was a quiet place and there was no noise at all, cars were rare and there wasn't even tv sounds or sounds of any family life. Compared to the rest of what we had seen at Tokyo, this was really very unusual - but in a good way! One thing we also found weird was the large number of laundromats and full-service laundries! There were at least five or six in a small area the size of a football field! Did nobody do their own laundry here?
Back at the ryokan, it was rotemburo time! I got the guys to babysit Trin while Gillian, Cait and I hit the hot bath. There was a common indoor ladies bath right outside our room, but we wanted to try the outdoor rotemburo - which was on the roof top of the annex. So Gillian and I dressed in our yukatas while Cait undressed to her long johns and we walked through the gardens, across a glass bridge and up the lift in the annex to the 4th floor.
It was a cosy, welcoming place! There was a sink, pigeonholes with wicker baskets for us to leave our clothes in, and a toilet with the bells and whistles. Once we had undressed in the warmth of the room, left our folded clothes in the wicker baskets, we took a deep breath and opened the door to the outdoor terrace.
The cold air hit us with a blast! I think it was about 9 to 10deg. We hurriedly hit the bank of showers. I washed Cait as quickly and as thoroughly as I could, then myself, shivering all the way. Thank God it wasn't very windy, but it was bad enough! We were all starkers in front of each other which was not a problem with me. No one else was using the rotemburo which was not very sizeable. One by one we got into the hot water. Steam was rising from the surface. It was fun to hear the 'oohs' and 'ouch' as Gillian and Caitlin inched themselves in. Then I went in. And my gosh, the water was great!!! It was blissfully hot and I could just lie in that heat forever! With the cold air and the hot water - man, it was heaven.
It was a really fun and a nice experience for all of us girls to share and till today, Cait still calls it one of the best times she will always remember from the trip. So nice to sit in there and soak in the hot hot water together, giggling and talking. I took pictures of course - all RA!
After a while, though reluctant to get out, we had to. The boys were impatient to go for their turn I was sure. So we rubbed ourselves dry, dressed in the yukatas and went back down. And true enough, Isaac and Owain were jumping in their impatience to go. I gave a clueless KH a briefing on onsen etiquette before they went.
While they were gone, I washed Trin, walked out to get myself a bottle of Coke from the vending machine and drank it in the room. Oh feeling so mellow from the bath!
It took a while and the boys came back and it was obvious they had fun! Owain from the waist down was the pink of boiled lobster! They didn't want to get out of the tub. I took a RA shot of him, balls and all, a lovely shade of hot pink!
After that, the kids headed out to the public spaces - rooms where you could use the massage chair, watch DVDs, use the internet, listen to music etc. I stayed in and snuggled under my futon blanket, nursed Trin to the background of buzz of Japanese tv and slowly fell asleep.
Now that, is what I call the real Japanese accomodation experience! I didn't want to leave Japan not having gone through a night in a Japanese inn, with a Japanese public bath experience. It was rewarding for me and a fun eye-opener into Japanese culture for the kids. Something they would always remember. Kangetsu Ryokan was a real haven for me that night - coming after the horrible nightmare of the morning, it was a real balm to my soul for the night. And as for the kids, they were busy oohing and ahhing and finding their own slice of memory in the ryokan that night. Gillian enjoyed listening to music from CDs in the outdoor pavilion, headphones on. Isaac enjoyed surfing the net and playing his net games online. Owain and Cait hit the massage chairs. They had loads of fun and told me after that they wished they had stayed here from the very beginning.
It was our last night in Tokyo, and I was glad I made it a memorable one for them.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day8KyotoAndTokyo04
Day 7 23 Nov 2007 Arashiyama Kyoto
Definitely one of the best days of the trip for me.
We took our brekkie with us to Arashiyama. Arashiyama is a leafy, hilly district in the west of Kyoto, dotted with temples and bamboo groves. While it is usually quieter than the rest of Kyoto, autumn usually changes this dramatically as the hordes descend on the place.
From the minute we took the train, gettting packed in like sardines, it gave us a foretaste of what to expect. My hope for getting seats on the Sagano train to Kameoka dimmed considerably. The Sagano train is a quaint reproduction of a steam train puffing its way through green hills, over rushing river waters to the little town of Kameoka. In the autumn, the train is usually mobbed thanks to the pretty coloured trees along the way. I had tried making reservations on the net but could not. A last minute ditch at reservations at the Kyoto station the night before also drew a blank. I thought I could try my luck at the station that morning itself. But all that flew out the window when I saw the snaking lines at the Sagano station which was next to the Arashiyama JR station. Gah! A friendly conductor and customer service lady in the station tried their best to explain to me what I already guessed - it was totally packed and standing room only. I could not imagine how I would have to stand for half an hour carrying Trin, pushed up against some stranger and craning my neck to see the autumn leaves! So obviously with much regret (from me!) we gave it a miss.
Decided to walk down the main street to Togetsukyo. En route we passed pretty tea houses, shops and restaurants. At the Keifuku station we decided to have our brekkie on some benches found inside the station. The Keifuku train is really a sort of electric tram that runs right through some of Kyoto's residential neighbourhoods so sitting on it really gives you a glimpse into the houses the Kyoto-ites live in. We didn't try it though. Interesting part of the station is an actual bath house right smack on the station platform. At least that's what I think it was - a small wooden hut that had nori curtains with the character for bath! The orgel chimes that signal a train's arrival and departure were also really charming. So sitting there and having our sandwiches with juice was a good break.
Just after we got out of the station, we spotted four maikos! Dream come true! I was hoping for an opportunity to spot a maiko/geisha and in atmospheric Kyoto preferably and here I got my wish! Looking tall and majestically elegant in their impossibly chunky high getas (wooden sandals) and their embroidered kimonos, faces and necks painted white with a small triangular patch on the nape left unpainted, they were wonderful to see. I quickly asked if I could take a picture and they hesitatingly agreed. So all four of them stood there with some of the kids (not everyone was in because I just didn't want to waste time with my Shepherd routine) and KH (although I was so excited I cut him in half!). I thanked them profusely and turned away and as I did I heard other excited voices asking for pictures etc. Hee, guess my photo request started the ball rolling!
Further down a bit was Togetsukyo which was packed with people. Again, we got lucky and spotted a row of blue-robed monks! Really my day for the photo ops!
The hills around Togetsukyo were lovely in their patchwork colours of yellow, brown, red and green. The Hozu river lay before us - deeply green with flocks of white cranes and egrets perched on a tiny dam. It was beautiful. The place was packed with tourists though and rickshaw pullers really were in demand. We saw a group of Taiwanese tourists getting on rickshaws two by two. I felt sorry for the rickshaw pullers even though I know its a living, but geez, to pull a carriage + heavyweight passengers - can't be a breeze! I saw a rare woman rickshaw puller too.
From there, we made our way to Tenryuji, considered the best of the Five Great Zen temples of Kyoto. Honestly speaking though, because I have no great interest in Zen or Buddhism, I was more swept away by the stunningly beautiful landscape garden and the gorgeous reds that were in season there.
Just behind Tenryuji is a bamboo grove - kinda like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. But with the hordes of tourists, the atmosphere was unfortunately lost. Cait found a cloth dragonfly pin on the path here and it stayed with her for the rest of the trip - posing along with her in photographs!
The rest of the day passed in a nice slow stroll ambling through the back lanes of Arashiyama, popping into one temple after another. While the crowds were definitely there, I didn't feel as hemmed in as I did at Higashiyama the night before. We could still feel some sense of space as we walked.
Highlights for us were the lovely gardens and trees and pagodas of Jojakko-ji and Gio-ji. Stories of spurned love, tragedy and drama of centuries past lay with these quiet little temples. Lots of maples set amidst mounds of mossy ground.
Another place which I really enjoyed was the tiny poet's hut of Rakushisa. Something pensive and solitary about that place (even though it was full of tourists that day) drew me. I could see myself living in a place like that (this is the romantic non-practical side of me speaking of course!) - how marvellous it would be to have no children, to stay for months on end in this little hut - but with modern toilet and heating facilities la!
I also greatly enjoyed our lunch. We just popped into this little restaurant, packed with people and with a tiny queue so the Singaporean in us assumed it must be good! We sat on a tatami matted platform, cross legged and with our shoes on the floor below. I had the zaru soba set and the rest had assorted noodles/rice sets and we ordered the yudofu, tofu cooked in broth. Well I have to say I enjoyed the meal and thought it was nice but not everyone did. The carnivores in the family demanded: why no meat??? And only later did I tell them - the place was vegetarian!! Which under normal circumstances in Singapore we would never eat. But eating yudofu, a traditional Kyoto dish, in Kyoto is a must. All part of the experience. Had I told them beforehand that I suspected the restaurant was vegetarian, they would never have gone for it!
After we'd wandered the day away, our final stop was the temple of Senryu-ji. A huge gravel-laid compound with a big main hall and several smaller temples. Not many people there at that time of the evening. It seemed far less touristed than the rest of the places. Senryu-ji had a big 'gate' too constructed of wood. While less imposing than the one at Nanzenji, the smaller scale made it more intimate and welcoming.
It was almost dark by then but Arashiyama had left us feeling so mellow we felt a bit reluctant for the day to end. So we decided to take a bus to Nishiki market in the heart of Kyoto city. Big mistake.
When we got on, all seats were already taken. So we had to stand. I was carrying Trin. The other kids were all standing nearby. One by one, as the journey wore on, I saw them nodding off. The poor things were literally sleeping standing up! Finally one seat came available and we got Gillian to sit there with Isaac, Owain and Cait sort of half-sitting, half draping themselves over her. And it was a single seat mind you! Uncomfortable though it must have been, they continued sleeping! I stood with KH. The bus got more and more packed. The penchant for packing trains until there was no more concept of personal space seem to apply to buses too. A rather big man squeezed his way in between KH and I. He was reeking of alcohol and everytime the bus jerked, he would sway right into my space. Meanwhile, Trin was also asleep and a dead weight in my arms. My left side was beginning to hurt again - intolerably so and I was desperate to sit. A woman sitting right in front of me, well-coiffed hair with a white leather jacket and designer bag, diamonds in her ears, ignored me. No matter how much I bumped into her shoulder, she would not budge - and I could not help bumping her because the bus by then, was packed!
We stood like this for easily more than half an hour. When a single seat behind Gillian was vacated, KH was standing right there, but before he could sit down, an old woman pushed past him and plonked herself down. KH could only look at me helplessly. It was an old woman, he could not shove her off right? So we continued standing. I tried shifting from foot to foot to ease the pressure in my left ribs and my shoulder but it didn't help anymore after a point.
Finally across the bus, someone vacated a seat and KH literally lunged across and called me over loudly. When I got there, I saw he was grimly holding back some commuters. I was in no mood to consider whether it was polite or nice or whatever. I just sat - very gratefully. I waved him to ask Isaac - who had been perched on the last square inch of space on Gillian's chair - to come over and sit on my lap. I had Trin facing my chest and Isaac had to balance himself on whatever space there was left on my knees. It was a precarious position and because he was sleeping, he would have fallen over a couple of times. Had it not been for a lovely old couple standing right in front of me.
They looked like they were in their 80s. The man was brown, lean and sinewy with bright twinkly eyes in a lined face and a kerchief round his head. The old lady was plump and smiley. They dressed shabbily but they had hearts of gold. Throughout the rest of the journey, the old lady had cupped her hand round Isaac's head to protect it from hitting the metal pole whenever he nodded to the bus's motion. The old man had put his hand on Isaac's shoulder to steady him and hold him up to prevent him from falling over. And they themselves were swaying away with every jerk and braking motion of the bus!
I think I literally teared in gratitude and wished wholeheartedly that I had enough words in Japanese to thank them. All I could manage were fervent "domo arigato gozaimashite!" They only smiled and shook their heads and gestured 'de nada' gestures. Gosh!
In just one bus ride I saw two extremes of Japanese people. A rich woman who could not be bothered and did not have the compassion to let me have her seat vs the old country couple who showed me and Isaac such kindness. While Japanese take such pains to be 'polite', I think sometimes superficial forms of courtesy pale so much in comparison to old-fashioned kindness. So far, with the exception of this old couple, I have found Kyoto-ites to be colder and more unfriendly than Tokyo-ites. Which came as a surprise to me because I'd thought that Tokyo, being an urban centre, would have lost its personal touch a long time ago, while Kyoto, being relatively smaller, would have some sense of humanity and warmth. Boy was I wrong. So far I have found Tokyo-ites to be more forthcoming with smiles, eye contact, directions and approachability. The Kyoto-ites tend to be more standoffish. Does this have to do with the fact that they come from a long ancient line of nobility and royalty? Maybe. Reading Alex Kerr's book "Lost Japan" after the trip helped give me some insight.
After that long, long, long bus ride, we finally alighted at a street corner right in the heart of Kyoto city. The kids were refreshed after their nap and were raring to go. So we walked underground via the subway station to Daimaru, exited and turned to Nishiki market. Only to find it closed or closing!!
But beyond the dark stretch of the market, lights beckoned. Turns out there was a shopping alley there. The first thing we saw was a shrine! Yes right in the heart of a shopping alley, there was a small shrine with all the bells (literally!) and whistles. The kids enthusiastically did the shrine routine again. Then there was the usual argument about where to eat. Their eyes had lit up at the sight of the fat colonel and his chicken but we did not come all the way to Japan to eat KFC for crying out loud!
Stalemate while we wandered through the shopping lane. Came out to a darkened lane - more like an alley - and led by our noses, hunger nipping at us already, we came to a light in the dark lane. It was a curry house and normally I eschew Japanese curry, considering it a bastardised version of the real thing, but this place smelt so dang good we were salivating! Unfortunately, it was 'sold out' and 'closed' for the night and the last diners were just finishing up. We were quite crestfallen to be turned away - it looked like a real warm haven in the cold and oh the smell!
As we walked back, we caught sight of a small tiny shrine. Wedged in between doors, windows of buildings was a shrine the size of a doorway. It had the vermillion torii gate and little wooden money box, bells etc and lots of Tanuki-kami figures! This is like a raccoon spirit with a hat, a grin and er, genitals so large they swept the floor!
Another classic Japanese moment for me. Gosh, even in the middle of 'nowhere', in a shopping lane, a darkened alleyway, there were shrines!
We decided to head back to Amici, an Italian-Japanese restaurant across from our hotel, for dinner. Back in the shopping arcade, we found a shop selling custard 'buns' - I don't know what its called in Japanese but we got 10 for 550yen and it was piping hot and yummy! The kids clamoured for more but I said no.
Then, waiting to cross the road, and this was Shijo-dori - a very busy road, like Orchard Road, I caught sight of yes, another shrine! Complete with sake barrels, figures shrouded in shadows, bright lanterns at the front, and the bells/pulls. Floored me again. It is so much a part of life here. We would never think of a Christian or Muslim or Buddhist altar right at a traffic crossing at Centrepoint or Heeren right? And yet here this was - on a street crowded with shoppers, pedestrians, cars etc. It was amazing and quintessentially so Japan. Little things like this remind me why I am so fascinated and so captivated by Japan. Of course I know I am only scratching the surface but these little surprises really make my trip so great!
Back at Amici, we had dinner - or tried to. In a bad chapter of accidents that would be crowned by the big incident the next day, first KH's glasses broke. Then when he had left us to try to find an open optician in Kyoto station at 9pm (thin chance!), the pizza we tried to eat slipped off the plate and landed on the floor when I tried to slice/move it! After that, I let Trin stand on the banquette only to realise with horror that she had upended a sugar container and now had sugar everywhere! I had to apologised profusely for that but they didn't look happy at all. KH came back - no luck with the optician and we had to order another pizza. By which time, my mentaiko and ika pasta had turned stone cold and really sucked.
All in though, a nice day except for nasty bits right at the end. Travel fatique setting in I think!
Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day7Kyoto05
We took our brekkie with us to Arashiyama. Arashiyama is a leafy, hilly district in the west of Kyoto, dotted with temples and bamboo groves. While it is usually quieter than the rest of Kyoto, autumn usually changes this dramatically as the hordes descend on the place.
From the minute we took the train, gettting packed in like sardines, it gave us a foretaste of what to expect. My hope for getting seats on the Sagano train to Kameoka dimmed considerably. The Sagano train is a quaint reproduction of a steam train puffing its way through green hills, over rushing river waters to the little town of Kameoka. In the autumn, the train is usually mobbed thanks to the pretty coloured trees along the way. I had tried making reservations on the net but could not. A last minute ditch at reservations at the Kyoto station the night before also drew a blank. I thought I could try my luck at the station that morning itself. But all that flew out the window when I saw the snaking lines at the Sagano station which was next to the Arashiyama JR station. Gah! A friendly conductor and customer service lady in the station tried their best to explain to me what I already guessed - it was totally packed and standing room only. I could not imagine how I would have to stand for half an hour carrying Trin, pushed up against some stranger and craning my neck to see the autumn leaves! So obviously with much regret (from me!) we gave it a miss.
Decided to walk down the main street to Togetsukyo. En route we passed pretty tea houses, shops and restaurants. At the Keifuku station we decided to have our brekkie on some benches found inside the station. The Keifuku train is really a sort of electric tram that runs right through some of Kyoto's residential neighbourhoods so sitting on it really gives you a glimpse into the houses the Kyoto-ites live in. We didn't try it though. Interesting part of the station is an actual bath house right smack on the station platform. At least that's what I think it was - a small wooden hut that had nori curtains with the character for bath! The orgel chimes that signal a train's arrival and departure were also really charming. So sitting there and having our sandwiches with juice was a good break.
Just after we got out of the station, we spotted four maikos! Dream come true! I was hoping for an opportunity to spot a maiko/geisha and in atmospheric Kyoto preferably and here I got my wish! Looking tall and majestically elegant in their impossibly chunky high getas (wooden sandals) and their embroidered kimonos, faces and necks painted white with a small triangular patch on the nape left unpainted, they were wonderful to see. I quickly asked if I could take a picture and they hesitatingly agreed. So all four of them stood there with some of the kids (not everyone was in because I just didn't want to waste time with my Shepherd routine) and KH (although I was so excited I cut him in half!). I thanked them profusely and turned away and as I did I heard other excited voices asking for pictures etc. Hee, guess my photo request started the ball rolling!
Further down a bit was Togetsukyo which was packed with people. Again, we got lucky and spotted a row of blue-robed monks! Really my day for the photo ops!
The hills around Togetsukyo were lovely in their patchwork colours of yellow, brown, red and green. The Hozu river lay before us - deeply green with flocks of white cranes and egrets perched on a tiny dam. It was beautiful. The place was packed with tourists though and rickshaw pullers really were in demand. We saw a group of Taiwanese tourists getting on rickshaws two by two. I felt sorry for the rickshaw pullers even though I know its a living, but geez, to pull a carriage + heavyweight passengers - can't be a breeze! I saw a rare woman rickshaw puller too.
From there, we made our way to Tenryuji, considered the best of the Five Great Zen temples of Kyoto. Honestly speaking though, because I have no great interest in Zen or Buddhism, I was more swept away by the stunningly beautiful landscape garden and the gorgeous reds that were in season there.
Just behind Tenryuji is a bamboo grove - kinda like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. But with the hordes of tourists, the atmosphere was unfortunately lost. Cait found a cloth dragonfly pin on the path here and it stayed with her for the rest of the trip - posing along with her in photographs!
The rest of the day passed in a nice slow stroll ambling through the back lanes of Arashiyama, popping into one temple after another. While the crowds were definitely there, I didn't feel as hemmed in as I did at Higashiyama the night before. We could still feel some sense of space as we walked.
Highlights for us were the lovely gardens and trees and pagodas of Jojakko-ji and Gio-ji. Stories of spurned love, tragedy and drama of centuries past lay with these quiet little temples. Lots of maples set amidst mounds of mossy ground.
Another place which I really enjoyed was the tiny poet's hut of Rakushisa. Something pensive and solitary about that place (even though it was full of tourists that day) drew me. I could see myself living in a place like that (this is the romantic non-practical side of me speaking of course!) - how marvellous it would be to have no children, to stay for months on end in this little hut - but with modern toilet and heating facilities la!
I also greatly enjoyed our lunch. We just popped into this little restaurant, packed with people and with a tiny queue so the Singaporean in us assumed it must be good! We sat on a tatami matted platform, cross legged and with our shoes on the floor below. I had the zaru soba set and the rest had assorted noodles/rice sets and we ordered the yudofu, tofu cooked in broth. Well I have to say I enjoyed the meal and thought it was nice but not everyone did. The carnivores in the family demanded: why no meat??? And only later did I tell them - the place was vegetarian!! Which under normal circumstances in Singapore we would never eat. But eating yudofu, a traditional Kyoto dish, in Kyoto is a must. All part of the experience. Had I told them beforehand that I suspected the restaurant was vegetarian, they would never have gone for it!
After we'd wandered the day away, our final stop was the temple of Senryu-ji. A huge gravel-laid compound with a big main hall and several smaller temples. Not many people there at that time of the evening. It seemed far less touristed than the rest of the places. Senryu-ji had a big 'gate' too constructed of wood. While less imposing than the one at Nanzenji, the smaller scale made it more intimate and welcoming.
It was almost dark by then but Arashiyama had left us feeling so mellow we felt a bit reluctant for the day to end. So we decided to take a bus to Nishiki market in the heart of Kyoto city. Big mistake.
When we got on, all seats were already taken. So we had to stand. I was carrying Trin. The other kids were all standing nearby. One by one, as the journey wore on, I saw them nodding off. The poor things were literally sleeping standing up! Finally one seat came available and we got Gillian to sit there with Isaac, Owain and Cait sort of half-sitting, half draping themselves over her. And it was a single seat mind you! Uncomfortable though it must have been, they continued sleeping! I stood with KH. The bus got more and more packed. The penchant for packing trains until there was no more concept of personal space seem to apply to buses too. A rather big man squeezed his way in between KH and I. He was reeking of alcohol and everytime the bus jerked, he would sway right into my space. Meanwhile, Trin was also asleep and a dead weight in my arms. My left side was beginning to hurt again - intolerably so and I was desperate to sit. A woman sitting right in front of me, well-coiffed hair with a white leather jacket and designer bag, diamonds in her ears, ignored me. No matter how much I bumped into her shoulder, she would not budge - and I could not help bumping her because the bus by then, was packed!
We stood like this for easily more than half an hour. When a single seat behind Gillian was vacated, KH was standing right there, but before he could sit down, an old woman pushed past him and plonked herself down. KH could only look at me helplessly. It was an old woman, he could not shove her off right? So we continued standing. I tried shifting from foot to foot to ease the pressure in my left ribs and my shoulder but it didn't help anymore after a point.
Finally across the bus, someone vacated a seat and KH literally lunged across and called me over loudly. When I got there, I saw he was grimly holding back some commuters. I was in no mood to consider whether it was polite or nice or whatever. I just sat - very gratefully. I waved him to ask Isaac - who had been perched on the last square inch of space on Gillian's chair - to come over and sit on my lap. I had Trin facing my chest and Isaac had to balance himself on whatever space there was left on my knees. It was a precarious position and because he was sleeping, he would have fallen over a couple of times. Had it not been for a lovely old couple standing right in front of me.
They looked like they were in their 80s. The man was brown, lean and sinewy with bright twinkly eyes in a lined face and a kerchief round his head. The old lady was plump and smiley. They dressed shabbily but they had hearts of gold. Throughout the rest of the journey, the old lady had cupped her hand round Isaac's head to protect it from hitting the metal pole whenever he nodded to the bus's motion. The old man had put his hand on Isaac's shoulder to steady him and hold him up to prevent him from falling over. And they themselves were swaying away with every jerk and braking motion of the bus!
I think I literally teared in gratitude and wished wholeheartedly that I had enough words in Japanese to thank them. All I could manage were fervent "domo arigato gozaimashite!" They only smiled and shook their heads and gestured 'de nada' gestures. Gosh!
In just one bus ride I saw two extremes of Japanese people. A rich woman who could not be bothered and did not have the compassion to let me have her seat vs the old country couple who showed me and Isaac such kindness. While Japanese take such pains to be 'polite', I think sometimes superficial forms of courtesy pale so much in comparison to old-fashioned kindness. So far, with the exception of this old couple, I have found Kyoto-ites to be colder and more unfriendly than Tokyo-ites. Which came as a surprise to me because I'd thought that Tokyo, being an urban centre, would have lost its personal touch a long time ago, while Kyoto, being relatively smaller, would have some sense of humanity and warmth. Boy was I wrong. So far I have found Tokyo-ites to be more forthcoming with smiles, eye contact, directions and approachability. The Kyoto-ites tend to be more standoffish. Does this have to do with the fact that they come from a long ancient line of nobility and royalty? Maybe. Reading Alex Kerr's book "Lost Japan" after the trip helped give me some insight.
After that long, long, long bus ride, we finally alighted at a street corner right in the heart of Kyoto city. The kids were refreshed after their nap and were raring to go. So we walked underground via the subway station to Daimaru, exited and turned to Nishiki market. Only to find it closed or closing!!
But beyond the dark stretch of the market, lights beckoned. Turns out there was a shopping alley there. The first thing we saw was a shrine! Yes right in the heart of a shopping alley, there was a small shrine with all the bells (literally!) and whistles. The kids enthusiastically did the shrine routine again. Then there was the usual argument about where to eat. Their eyes had lit up at the sight of the fat colonel and his chicken but we did not come all the way to Japan to eat KFC for crying out loud!
Stalemate while we wandered through the shopping lane. Came out to a darkened lane - more like an alley - and led by our noses, hunger nipping at us already, we came to a light in the dark lane. It was a curry house and normally I eschew Japanese curry, considering it a bastardised version of the real thing, but this place smelt so dang good we were salivating! Unfortunately, it was 'sold out' and 'closed' for the night and the last diners were just finishing up. We were quite crestfallen to be turned away - it looked like a real warm haven in the cold and oh the smell!
As we walked back, we caught sight of a small tiny shrine. Wedged in between doors, windows of buildings was a shrine the size of a doorway. It had the vermillion torii gate and little wooden money box, bells etc and lots of Tanuki-kami figures! This is like a raccoon spirit with a hat, a grin and er, genitals so large they swept the floor!
Another classic Japanese moment for me. Gosh, even in the middle of 'nowhere', in a shopping lane, a darkened alleyway, there were shrines!
We decided to head back to Amici, an Italian-Japanese restaurant across from our hotel, for dinner. Back in the shopping arcade, we found a shop selling custard 'buns' - I don't know what its called in Japanese but we got 10 for 550yen and it was piping hot and yummy! The kids clamoured for more but I said no.
Then, waiting to cross the road, and this was Shijo-dori - a very busy road, like Orchard Road, I caught sight of yes, another shrine! Complete with sake barrels, figures shrouded in shadows, bright lanterns at the front, and the bells/pulls. Floored me again. It is so much a part of life here. We would never think of a Christian or Muslim or Buddhist altar right at a traffic crossing at Centrepoint or Heeren right? And yet here this was - on a street crowded with shoppers, pedestrians, cars etc. It was amazing and quintessentially so Japan. Little things like this remind me why I am so fascinated and so captivated by Japan. Of course I know I am only scratching the surface but these little surprises really make my trip so great!
Back at Amici, we had dinner - or tried to. In a bad chapter of accidents that would be crowned by the big incident the next day, first KH's glasses broke. Then when he had left us to try to find an open optician in Kyoto station at 9pm (thin chance!), the pizza we tried to eat slipped off the plate and landed on the floor when I tried to slice/move it! After that, I let Trin stand on the banquette only to realise with horror that she had upended a sugar container and now had sugar everywhere! I had to apologised profusely for that but they didn't look happy at all. KH came back - no luck with the optician and we had to order another pizza. By which time, my mentaiko and ika pasta had turned stone cold and really sucked.
All in though, a nice day except for nasty bits right at the end. Travel fatique setting in I think!
Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/chongbrood/Day7Kyoto05
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
