Saturday -
Dad Dan, Peter and I went to Kyoto Station, south of where they live, to get our train tickets for Tokyo and also to see this modern building. We took bus No. 59 which turned out to be the wrong bus because this bus was supposed to take us to the Nishi-jin Textile place which we opted not to do. The bus stop nearest the Kyoto Station was about 4 blocks away.
We walked the rest of the way and saw the huge Honganji temple a block before the Kyoto tower and station. We walked in and slowly worked our way to the temple. I went ahead, took my shoes off and entered the building. The temple had tatami mat flooring and visitors to the temple (mostly Japanese) sat on the floor facing the shrine. Peter and Dad Dan came in a few minutes later just in time to witness a Buddhist ceremony for remembering the dead. We were the only non-Buddhist foreigners there, at least for the most part (a few others came in towards the end).
The ceremony was about 10-15 minutes long. Began with the monks' entrance followed by the chanting and calling of loved ones' names. It was truly serendipitous that we were there at the right time. Again, synchronicity at work!
We left the temple just at the right time when the rain stopped. The weather turned from warm to chilly - which is pretty much what has happened these past few days. At least this time I was ready with an umbrella.
Next, we walked towards Kyoto Station passing through the "Porta" - underground subway passage with lots of shops and restaurants. Found a french boulangerie where we got some interesting pastries and bread. Right across we saw the takoyaki (squid balls) stand. Peter and I immediately ordered one plate of 8 pieces with egg salad topping and bonito flakes. These takoyaki balls are made of batter filled with squid and other veggies, quickly cooked in specialized containers and turned over and over to brown the outside while the inside is moist and hot! I was so excited to try it that I forgot to blow on it. My mouth burned on my first bite! It was extremely hot and I think my palate got scalded. But that didn't stop me from trying it. And it was worth it! Yum!!!
After our takoyaki fix we went to the Shinkansen ticket office for tuesday. We are now reserved for the Nozomi (fastest bullet train) to Tokyo.
We met Auntie Casilda at the Kyoto Granvia Hotel before we went to the Kyoto Tower for a great 360 degree view of the city. After the tower Dad Dan went back home to get more jackets for us because the weather was so unpredictably cold and windy. The rest of us took the bus to Nishiki Market.
At Nishiki Market, we walked the clean and sterile passageways which are lined with assorted food stalls - fish, candies, rice cakes, pickled food, etc. Peter and I were walking and were trying out all the interesting food we liked. Loved the berry/black vinegar ice cream. The green tea ice cream was a bit bitter. The mochi with lotus root was good as well as the shrimp and onion patty. It really was a food experience!
We returned to the house via the bus, to make use of our 500 yen bus ticket (need to at least ride the bus 3 times to make it worth it. One bus ticket cost 220 yen).
It was a long, tiring, yet interesting day. Our feet and legs were sore after a whole day of walking. Well, it's actually a good introduction to all the walking we will do in China.
Dad Dan, Peter and I went to Kyoto Station, south of where they live, to get our train tickets for Tokyo and also to see this modern building. We took bus No. 59 which turned out to be the wrong bus because this bus was supposed to take us to the Nishi-jin Textile place which we opted not to do. The bus stop nearest the Kyoto Station was about 4 blocks away.
We walked the rest of the way and saw the huge Honganji temple a block before the Kyoto tower and station. We walked in and slowly worked our way to the temple. I went ahead, took my shoes off and entered the building. The temple had tatami mat flooring and visitors to the temple (mostly Japanese) sat on the floor facing the shrine. Peter and Dad Dan came in a few minutes later just in time to witness a Buddhist ceremony for remembering the dead. We were the only non-Buddhist foreigners there, at least for the most part (a few others came in towards the end).
The ceremony was about 10-15 minutes long. Began with the monks' entrance followed by the chanting and calling of loved ones' names. It was truly serendipitous that we were there at the right time. Again, synchronicity at work!
We left the temple just at the right time when the rain stopped. The weather turned from warm to chilly - which is pretty much what has happened these past few days. At least this time I was ready with an umbrella.
Next, we walked towards Kyoto Station passing through the "Porta" - underground subway passage with lots of shops and restaurants. Found a french boulangerie where we got some interesting pastries and bread. Right across we saw the takoyaki (squid balls) stand. Peter and I immediately ordered one plate of 8 pieces with egg salad topping and bonito flakes. These takoyaki balls are made of batter filled with squid and other veggies, quickly cooked in specialized containers and turned over and over to brown the outside while the inside is moist and hot! I was so excited to try it that I forgot to blow on it. My mouth burned on my first bite! It was extremely hot and I think my palate got scalded. But that didn't stop me from trying it. And it was worth it! Yum!!!
After our takoyaki fix we went to the Shinkansen ticket office for tuesday. We are now reserved for the Nozomi (fastest bullet train) to Tokyo.
We met Auntie Casilda at the Kyoto Granvia Hotel before we went to the Kyoto Tower for a great 360 degree view of the city. After the tower Dad Dan went back home to get more jackets for us because the weather was so unpredictably cold and windy. The rest of us took the bus to Nishiki Market.
At Nishiki Market, we walked the clean and sterile passageways which are lined with assorted food stalls - fish, candies, rice cakes, pickled food, etc. Peter and I were walking and were trying out all the interesting food we liked. Loved the berry/black vinegar ice cream. The green tea ice cream was a bit bitter. The mochi with lotus root was good as well as the shrimp and onion patty. It really was a food experience!
We returned to the house via the bus, to make use of our 500 yen bus ticket (need to at least ride the bus 3 times to make it worth it. One bus ticket cost 220 yen).
It was a long, tiring, yet interesting day. Our feet and legs were sore after a whole day of walking. Well, it's actually a good introduction to all the walking we will do in China.
posted by Mimi | 3:33 AM
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