Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
12-14 November 2016
Almost as soon as we got well acquainted with the train lines and train stations in Osaka, it was time to head to Kyoto, where we fumbled our way through the bus routes and bus stops. Despite there being reliable train lines in Kyoto, Claire and I deemed it more practical to take the buses as we explored the city. A lot of the bus routes were nearer the sites we wanted to visit, and the buses were more widely available, especially in the outskirts of Kyoto.
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| Self-explanatory bus routes and stations - that's the dream |
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| Plus GPS-enabled buses that arrive on the dot - that's the dream :)) |
Day 4: Nishiki Market and Downtown Kyoto
After settling down at our hostel, we had time to spare before night fell so we went to downtown Kyoto and looked for Nishiki Market. The tita in me was very pleased with the variety of goods sold in the famous market, ranging from dried seafood, confectionery, herbs and spices, and many fresh produce. I actually enjoyed just walking through the throng and looking at the stalls. Along the way, we tried some street food and soft serve. Claire had grilled baby octopus and black sesame soft serve, while I had grilled scallops and matcha soft serve.
Partly confident about Kyoto's grid-like streets, partly dependent on Google Maps, we detoured to the shopping streets nearby: Shinkyogoku-dori and Teramachi-dori. How well-lit and convenient it is to do shopping in these arcades, indeed.
We continued walking directionless around downtown Kyoto, and then went to the quaint and famed Pontocho Alley and the surrounding streets in the Gion area. There were loads of tourists, but the traditional atmosphere of the area was still palpable. The bigger streets were crowded, but the small alleyways were very charming, with their red lanterns and decorated shop windows.
Walking along, we reached what was probably (😂) the banks of Kamo River. We came across what seemed like a fastfood restaurant that takes order with a vending machine. It's one experience we wanted to try in Japan, and so we had our fill of the full (but relatively cheap!) meals. Too bad I forgot the name!
