We had the wonderful chance of joining some love Japanese friends, Kayoko too Takashi, on a quick opor-garai to beautiful too historic Kyoto too Nara. We visited Kyoto 1 time before, but this fourth dimension took the shinkansen, high speed bullet train. I was also thus excited to provide to Kyoto amongst Kayoko too Takashi as our tour guides, since they brand this trip several times every year. I should also add together that this was an adults exclusively trip. Can it acquire whatever better?
Matt loved that the homo behind us was working on a 5th of whiskey (on the window ledge), at seven in the morning! Let's acquire this political party started!
The prepare was pretty incredible. We covered almost 300 miles inward nigh 2 hours.
In lieu of the whiskey, nosotros opted for egg salad sandwiches for breakfast. I volition genuinely really miss convenience store nutrient inward Japan. It's fabulous!
There was also a real dainty too extra roomy bathroom, of course.
I genuinely loved how at that topographic point was a clitoris to enhance too lower the seat. It's the niggling things!
Since nosotros got such an early on start, I genuinely wanted to direct a nap but simply felt an urge to soak inward all of the scenery of this province that I love thus much. I loved the rice fields,
too the urban essence views, equally.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick transfer inward Kyoto, too nosotros were off to Nara.
Takashi too Kayoko reserved a booth on the train. It was a fun means to visit!
The conception for the twenty-four hours was to encounter Nara past times wheel too nosotros rented Japanese electrical bikes for the day.
Kayoko left us all inward the dust! And believe it or not, this beautiful lady volition live threescore this month! I promise I fare as well! (Coincidentally, Kayoko is also my ballet instructor on base, which is how nosotros met iii years ago.)
The rootage halt was the impressive Toshodai-ji Temple.
And the grounds were stunning, as usual.
I had been using the term shrine too temple interchangeably, for the past times iii years, but Kayoko allow me know that a temple is Buddhist too a shrine is Shinto. Ooops!
The wheel ride was equal parts joy too terror for me. I absolutely loved the countryside wheel trails,
but riding through the busy urban essence streets was terrifying! Mind you, I in all probability direct maintain non been on a wheel since degree school, too it took some getting used to. I may direct maintain taken out some traffic cones too came unopen to taking out an elderly lady, but I finished strong.
I definitely direct maintain a novel abide by for the moms who ride amongst a tiddler on front end AND dorsum too are loaded amongst groceries! Amazing!
The electrical wheel certain made the hills easy, I couldn't direct maintain survived the twenty-four hours amongst out that extra push.
Another halt was this amazing quondam stone wall that was the foundation for a castle. The edifice of these walls was quite an fine art form, too every stone is shaped to fit to perfection.
The actual castle was closed for renovations.
Kayoko too Takashi had been planning our trip for nigh a year, too Takashi fifty-fifty gave us a printed upward itinerary for the trip. I was real intrigued when I saw kingyosukui. Gold fish scooping?
Apparently, gilded fish scooping is a traditional Japanese game, where you lot encounter how many fish you lot tin scoop inward a specified time.
You direct maintain a sparse newspaper paddle too direct maintain to scoop real tardily because the newspaper volition interruption if you lot motility besides quickly. Kayoko was good!
I caught 2 fish. Trust me, it was harder than it looked! Matt broke his rootage paddle immediately, but ended upward catching one. There is fifty-fifty a national entitle inward goldfish scooping! Who knew? The most recent winner scooped 61 fish inward 3 minutes.
Exit through the gift shop.
Such a cute niggling establishment.
After all that line-fishing nosotros were hungry. Back on the bikes to a famous Nara noodle shop, Mentouan.
Talk nigh cute! The noodles were wrapped upward inward a tofu package.
I ordered the mutual frigidity udon amongst tempura shrimp, which was fabulous.
And Matt ordered the hot udon amongst a 'deer stamped' tofu covering. Deer are a urban essence topic for Nara too are depicted everywhere, you'll encounter why shortly. Presentation inward Nihon is absolutely unmatched.
Right roughly the corner was this famous mochi shop. The guys position on quite a production pounding the mochi. (Mochi is rice that has been pounded into a chewy paste.) Matt doesn't genuinely tending for the texture, but Kayoko said that it is idea to convey wealth too riches. Maybe he volition modify his mind!
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 beautiful manhole embrace inward Nara, amongst a deer of course!
Nara Park is a huge city commons that covers 1,240 acres. (I was glad nosotros had the bikes!)
There are many temples, but the principal attraction are the deer.
At 1 fourth dimension the deer were idea to live sacred, but at nowadays they wander roughly hoping for cookies.
Special cookies were available for purchase, too they must've been genuinely good!
The deer absolutely went crazy for them. Matt is proficient amongst animals from his days on the farm as a kid, but I kept my distance. The deer were besides riled upward wanting the goodies!
Yes, you lot tin pet them too. The girls did this when nosotros went to Miyajima Island, but I passed. Too stinky!
Another beautiful temple, Todai-ji, which houses the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha.
And large he was! This was a replica of the size of his hand.
Can you lot spot a handsome photograph bomb?
We stayed at a real cute too tiny boutique hotel inward Kyoto, I love how Japanese hotel rooms ever come upward amongst pajamas too slippers.
Bathing is such an of import usage of Japanese culture, too since the small-scale hotel exclusively had showers inward the rooms, no tub, at that topographic point was a sento offered, or inward other words, a world bath. There were split upward rooms for men too women, too they basically consisted of a row of small-scale shower stalls too and then a communal hot tub, of sorts. You shower off too construct clean your torso first, too then soak inward the tub. After a long twenty-four hours on the bike, (with the resulting sore bottom!) the bath felt thus nice. We joke that "getting naked amongst your friends" is a Japanese must. When inward Japan!
Coincidentally, nosotros learned that nosotros biked a total of xiii miles too walked for 5 miles that day. Not bad for a daughter who hasn't been on a wheel since degree school. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 busy twenty-four hours it was!
Kyoto is 1 of the most picturesque city's I've ever seen too it is quintessentially Japanese. Love it!
Takashi had made reservations for dinner at Torisee, an awesome yakitori joint.
They specialize inward skewers of chicken, cooked unlike ways. Matt loved the chicken skin. Yes, simply the peel only. Fried. (Japanese portions are super small, too both Kayoko too Takashi were inward awe when hearing that Matt could consume a 12 oz. steak. When asked how he could peradventure create that, Matt emphatically replied, "Practice!")
It was all wonderful, but my favorite was the fried chicken katsu, amongst melted cheese inward the middle. Yum!
Japanese sake is traditionally poured to overflowing. This is to live taken as a sign of generosity from the proprietor. Then you lot tin pour the excess dorsum into the drinking glass too enjoy!
Kampai! (Cheers!)
And for a nighttime cap, what would whatever authentic Japanese sense live without karaoke?! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 karaoke institution inward Nihon is almost ever separate, someone rooms you lot tin rent.
Matt fifty-fifty surprised me amongst a few numbers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 first!
We sang the nighttime away until nosotros had no voices left, too then called it a night.
The hotel breakfast inward the morning time was amazing! There were 2 sets to pick out from, Matt ordered the Japanese set,
too I got a lovely Western mode set. The Eggs Benedict had a layer of salsa, which was unexpected, but fabulous!
We exclusively had fourth dimension for a few stops inward the morning time earlier catching our train. This is the famous Tatsumi-bashi Bridge over the Kamo River, that crosses into Gion, the Geisha district.
Our lastly halt of the twenty-four hours was to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine to human face at the beautiful gardens.
The gardens at this item shrine are exclusively opened upward for 2 months every year, when they are at their most beautiful. Once inward the summertime for the "green" display, too 1 time inward the autumn for the "red" autumn leaf display. The walk through the trees was thus relaxing too I ever love the audio of a rustling river.
And it was breathtaking!
Nothing inward the Blue Planet rivals the beauty of a Japanese garden.
The pop Nishiki Market inward downtown Kyoto, was the perfect means to pass our lastly few hours too a bully spot for lunch.
I ordered the pork too squid soba, which was a niggling sweeter than Tokyo soba. Kayoko said that was a regional difference, it was good!
And everyone else got some form of stuffed omelet dish, but I forgot the name. Matt genuinely liked it!
It is real acceptable to concord your rice bowl correct upward to your oral cavity piece eating inward Japan. And ALWAYS slurp your noodles!
Back at the prepare station...I ever love seeing the students inward their sudden uniforms. I real rarely encounter the kids messing around, too.
I had never seen a drinkable representative amongst hot AND mutual frigidity drinks. Brilliant!
And amongst that, it was dorsum on the shinkansen to caput for home.
What a wonderful trip total of food, fun too bully friends! I realized that it was the rootage trip ever, where I didn't direct maintain to navigate, endeavour to communicate, or fifty-fifty pick out a restaurant. I was simply able to sit down dorsum too enjoy. Kayoko too Takashi were wonderful too gracious hosts too nosotros volition forever cherish their friendship too these memories!
And dorsum at home, the girls don't human face similar they missed us besides terribly either!
I'm thus thankful the Lord has surrounded me amongst these amazing friends to create life with, fifty-fifty on the other side of the world!
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