Rain
Saturday 1st November
So, what have I done today? This morning I checked out of my apāto (apartment) in Ōsaka and took a train to Kyoto. I didn’t take the Shinkansen, although I think that was an option. No, I took the hard way which required me once more to figure out the subway system. Looks like I’m really getting the hang of it. Oh, and did I mention that I Love Google Maps?
I contacted my hosts that I was underway and would be arriving just after noon. Asami responded that she would pick me up at the station. Wonderful!
She did and together we walked to her home, where I would have my own room. Underway I asked if she could help me out with my laundry and she was happy to help. It was very convenient to have the laundromat around the corner and while the machine was doing its thing, Asami took me on a little city tour by bicycle. We stopped by a liquor store where she recommended one particular type of sake to me, which I bought.
After some more touring and talking, it was time to get the laundry so that I could hang it to dry. Wooh! Fresh clean clothes!
After hanging the clothes I took some time to read about the city highlights and after that I got out and went underway on my bicycle. I first went to the Shimogamo and Kawai shrines in a park nearby.
After that, I took off for the Imperial Palace, but of course that had already been closed (what with it being 18h already). So after that, I tried to find the Manga Museum, which as it turned out, of course had also already closed. Bummer.
So I gave up and started towards the shopping area of Kyoto. I tried to find something to eat but many places were either full or had reservations standing. Ultimately I found a larger restaurant where I could order food stuffs. Yay! Turned out they served a nice ōkomiyaki. Yum!
After that I started walking down the shopping street until I reached Yasaka shrine. I walked around there and enjoys the scenery (very nice and relatively calm, in regard to other tourists). But of course it then started raining…
Well, I did find a shelter for the rain, but as time went on, I was tired of standing around and reading more info on Kyoto on my smartphone.. So I started back to my room. Underway I tried riding the bicycle with an umbrella in one hand and I can tell you that having a see through umbrella is the best one for riding a bicycle. Why don’t we have that back home?
Anyway, on my way back I stopped at a kombini (convenience store) for groceries and breakfast, and after that I resumed the ride back.
Tomorrow I will get up early and try the tour by bicycle again.. Oh wait, it’s already tomorrow again. Nevermind.