No issues getting to the train station and buying our tickets on the bullet train. Cathy, Joe & Alise sent their luggage on ahead, so they were completely unencumbered; a brilliant idea! The train was great, very comfortable, efficient and of course, fast. We arrived in Kyoto in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Our Ryokan, the Japanese inn that we are staying in is only a 10 minute walk from the Kyoto train station but it took us at least 30 minutes to find the right exit OUT of the station. Picture 8 people wandering thru enormous crowds bouncing from one spot to another, kind of like a pachinko ball (Japanese pinball). If we had listened to Dave, we would have found it right away, but it was a matter of too many generals and Lee (me) falling down on her tour guide duties and not getting enough detail.
Of course by the time we managed to find the right exit and start walking down the street, the rain had followed us and it was pouring! So it was a 10 minute walk in the rain. After asking directions once we arrived at the inn.
What a lovely place and the English speaking hostess is adorable. So effusive and fun. After we were all shown to our rooms she gave us recommendations on where to explore for the remainder of the afternoon and offered to show Cathy and I how to use the Japanese bath. Then with a twinkle in her eye, she looked at Billy and said, “I would be happy to show you how to bath too”!
We took two cabs to the Gion temple and area…another mishap in that we got separated and when Cathy, Joe, Dave and Lee arrived we didn't see the rest of our group. They had left ahead of us, so we figured they had climbed the market street and would be waiting for us at the Temple gate. We reached the top but no sign of them. Dave and I did a quick walk thru the temple to see if they were inside but still no sign of them. So we decided to slowly make our way back down through all the little shops, with Cathy & I stopping to explore and Dave and Joe on sentry duty. Not long after, we finally found them. They had somehow fallen behind us and had been waiting for us at the bottom. We explored the shops for a bit and then decided we were all cold, damp and in need of Sake and food.
Billy had a map and we knew which direction to head so we went in search of sake. It was a bit of an adventure going down tiny alleys in the dark, poking our heads in serene but very expensive little restaurants. Just as we were ready to give up and find a cab, we stumbled upon a tiny place that looked interesting. When we went in and asked if he could handle a party of eight, the owner/ cook/waiter, cleared the centerpiece off the ONE table in the place and we snuggled in. What a serendipedous choice! We were going to just have sake and dumplings, but the gyoza was so excellent that we ended up staying for the best ramen, a chicken and sesame broth based, Japanese curry and tonkatsu, the breaded pork cutlet accompanied by plenty of beer and sake!
The man would take our order or make a recommendation (speaking no English) and then go back and cook it for us, bring it to the table and clear the prior course. What a great find it was! Also, on our quest for great Japanese toilets, we agreed that his was the nicest, cleanest bathroom we had ever seen!
We felt so invigorated, we decided to walk the whole way home. By the time we reached the Ryokan, the clouds had disappeared from the night sky. The girls capped off the evening by a dip in the communal bath. Poor Dave had to go alone as none of the other men would join him! Oh well, there two more nights. I'm sure he would have been happy to join the ladies…
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