My travel companion has temporarilly retired to be ill

Back streets of Kiyomizo Gion
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Much excitement getting on the old bullet train. What I'd forgotten about was that the announcers on the trains sound like Steven Hawkings in Japanese it really is most bizarre! Other quirky little things is that either each line or each station has its own tune, so when you arrive at a station a little synthesiser organ plays out a little ditty. They have tried here to make everything as user friendly as possible with signs/symbols/music for everyone no matter where from can understand. Even the stops are numbered & at the station you get on they have a list of the stations on that line with the number of stops between the present station and all the others. Really even an idiot couldn't get lost on the underground here! To keep warm whilst waiting for the train we opted for a Georgia hot coffee – nice but not as nice as blendy! Even here they queue in a very orderly fashion. Ten minutes before the train arrived in the station an ordered procession of pink clad women and blue clad men appeared and lined themselves up at the barriers. When the train arrived & the passengers got off – this little pastel army went on board & cleaned the train from top to toe. All the head rest covers were replaced, all the floors washed & all the seats moved to face the other direction. Once this had finished we were allowed to get on. The train is kind of like a combination between a normal train & a plane with weird big plane windows. We'd secured seats on the right hand side of the plane to ensure we could see Mount Fuji. The day was crisp sunny with zero clouds! So Fuji viewing looked optimal. Shortly out of Tokyo & Jackie spots a big mountain; its confirmed Fuji has been spotted! As we get closer its quite apparent that Fuji is a big mountain! The mountain is in view for ages & as its winter there was loads of snow – perfect! After a while we go into some tunnels, past some more mountains, past a town & then... its back, however this time its the famous view; all snow at the top with green fields stretching down to a city below it. It really did look quite amazing – far better in the flesh than a photo has ever depicted it. I'm still amazed at how big it looked!

Blendy!
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We arrived into Kyoto after 2.5 hours of whizzing at breakneck speeds through the Japanese countryside. What is apparent from the train journey is how little space the Japanese have to live in. the county is mostly mountainous so where there is anything that a house will stay on they build one. The train station in Kyoto is mammoth. Its a huge new building housing the JR line, the local train line, a hotel & a massive shopping centre. The place is so huge they have a building information booth! Not sure exactly where to get out we stumbled along for a while until we made a brave move & went with a particular exit. Somehow miraculously we had opted for the right exit & were soon checking into Ks No.2 in Kyoto. This hostel is a bit larger than the one in Tokyo, and although kitted out in exactly the same fittings/furniture it seems more sterile, less homely. Our room is 102, another 8 bed dorm, but this time with no en suite. Room mates I believe I have covered in the previous section so lets leave them (or more correctly him) there else I might break out the tourettes affliction again!

Buddha mania
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Jackie unfortunately isn't well & has picked up some lurgy that has been around since Beijing. I can feel something trying to gain access so have started to take vitaminC in vast quantities. Early to bed & lets hope the illnesses have disappeared.

Day2 Kyoto & Jackie is worse, I'm still feeling the same so the vitamin C overdosing continues. Not a day to go out we stay in & catch up on email etc.

Day3 & Jackie is even worse, thankfully I feel much better. Not wanting to miss out Jack manages it as far as the post office before admitting defeat and going home. Its just me by myself today for a tour of Kyoto. On the way out I bump into Dave & Rachel just back from the supermarket – funny how you can keep bumping into people!

Cleaning staff waiting to get on the bullet train
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First stop was south of the city at Fushimi Inara shrine. This place was recommended by Mie and also the photos Pete/Kyle took made the place look pretty cool. I was going to hire a bike & then decided against it as it was a bit late in the day – looking back I really wish I had as Kyoto is really easy to cycle around & it cuts down the time spent in between sites. Having walked for a good 20 minutes following the railway path I stumble on Tokuji. This is one of the millions of temples in Kyoto & is quoted in the lonely planet guide as being “one of their favourites”. The grounds of the temple had a really peaceful air & even the sound of the crows/ravens/huge big black bird things added to the atmosphere. I didn't go into the temple but instead wandered around its grounds. A very nice 15 minute distraction. Onwards to Fushimi and I kind of strayed off the path a little exploring some of the what looked like private gated communities. Some of these houses were pretty big & in traditional Japanese style so who ever lived here must have been pretty loaded as space is at such a premium here in Japan. I got to a point where I was wondering when/if this shrine was going tot turn up when I turned a corner to see stall holders selling temple/shrine tat. So far in Japan the 2 main shrines that I've been at have had a row of stalls leading up the main shrine entrance. These stalls sell everything from tourist stuff, food and shrine offerings. Offerings included the usual flags, imitation shrine things and millions of foxes everywhere from fluff to wood to china. This particular shrine is guarded by stone Foxes. The fox looks after cereals in the foxy spirit world & the Japanese believe that a Fox can possess a human; the most common form of entry is via the fingernails!!! At one part of the shrine there were millions of plywood foxes decorated with whatever the offerer wanted to draw on, another corner had a candle cabinet; the candles are all marked with Japanese writing so look pretty (especially compared with the old Catholic ones – missed a trick there in decorating the wax!) This shrine is in forest on the outskirts off down town Kyoto so again has a really peaceful ambience. Lots of Japanese people seemed to be turning up after their work merely to stroll through the grounds. There are loads and loads of Torii here; these are the gates which lead to the approach & entrance to a shrine. The ones I have seen either look really old & are in stone with Japanese carvings, or far more commonly they are wooden painted mostly Orange with black. In this “shrine park” there were tens of Km of walks, one particular walk went up to the top of the hill over 4Km away. What made this place look amazing were that these paths were outlined by closely packed Torii so it was like being in an orange tunnel with quick glimpses to the green forest outside. Obviously these Torii were new but they followed a path a much more widely spaced stone Torii up into the hillside. Could quite happily have wandered around here for a while as the ambience was lovely. Even looking around the shrine stalls was interesting. If I had had some spare change I would have bought some fortune envelope for everyone; Jackie would have got the one for health & I Know lots of people who would want the one for finding/marrying the right man/woman, there was ones for wealth, happyness all the usual bollocks.

Japanese queue everywhere - not sure what happens when they leave the country & become tourists?!
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Next stop back across the city to Kiyomizu temple. This is apparently the most busiest site in Kyoto so can be mobbed. I followed some signs that pointed in the temples direction, passed (of course) more temples & shrines on the way. Suddenly I started to walk up through more narrow streets that were getting steeper & steeper. Theses streets were like a royal mile of Kyoto with all the old style houses & shops out the front selling religious stuff to souvenirs. Most of the people here were Japanese & I get the impression that they take their faith pretty seriously – Although they all look happy & unstressed at the shrines/temples. On the way up the hill I was met with droves of people all coming back down the hill. I seriously hoped this place was still open! Thankfully it was although it was shutting in half an hour. This also meant the place was deserted. Also part 2 was that it was getting dark & I couldn't see anything! Walking up the steps there is a huge tower which is lit up. I actually have no idea how old this is but it is really impressive. As it was 5.30pm & darkness was setting in the view of old from the temple down the hill to the new of the city & traffic lights below was really quite cool. Obviously Id left the old tripod at home so had to go through the same old setup of balancing the camera on a wall & setting the timer. I have got a could of great photos this way, but maybe I shouldn't say that until I've seen them on a screen bigger than this computer!

Just as well we know the train number!
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Wandered back down the hill & took a right towards Gion, within minutes I hit the Yasaka shrine which sits at Gion Junction. Apparently this is the place to come at New Year to wish for good fortune in the coming year. When Pete/Kyle were here the queue stretched a long way down the street to visit here. After walking around for a while got the idea that someone was looking at me, then spotted a western couple looking at a map & I guess they thought they may be able to ask me for some directions. Needless to say they didn't ask me but our paths kept crossing throughout the evening. Wandered into the old streets of Gion in search of Geisha but being close to 6.30pm didnt expect to see any. Off the main street of old Gion there are many narrow lanes with nothing but bamboo shuttered restaurants. There is no way that you can see into any of these buildings as the windows are completely closed off – These places look really classy & expensive & it was was a great experience wandering around picturing the scenes from memoirs of a geisha.

Mount Fuji - bigger & more spectacular in the flesh
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One more street to look at round here & that is what I'm calling restaurant row (Ponto-Cho Street) This is a narrow street first right after you cross the bridge at old Gion. Being Friday the place was mobbed with Japanese out for dinner. Despite the millions of people it was really quite quiet noise wise – really most bizarre this noise business over her ein Japan. The food looks fantastic & if back here in Kyoto I'd love to eat down here. Walk back to the hotel through the very busy streets of downtown Kyoto. Have a quick stop in body shop – really expensive – like £20 for a bubble bath??!! Back home for 8ish & after Jackie updating on the Ukrainians panpipes playing we go down the bar for dinner. Rachel & Dave join us for a wee while. They have also been in Gion & managed to spot 3 Geisha!

Its just not blendy!
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Last day for Jackie to attempt to see Kyoto! At bus station (500Y bus pass) we unbelievably see the lost French couple from Gion yesterday. Rather rudely they push in the queue for another bus so I really hope the bus they made a run for arrives a lot later than the bus we are currently waiting on! 101 bus is a tourist friendly bus with English translations of places of interest on route. Our first stop toady is the golden Temple a good 50minutes away. I actually think we could have walked quicker – the traffic is really busy & very slow. Went past Nijo castle & countless other shines/temples – Kyoto really is littered with such amazing evidence of history. Eventually its time to get off the bus & off we got to see the infamous golden temple (along with millions of other Japanese) 400Y gets us entry. Temple is nice – was rebuilt in the 50s as some nutter priest type burnt the original down though! Very nice setting & yet again despite the crowds very peaceful feeling. Treated myself to a hagan daaz icecream form the mega vendy. Next stop toilet. Just about threw up when the toilet I chose (all of the squatty potty variety) had a pile of skitters on the floor in front of the bowl. Boak even more was watching the poor cleaning lady make her way up the toilet with her mop. Boak even more was watching her clean her gloves in the sink after she had finished cleaning!!!

A sign that could give Gaelic a run for its money!
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Back to the bus & off to Kinkaju temple. Jackie needs a tolly so we decide on Kinkaju temple before Gion as I know for definite there is a western clean toilet there! Actually forgot to mention that in the western toilet there is a baby holder in the corner – cool! Can also in this toilet play flushing music. I used the old shrine purification water to clean my hands after that. So back to Jackies ablutions & after they are finished we have a wander around, & then back down the old streets towards Gion. Much excitement at a shop that takes visa so we buy some souvenirs to post home. These streets are really quaint & the little sweet food shops have samples of their goodies outside – many things I tried! Jackie however managed a banana thing which she had to spit out – unlucky! Make our way down to old Gion & manage to see 2 geisha, one of them we saw twice (may possibly be a trainee) and she even posed for a picture for a Japanese chap. So cool to see these girls as there are estimated to be less than 80 in Kyoto. I did realise that when I worked in Banff(1991-92) that a business man did bring a geisha girl over with him. I thought her was just making his wife dress up like that as I didn't know really what the dresses & white faces were – but he must have been loaded to afford to take her with him to Canada.

Baby holder in the toilets - how handy!
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Go back to the hostel via the post office (how we rock!) pick out 2 boxes 400Y total. The next stop train station to buy the tickets for the airport train. Blimin expensive the trains here as this will cost us in the region of £40 each.

Busy night tonight with washing, skyping, postcard writing, packing & posting.

Dave comes down for a drink when Jackie is on the Skype to Stephen, tells me some stories of their early days travelling when Ko Tao had no roads, no Electricity & that you drank by candle light & slept in ta hammock covered in mossy nets. They also had a bar communal bong – class!

Daytime view of Kyoto
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So bye bye to Japan – great place, fab people will be back!!