Our adventure started last night on a red eye flight from Singapore into Narita Airport. Customs took a quick 30 minutes to clear despite the snaking line of people. Our bags were already waiting for us at the baggage carousel when we got there.
Then it was down 1 floor to basement one to exchange our Singapore JTB bought JR vouchers for our Japan Rail Pass. The people there noticed that we had been overcharged for our 7-day rail pass, it was supposed to be about 28,300 yen per person, but we were charged 45,100 yen each. Anyhow, we were told by the Tokyo JTB office to sort it out when we get back to Singapore.
The guys at the JR office at Narita Airport were very helpful, they helped book our train from Narita to Shinagawa, and to Kyoto. The man helping us even told us if we waited a half hour we could get seats facing Mt Fuji enroute to Kyoto. Note the Mt. Fuji side seats are D and E in either direction.
Dozing on & off on the Hikari 511 I kept wondering if I had missed the mountain :P
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Okay, I missed the mountain :( will try to look out for it on the way back to Shinagawa…
It was very nice of CF to meet us at the Kyoto train station. Sakura Ryodan, a great recommendation from CF was about a 15 minute walk from the train station. The weather was H.O.T.! Perspiration was dripping from everywhere…
We were checked in by a very hospitable Iketani-san, originally from Tokyo but he runs this place now. It is our very first trip outside Narita Airport, so this is our first time in a ryokan. Our futon beds and yukatas came with an instruction manual :P
The rest of the afternoon was spent shrine visiting. The first one was Guan's suggestion, It was a 1,040 yen taxi ride from our ryodan, which coincidentally is just a couple of minutes from another large shrine.
We had matcha ice cream, peach & ramune gelato (yummy!) and a orange float to quell the afternoon sun. And yes, we had the triangle mochi my flight attendant cousin said we must have 'cos she says that it is available only in Kyoto. :) Moreover, she timing was impeccable, she SMS-ed me just as we were walking out of Kiyomizudera and heading into the street of shops.
We walked a lot, cross bridges and lots of roads into Gion. We spotted 3 geishas! I hope the shots are good :) CF then took us to buy beer and drinks to relax by the duck-river to wait for his girlfriend. It was a surprising way to spend a bit of time in Kyoto, sitting on grass with a beer in hand, watching eagles, storks and ducks fly by.
Dinner was at the leek izakaya place in Pontocho Guan heavily recommended. Very yummy for all 4 of us, but it was on the pricey side. But the important part was the good friends and great company. We later found out from CF's girlfriend that that restaurant grows their own leeks, and that it was an expensive meal. :P
Kumxia all who have made my very first day in Japan a truly enjoyable one :)
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