Day 140 - 17th of January

10:38pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ、曇り
Today was very active, and really awesome… I got up at 9, and readied myself for today’s outing with Nadezhda. We were out of the seminar house by about 10:30, making our way to Makino. It was, at that point, a beautiful, warm day, so much so, that I decided to wear just a jumper (my new red one); this proved to be a bad move later on. Anyway, we went from Makino to Kuzuha, switched to a rapid express, then onto 三条 (Sanjou). From sanjou, we took the 地下鉄東西線 (chikatetsu touzaisen – Subway “east to west line”), three stops across to 二条城前 (Nijoujoumae). The peculiar thing about this subway was that glass walled off the track from the track, and there were automatic doors in front of the train doors. Nadezhda and I wondered why the walls were needed; were they just for decoration. Indeed, the colour of the automatic doors changed at every station. Also the warning signal in the subway had to be the best I’ve heard yet; it’s a pretty little koto motif.

We soon arrived at Nijoujoumae, and made our way up and out into the fresh air, with the castle wall beckoning us from across the street. We eagerly made our way over, purchased tickets, and took a few pictures out front, before entering the grounds. We firstly came across a gate leading into the 二の丸御殿 (ninomaru goten – Ninomaru Palace) and the detail, though faded, was spectacular. Entering the palace, we had to take our shoes off and don slippers, and no photography was allowed inside. It’s just one of those places you have to actually go into to see, and I really appreciate that. I was by no means disappointed, and while I have no photos to show, I will try to describe it as best as I can. The first thing I noticed was the design on the ceiling. It was made up of squares, and within each square, a detailed motif; many flowery designs. The palace is made up of five connected buildings, and each building had a different design on its ceiling.

The next thing I noticed was a strange squeaking beneath my feet. We were soon to find out that the floors were deliberately designed to produce a noise. This method of construction, 鴬張り (uguisubari – “nightingale flooring”), was used in the wooden corridors to protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins; clever thinking. Although I haven’t heard a nightingale call, I definitely hear the likeness to a bird chirp; so cool. And finally, I notice the paintings that cover the walls of all 33 rooms; over 800 tatami mats. Oh my gosh, it was incredible. Each room had a different theme, here pine trees and mountains, there fans and chrysanthemums. Tigers, peacocks, pheasants, horses, cherry blossoms, rivers, ducks, cranes… all backed by gold leaf. It was so beautiful; the outside world was brought inside. The wall paintings are attributed to artists of the 狩野派 (kanouha – Kano School), one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. Another cool feature was a set of red tasselled doors in some rooms where the shogun’s bodyguards could come out and protect him.

And this was all done over 400 hundred years ago. Incredibly, all of the original paintings (over 3000) survived, and while most in the palace were reproductions, we were assured that they were as close to the originals as possible; using traditional methods, and natural pigments. After exiting, we continued through a beautiful garden, and over the inner moat, to the remains of the 本丸御殿 (honmaru goten – Hommaru Palace). Unfortunately, the interior is only open to the public on special occasions. We made our way through more gardens to the 天守閣 (tenshukaku – keep), well… where it stood at least; it was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground in 1750. So all that’s left now are the stone foundations; provided a good view of the grounds though. We finally circled out and back around to the front, through some many gardens, which will look so impressive, come spring.

We went to the gift shop, and I bought a pin of the palace, then got two more for a machine; couldn’t resist. Further along was a memorial exhibition hall, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the palace (2003). Inside, we got to see the original wall paintings of the 四の間 (yon no ma – 4th Grand Chamber), in the Ninomaru palace. This room featured hawks and pines, and was the where officers were received, and the weapons kept; perfect theme. Being able to see the walls up close, albeit behind glass, was great. The exhibition hall was also set up with the same dimensions as the original room, so we could really get a feel for what it was actually like. More than satisfied, we left the castle, grey clouds not dampening our spirits one bit. Although it wasn’t exactly what I had expected (there was no “castle”), I still found it an incredible experience.

Now very hungry (it was almost 2), we went in search of somewhere to eat, and soon found it down the road; ramen shop. Gosh I’m becoming such a fan of ramen; I love it more and more every time I eat it. I also drank the green tea there. It was cold and so dilute I could hardly taste the tea; quite refreshing. Nadezhda and I were still rearing to explore Kyoto, so after letting our meals go down, we exited and turned left, following the main road, having no destination. We got to a big intersection, and Nadezhda spotted Kyoto tower to the right. Since neither of us had been to the top before, we decided to go for it. But first, since I recognised the area, I took Nadezhda to the 六角堂 (rokkakudou – Hexagonal hall). It was great going back there again; the swans were particularly active today. After that, we continued walking towards the tower, down the main road, before spotting another temple; the 平等時因幡薬師 (Byoudouji Inabayakushi). It was absolutely dead (there was much construction work also), and we felt compelled to whisper; such an amazing atmosphere.

Shortly after, we come across another wondrous complex; the 東本願寺 (higashi honganji – “East temple of the original vow”). Such a grand name certainly fit the enormity of the buildings. The gate itself was impressive enough, but the temple within rivalled that of the todaiji in Nara. The building next to it, the Amida hall, is currently decked out scaffolding, but will be opening in 2011; another thing to come back and see). The complex is 99,000m2 and is one of the dominant sub sects in Shin Buddhism. The other, as we were soon to find out, is the 西本願寺 (nishi honganji – “West temple of the original vow”). We didn’t look around too much as it was getting late, and very cold. It was very close to the tower, so we were soon inside, and shot up the elevator to the top observation deck of the 131m tall building; 100m at observation deck.

The views of Kyoto were spectacular. We had come at a good time, when the sun was setting, and the mountains turned to gold. Surprisingly, the binoculars were free, and we spied a number of sites, including Kiyomizu temple, Toji Pagoda, and the Momoyama castle. One problem with the binoculars, for me at least, was that they were too short, so I had to basically squat to see through them. Supposedly, we were able to see Osaka castle from the top too, but we couldn’t find it. We stayed up there till dark, watching the colours of the sky slowly change, and the lights of the city come on; it was equally beautiful at night. The mountains in the background were so black, and we noted that south of the tower was much brighter, in terms of lights, than the north. I guess it’s because all the historical sites aren’t lit up, and they make up the majority of the area; seriously. You can never see enough it Kyoto!

At about 6, we left the tower, and walked over to Kyoto station, taking some photos of the tower from various angles and heights; I took Nadezhda all the way up the sky garden. Getting out of the cold (and yes, I was really feeling it in my just jumper), we found our way over to the Kitetsu line, and got a train to Tambabashi, before hoping on a local back to Makino. The trip back was so nice, and warm, and restful, and when we did get to Makino, I really didn’t want to get up. Both needing some groceries, we went over to life. I just got some meat, cereal, and these great little buns filled with red bean that Jo had offered us one time; Nadezhda spotted them. Finally getting back home (what a relief), I set about making dinner; shepherd’s pie. It wasn’t until after 9 that I sat down and ate; peeling potatoes is time consuming, lolz. I was very happy with the meal though; got a bit left over for tomorrow too. After dinner, I had milk and a bun, and then went down to my room, and did a quick little tidy up.

As I was making dinner, Yuji explained that he needed to come down to my room to talk about the inspection this Friday! Since I took so long, he’d left the kitchen and went to do homework, so I had to go find him in his room and drag him away from it. He cautioned that this inspection would be more thorough than the last and, since everyone will have their inspection on the same day, there is no room for mistakes. He also showed concern for Ryan’s absence, and asked me to inform Ryan as soon as he gets back, to go see Aki to get the information from her. We also went up to check my kitchen box, and then the fridge, and Yuji was impressed by how clean it was; I only have to wipe it down. It helps when I’m practically the only one using it; there’s like two things in there of Ryan’s, and no one’s in the other room that shares our fridge. And talk about being in the right place at the right time, we both got cake from Aki; it was absolutely delicious. Finally, got to have a shower… Well better get some sleep now, going to animate in Hirakata, and then onto Umeda with Ash and Peter tomorrow!

Day 24 - 22nd of September

10:44am　湯元館
天気：曇り

Just attempted to straighten Alex's hair... After our very traditional Japanese breakfast, I went to the baths, while Alex went to sleep. It was really cool; they had like an obstacle course of baths. Lol, you know what I mean. There was one for your feet where you walked over ridges and jets; one where you lie down with jets on you back, a cold bath, a sauna, and of course the electric bath! I tried them all. After that, I got into one of those massage chairs. It was great... Now we're going out to explore the area.

1:44pm　京都

We're walking through the underground plaza connected to Kyoto station, having just witnessed a parade of dancers and musicians. They're walking past again now. They have floats and everything. We got an all day bus pass for only 500円! We're going to go sight-seeing everywhere now.

11:56pm　湯元館

Just came back from the onsen's. Yes that's right, I went to two! First I went to the open-air bath on the 11th floor. The view of the lake, and all the lights. It was spectacular. There was a curved bench-type thing with a foot bath. It was raining, and lying there was such a great feeling. After spending about 15 minutes in the baths, I decided to seek out another one. I went down to the 8th floor and found it. This one had a small bath outside and two indoors, and a cold water bath, and a sauna. I went in the sauna for a while; it was 89oC!!! That was much better; I've found that the baths aren't that hot. They are very relaxing though, especially after such a long day...

So, we ended up going to Kyoto for the day, after walking around Ogoto for a while and visiting a local shrine. Once we got the all day bus ticket we sussed out the system. They are so well organised seriously; the map we got was amazing. All the bus routes throughout the entire city were clearly marked, with places of interest labelled, and referred back to the particular bus route that best suited the destination. I really wanted to see 金閣寺 (kinkakuji - "the golden pavillion"), so we went there first. Going on the bus was an adventure in itself; there was so much to see along the way. It took a while to get there actually, cause it's right up the other end of the city. But when we finally got there we were met by a chaotic scene of cars struggling to enter the parking lot, shepherded by the ever diligent traffic cops. After a 400円 admission fee we entered the the main complex. The leaves on are just starting to change; I seriously want to come back again in the next few months. There are maple trees everywhere and I could imagine how beautiful will look.

The first glimpse of gold through the green leaves stirred excitement through the seething mass of the crowd. The temple lies at the edge of a lake, and from where we first viewed it, it's reflection cast gold into the still waters below. Pine trees have been sculptured into works of art, scattered about the buildings occupying the ancient complex. Drifting along the tide of people around the lake, with its many islands topped with delicate trees, we spotted a gathering of koi carp. Grey, white, red, black, yellow; all the colours surged through the water as open mouths gasped at the surface. Further along the path, through the dense forest, we found a stall selling お守り (omamori - good luck charms). I was really happy about the find and bought one for success in study, and another for longevity and health. Study, health, wealth, and dreams were Alex's omamori of choice. After walking around for a while, and trying our luck at tossing our coins into a small dish, we exited out onto the main road, and plunged into chaos once more.

At a corner shop, Alex bought a kimono and yukata set. I bought some post cards and collected a badge out of a slot machine. It was already pretty late, almost 5, so we decided to take another bus, this one to 銀閣寺 (ginkakuji - "the silver pavillion"). We ended up being on the bus for almost an hour, coming to the realisation that we might not make it back to dinner at 7. So after getting off the bus, I rang the inn. After a long exchange they finally managed to get across to me that we would have to pay for the dinner whether we ate it or not. Luckily, I was able to change reschedule dinner for 8. So, we walked over to ginkakuji. Alex, staring in awe upon seeing a rickshaw, realised she had been here before. As we got closer we were notified that the gates would be closing at 5, so I rushed up the sloping road, leaving Alex, behind, hoping to catch a glimpse of the temple before it closed. It was in vain though. When I got to the entrance, I saw the 500円 admission fee, and though, it's not worth it for a minute of viewing. Also, it was under renovation until March. I might come back to see it then.

Slightly disheartened, I walked back down to met Alex, and browsed the few stops that were still open. We found this one shop that sold yukata and I immediately searched for one to buy for myself. With Alex's help, I decided on a blue one. I found a matching 帯 (obi - belt) and went to pay. After the transaction, I received a complimentary gift which at first glance looked like a DVD case but turned out to be a personal hygiene pack, with an assortment of items including scissors, nail clippers, razor, mirror, and a brush for getting fluff of clothes!!! So cool.

After a soft serve (mango for me and lemonade for Alex) we got back on the bus. Oh my gosh, it was absolutely packed. We barely fit in, and as we continued en route, more and more people crammed in. The small number of people getting off was agonisingly disproportionate to the huge number getting on. Eventually we were pushed to the back, and got to sit down at least. We went past the zoo and the art gallery and decided to come to Kyoto again tomorrow. I also suggested that we hit the huge shopping district I'd gone to previously; we past it a bit later. People everywhere, crossing streets in the 100's, taxis barging in with no respect for the rest of the traffic; this is Japan. So many times a thought a collision would occur. We spent well over an hour on that bus.

Finally reaching the station, we caught the local train back. It was almost 7:30 when we arrived back at Ogoto, so in order to make it back to the inn in time, we made use of the pick-up service. Getting back to the room, I decided to put my new yukata on, while Alex opted to wear the one provided. Dinner was, again, so amazing. We had a fish head (Alex had fun playing with the eyeball), rice, pork in a broth with vegetables and noodles, scallop and prawns (raw), soup, and this dish containing yam, kinda mashed up in a ball. It was so yummy. And for dessert 黒ごま (kurogoma - black sesame seed ice cream)!!! it was actually really, really nice. We ended up staying in the restaurant for over an hour, before being respectfully told to leave as it closes at 9.

Back in the room, Alex tried on her yukata and kimono. We took photos of each other out in the hall. Then I went to the onsen. And now I'm back to where I started, and it's almost 1:30 so we'd better get some sleep. Gotta get out of this amazing place come morning...