Eric's Wacky Tales

Kyoto!

In Kyoto now! Actually, I got here 2 days earlier as I decided that the other couple places in Shikoku werent worth staying in and just jumped to Kyoto early.

So backing up a bit, I was last in Matsuyama, and met this dude named Tomoki in the hostel. Nice guy, really into Hip-Hop and American movies and in the end it seems like end really like to live in LA. He was touring Shikoku on his motorcycle (Harley i think) and was from Fukuoka. Anywho, take a gander at his web page here. Yes, its in Japanese, but if you click on just the right spot(s), you might get to the section with his lion rabbit (very fluffy!) and his friend praire dog.

Leaving Mastuyama, I went off to the Iya valley which is famous for its deep gorges and vine bridges. Unfortunately, the guide is VERY fuzzy about the details in the area and the youth hostel was also all booked out! So...i took a the train out to Oboke which is a very minor train station with one poor sap working both the ticket window and the gate. Upon getting there i stuck my main pack in a locker and started walking....amazingly, i made the right turns cuz i ended up stumbling across the rock museum and finally, the boat cruise place the guide mentions. The boat makes its leisurely way down, and then back up the river, through the gorge which was a pleasant diversion from the city, temples, buses, and whatnot. On the way back to the train station, i noticed the usual vending machines with an unusual twist: one of them actually sold JUGS of beer. 3L cost 2000 yen if i remember right (sounds a tad expensive).

Ok, so after the Iya valley, i took the train back up to Okayama, then Shinkansen'd it into Kyoto where i am now!

Since my rail pass is still valid, Im using Kyoto as a base to visit all the surrounding stuff. With the Shinkansen, the radius is actually quite huge...

First stop was Himeji which is the mother of all castles in japan (still standing at least..). Its very impressive and also considered an "original". I think everyone has a definition of "original" which is how so many castles are labeled as the only "original" this or that. Himeji was actually restored a couple times, but the interior is still all done in the traditional wooden style (opposed to ferro-concrete) which is how it still retains the "original" label. Many of the supporting buildings have also been restored/mainted making Himeji one of the most complete castles around. This is also where ive perhaps seen the greatest density of non-asian tourists.

After Himeji, which took about 3 hours, I stopped in Kobe. Theres not too much here besides a few scant earthquake reminders, a nice harbor area, and really expensive kobe steak. I saw a restaurant that had something like a steak salad for 7000 yen. I passed. Kobe beef is actually pretty interesting looking though and looks fairly different that regular meat. The meat is...sort of speckeled with fat! It actually LOOKs really good...maybe if i get a chance, ill splurge in Tokyo...
Oh yeah, funny thing. I stopped in bar before heading back to Kyoto (called Ryans!) and there were some brits in there. The news came on about Schwartzeneger leading the polls and the only comment was "thats fucked up". I think we will seriously lose any once of international respect if the Terminator makes it into office with Bush still President...blah.

Ok, today I made it out to Nara which is famous because it was the Capitol of Japan for a short stint. Its famous for its Daibutsu (big Buddha)which had tonnes of screaming elementary school kids swarming the grounds....Lots and lots of temples in Nara, some nice gardens and parks, and, like Miyajima, some very tame deer (Theyre apparently considered messagers of the gods!).

Not much to else. Met a friendly French dude who is a CS phd guy giving a presentation at a virtual reality conference in Osaka. We had a freindly chat about 3D stuff and i tried to convince him to go into the games market!

Something i noticed in Kobe was that the Japanese love their Crepes (crepes agogo style) and their Gelato. Funny cuz right before i left, i went to Mondo Gelato in Bezerkley which was my first experience with a "real" gelatoria(?). Here, they're everywhere!

Oh yeah, i also broke down here in Kyoto and had my first McDonalds (the smell of grease in the air was just too much). Out here in Kyoto, i had a Soft Serve for 100 yen (This is actually cheaper than anywhere else in Japan ive seen), and a Filet-o-fish for 220 (special deal). Not bad. Big mac was only around 250 yen.

...
Side note...the guys out here might be more fashionable...but some are darn UUUGGLY!

I saw a business man dude with a LV briefcase too..that was weird.

Posted by eric at September 30, 2003 03:47 AM