We planned our journey as follows:
Friday night – take night ferry from Oita to Kobe (11h)
Saturday morning – arrival at Kobe and take train to Kyoto (2h)
Tuesday afternoon – take train from Kyoto to Osaka (1h)
Tuesday night – take night ferry from Osaka to Beppu (11h)
Wednesday morning – arrival in Beppu and take train to Oita (20 min)
Our ferry – the Sunflower
The journey on the ferry was by itself an interesting experience. Going to sleep in Oita in the evening, and waking up in the morning in Kobe. The ferry was very nice, clean, and new.
Inside the ferry
The ferry guests sleep on thin mattresses on the ground. One room has 14 mattresses.
I every mattress was taken by someone, it would be hard to sleep without bumping into each other. We were lucky, because there were only 2 other guests in the room.
Of course also on the ferry you have to take off your shoes. Some people were even running around in pyjamas. It felt like people felt more at home and like a family than you would see on a German public space. I find that in certain places Japanese people dress and behave more relaxed and informal than in Germany, although Japanese are very polite and distanced.
On the ferry there was a hot bath, which is like a hot spring on a ship. In Japan hot baths are a common thing – I had heard that it is like a huge bathtub where everybody goes in naked (of yourse men and women seperately), after having washed really thoroughly. I had also read about gaijins (foreigners) who went into a Japanese bath, got into the bath tub and all the Japanese left. This apparently happens, if one forgets to wash thoroughly before getting in or does something else inappropriate without knowing! So hot spring… I really wanted to take a hot relaxing bath before going to sleep, but I remembered my last frightening experience in Taiwan. I did not want to make a fool of myself (again). Was I brave enough to risk reliving my trauma?
In Taiwan I took this sign for Hot Springs for a sign for a restaurant with Ramen noodles
and was bitterly surprised (^_-)
The entrance to the bath. What will be waiting for me behind this entrance?
But I really wanted to go and experience a Japanese bath, because I was so curious. So after fighting with myself mentally for about an hour I finally pushed myself through the ominous door to the bath – and saw a bunch of naked women standing in a locker room. Ok, this is not so bad, some are undressing, I will just follow their example. So secretly watching what the others were doing I just repeated everything they did. But taking a shower is not like a German shower. You have to sit down on a little bench in front of a mirror in order to wash yourself. I still do not know what the purpose in sitting down is and why you have to watch yourself in the mirror. The women did not shower excessively as I had thought. It took a normal time of about 10 minutes. Having learned from my deep frier experience in Taiwan, I cautiously checked the water temperature with my hand first before getting in ^_^ It was nice and warm, aaaahhhh, this felt very relaxing…
Now I can pad myself on the shoulder for having brought up enough courage ^_^
In the morning I managed to take a picture of the bath,
because nobody was in it! Yeah!
It is interesting that you are supposed to shower in a sitting position and in front of a mirror.
Brushing your teeth in the morning, while watching the sea - it was a beautiful experience ^_^
On the ferry
Planning our strategy to take over Kyoto ^^
When we arrived in Kyoto, it was not at all what I had expected. It was like getting off the train in any other city. Where is the traditional Japan? Where are the temples, shrines, and geishas? Ok, maybe I have had totally Hollywood style images in my head. Should have stopped dreaming so much before.
Anyways, we made our way through to our hostel. Its name is “Kyoto’s Cheapest Inn”... It is a telling name. It was the worst, oldest, and filthiest hostel I have ever seen. Fabian, Marion, and I had booked a bed in a dormitory, which we shared with 20 other people. It was not only dirty, but it also smelled!
Kyoto's Cheapest Inn - don't go there!
Every bed has its own curtain. But you still can hear and smell everything!
The showers are so dirty and maybe even worse - they smell!
Travelling in Kyoto is pretty convenient. A day ticket for the bus (one of my favourite words now: バスののりほだいのきっぷ) is only 500 Yen (ca. 3,70 €) and we really took advantage of this, because Kyoto is huge. Kyoto looks like a normal city. You will not automatically see much beauty and interesting things by just walking around the city. You have to make the effort to go to the sights and gardens. But when you arrived there, hell you are rewarded!
So this is our first day:
Nanzenji Temple
Entrance to the Zen garden of Nanzenji Temple - the garden is one of the most beautiful things
that I have seen in Kyoto
Typically raked pebbles(Nazenji Garden)
Carp in the Nanzenji Garden pond
These were the most relaxed fish I have ever met!
They were swimming really slooooowwwllyyyy.
These fish are totally Zen.
You could even touch them on the head.
Nanzenji garden
Bamboo in Nanzenji garden
Nanzenji garden
Nanzenji garden
Nanzenji
Heian Shrine
Heian Shrine
Trees full of paper, which people wrapped around the branches for luck
This is also typical for Kyoto - at the famous sights it is packed with tourists! It is cazy!
The incredible amount of tourists is the one thing that makes Kyoto seem less authentic for me. And making your way through masses of people in the bus, on the streets, at the sights, etc. can be really exhausting.
Chawan-zaka (Teapot lane) at Kyomizu Temple.
Many small shops are selling souvenirs, lucky charms, and handicrafts.
Kyomizu Temple
In order to encourage love in your life you are supposed to close your eyes
and walk 18 meters from one stone to the other.
If you find the stone, you will be successful in love.
Marion tried it out and found it! ^_^
Kyomizu Temple
Kyomizu Temple
Gion by night - it is packed with people!
Our first great day came to an end and we got depressed. We did not want to go to that dump of a hostel. We tried to cancel, but we could cancel only the last night - at least a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel! I went to bed not only depressed by the frustrating atmosphere in this hostel, but also dreading the next morning, when I had to go into the dirty, smelly shower. The worst thing: I had forgotten to bring flip flops! If I wanted or not, the next morning came. Have you ever showered with socks on? I was so repelled by the dirty shower, that I wore my socks! In the shower!! The feeling of a wet, heavy, dripping sock in the shower is really disgusting. Haha. I had to laugh at the thought that I was in Japan, in Kyoto, Japan's most traditional and culturally rich city, and showering in socks because I could not stand the dirt.
When I stepped on something in the shower, small and round like a coin, I thought, great, now something from that plastic shampoo holder broke off. I wanted to pick it up. Oh my God, it has got legs. And it is moving. A bug in the shower! Aaargh!
Not feeling much cleaner we took on the second day in Kyoto:
First you need some thinking to understand the bussystem and find the right bus to your destination. But is is actually straightforward. The round yellow signs on the bus pillar indicate when the bus is coming.
And yes, I always look so intelligent when thinking. ^_^
The Kinkakuji Temple - The Golden Pavillon
Very beautiful!
And also packed with tourists...
Marion and I in the garden of Kinkakuji
Famous raked garden at Ryoanji Temple
You sit on a platform to enjoy the view on this garden
Ryoanji Temple
I love the trees in Kyoto
Kyoto holds many places for Buddhist food. One of the most famous is Yudofu. It is basically tofu and tofu skin boiled in hot water. But the water is not seasoned. And the soy sauce is extremely mild. It ist definitely one of the most interesting foods that I had in Japan so far. But also one of the most taste neutral.
The entrance Tori of the Fushimi Inari Taisha. There is a fox on each side.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Kyoto train station is impressive at night
The view over Kyoto from the 11th floor of the Kyoto train station is breathtaking
On our third day in Kyoto we went to the Nishiki market. If you are interested in food, you have to go there! The variety of weird and delicious food is huge. And maybe the best part for me: I got to try so much samples of food that I never ate before! It was an exciting day for my tongue, so many new flavors ^_^
We went to the imperial Palace. We had to register before on the internet in order to get in and on the day of the tour we had to show our passports, get a permission and then show this to a (incompentent) man at the entrance. But why all this fuss, there was not really much to see. We could not get into any rooms, and just looked at the buildiings from outside. They were not even that spectacular. The only thing that caught my eye was the garden! (From the amount of Nishiki pictures and Imperial Palace pictures you can guess, which fascinated me more on that day.)
It was not only a wonderful day because we saw so many wonderful things. It was also a wonderful day, because we would sleep in another hostel! When we came there, it took our breath away. For the same price we got into hostel, which actually looks like a new hotel! The welcoming atmosphere warmed our hearts and minds. It was clean, new, stylish, modern - just welcoming! We were at the verge of crying. Our emotions were boiling. Why did we go to hell, when we could have gone to such a heavenly place?! We were given beds in an 8-bed-dormitory. Yeah! This is an upgrade from the 20-bed-dorm in the Cheapest Inn. Of course we checked out the showers. What a difference! In contrast to the Cheapest Inn showers I could eat from the floor of these showers. Geil!
Happily we snuggled into our comfortable and beds. Four other people were already sleeping. Unfortunately, one of them was a snorer. I was still so happy that I did not really bother. After half an hour it started to get a little bit on my nerves, because I could not sleep yet. Suddenly the door opened and the 8th person came in. First I was a little bit angry that he disturbed the room in the middle of the night, but it had a good effect: the snorer had woken up and was silent! Yippie, now I have to sleep really fast. But after some minutes he snored again. Even worse, the 8th person started to snore even louder. So in the pauses between the snores from the 1st snorer, the 2nd snorer filled them in. Gnnaaaahh!!! I do not know how, but after some hours I managed to sleep. But at 4.00 a.m. I made the mistake of waking up. The snoring orchestra was in its full fortissimo. I became aggressive, I wanted to choke them both! At 4.30 a.m. I gave up and went to the lounge. Who did I meet there? Marion and Fabian were already sitting in the lounge, circles under their eyes, and hanging in front of the computers. Apparently Marion had moved out of the room at 2.30 a.m. and Fabian at 3.30 a.m. Haha. They had not slept at all. There we were, laughing ecstatically, feeling like beaten up by the lack of sleep, exchanging our fantasies of murder. It was there in the early morning hours in a beautiful Kyoto hostel, that I heard Fabian's worst "Your mum" jokes and learned that even kind Marion had a violent side. The best way to choke the snorers? Stuff my Cheapest Inn shower socks into their mouths! Eat my shower socks!
We were so tired, especially because each day was packed with so much action. Ironically, we realized that we had slept much better in the Cheapest Inn. I would have gone back to get my good night's sleep...
Omanju in several varieties
Sweet red bean paste with matcha powder
I forgot what it was
Octopus puzzle
Vegetables!
One of the best cookies I have ever eaten - with soy beans
I should marry him - he makes the soy bean cookies ^_^
Crunchy Rice cracker with nori
Fish with long noses
Guess how much these 4 mushroom cost?
450 Euros!
Garden in the Imperial Palace
We met a friend from our German language course in Bochum!
We went to grab some coffee - of course Starbucks
Running sushi for dinner!
In front of the Kyoto station. Kyoto looks really different at night.
This is a diagonal crossing by the way.
Already at the reception I felt home
The lounge is stylish and comfortable!
My shrine
We were so tired, especially because each day was packed with so much action. Ironically, we realized that we had slept much better in the Cheapest Inn. I would have gone back to get my good night's sleep...
4.30 a.m.
We were the first customers at Starbucks, right when it opened its doors.
Ginkakuji Temple
People throw coins at this stone for luck
I love the moss in Japan. It looks so cozy and they have different textures and colors. Again I am bothered that my camera fails to catch the colors and the beauty of what I see!
I got the God for health - for only 100 Yen ^_^
Shrine in Gion
We saw so much in Kyoto that at the end of the day I always had to think really hard in order to remember what we had done at the beginning of the day. Also, I started confusing temples and now that I write this blog I start confusing the photos and sometimes wonder, where I took that picture. Going to Kyoto as a tourist usually brings about a ton of new images, impressions, feelings. The beauty of the temples, shrines, gardens, trees, moss, and the liveliness of this city captured me. I would come back any time.
Sunrise by arrival at the port in Beppu
