Quinni in Japan: Kyoto

When we arrived at Kyoto station, having left Tokyo 3 hours ago and still weeping within, the first thing I noticed was how familiar everything looked to me and that it felt a little bit like coming home! I recognized all the station building, the bus terminal, the big crossing in front of the station. It was so nice to feel like being in a familiar place again.

The second thing I noticed was how quiet it was! There were fewer people, they were not rushing like crazy, the whole atmosphere in Kyoto is so mor relaxed than in Tokyo. Compared to Tokyo Kyoto is a quiet beauty. Well, except for the weekends at the Golden Pavillon or Kyomizudera etc.

I miss Shibuya Crossing and the Starbucks!

Here is the Shibuya Crossing version in Kyoto:

Our guest house "Chita" is a little bit of a disappointment. Fabian and I allowed us the luxury of booking a room for two people. It is so stressful to come back to the hostel after walking around the whole day and being exhausted, and not having a possibility to relax in a quiet place. If you stay in a dorm room with 6 other people, the travel can get really exhausting. But here in Chita the walls are so thin, that it feels like you were living with the other people in one room! You hear EVERYTHING.

Something else that bothers me about this hostel is that it only has one shower for the whole hostel! There are 15 pairs of shoes in the entrance so we can guess how many people probably will want to shower! I am sitting here, surfing on the internet for already an hour, waiting for the shower to be vacant again. I feel like a lion behind some bush waiting to jump out and catch its prey.

The most interesting thing about this hostel is its Japanese style of the guest rooms. The rooms are laid out with tatami mats. The beds are futon which you spread out on the floor. And we got a Yukata! It is something like a Japanese pyjama for home.