We woke up early. Woke up at 1:30 am then 2:30 a.m. and then took a sleeping pill that got till 5:30 a.m. We told Al we would meet him in the lobby at 7 a.m. We met him and then took the JR Train and then the subway to Tsujiki Market- the huge Tokyo Fish Market. We aren't supposed to go down to where they are doing the actual sales until after 9 a.m. but we snuck down. There were boxes and boxes of fresh fish on ice. There were some fish still flailing around in tanks. There are hundreds of little darts flying around with fish. I was looking to avoid one and had another nearly side swipe me. You name it, we saw that kind of fish. A cop kicked us out after a little, despite seeming local with Albert and his Japanese as our guide- all the Japanese were impressed that he could speak. After we found some fresh fish for breakfast in a little restaurant right by the fish market. Tasty tempura and rice for breakfast for me :)
We headed out on the Bullet Train for Kyoto. All of a sudden out on the right of the train was Mt Fuji, amazing rising majestically from sea level covered in snow this massive iconic volcano. Awesome! Arriving in Kyoto we figured out the subway to get close to our hotel and made our way to the Ritz. The hotel just opened a couple months ago and it is one of the nicest hotels I have ever been to. Our corner room has 270 degree views overlooking river and into town. We grabbed lunch downstairs and then took out the pedal assist bikes. Sam was psyched and I must admit it was pretty awesome how must assist they had. We cruised out to the Imperial Palace and Gardens.
On the way Nate found a barber shop just near the park. He ran in and Sam and I headed out to the park and cruised around the massive grounds on our bike- Sam intentionally spinning out in the gravel ;) We came across the most beautiful weeping cherry blossoms. There was a Japanese photography class going on by them. My heavens...just fairy tale beautiful. We snapped some photos and then Nate found us and pulled up. He took his helmet off and we just couldn't believe it, the barber had literally all but shaved his head. Couldn't stop laughing. It was just a riot. Could see every freckly on his head and just was like he had joined a Buddhist Monastery in the past 15 minutes. Sam and I and our monk, Nate, rode with us through the streets and down to the waterfront on the bike path that runs along the waterway through Kyoto. We flew down the path and then up into Gion- my favorite place maybe in the world. It is filled with old wooden structures, amazing painted shrines, winding streets filled with little wooden gates that have treasures and gardens behind each one.
I had stayed in Gion with the girls years ago. We had stayed at a traditional inn Ryokan there. We went to the Yasaka Shrine with its large orange gates and beautiful buildings and up into Maruyama Park. When I was here with the girls last the park was fully blooming. It was past peak but above it were more shrines and walkways and beautiful wooden structures.Many many women were dressed in Kimonos and their hair done and slippers and were wandering the gardens and shrine having their photos taken. They really are so beautiful all dressed up. Sam was so tired that Nate took him back and I went looking for the large stone Buddha that I had found with the girls. They were now charging to see it, where before we just walked up to it. Wandered around the streets on the bike and stumbled upon a shrine that had this crazy tunnel that looked like it was good luck or to eliminate bad luck by crawling through it. No one spoke english so I couldn't ask. Riding through these streets is just my favorite. Looking forward to going back on foot later.
This evening I was excited to meet up with my friend Kim Sachs. She was the head of Sam's school Park City Day School's wife. She and I became friends when she moved to Park City several years ago. She and Charlie live in Seoul now running an the International Chadwick school. She coincidentally was in Kyoto for one day, the day I was here! It was so great to get caught up. We had a delicious Tepanyaki dinner together and got all caught up. So fun to hear about her life in Seoul and what it's like living abroad.
We headed out on the Bullet Train for Kyoto. All of a sudden out on the right of the train was Mt Fuji, amazing rising majestically from sea level covered in snow this massive iconic volcano. Awesome! Arriving in Kyoto we figured out the subway to get close to our hotel and made our way to the Ritz. The hotel just opened a couple months ago and it is one of the nicest hotels I have ever been to. Our corner room has 270 degree views overlooking river and into town. We grabbed lunch downstairs and then took out the pedal assist bikes. Sam was psyched and I must admit it was pretty awesome how must assist they had. We cruised out to the Imperial Palace and Gardens.
On the way Nate found a barber shop just near the park. He ran in and Sam and I headed out to the park and cruised around the massive grounds on our bike- Sam intentionally spinning out in the gravel ;) We came across the most beautiful weeping cherry blossoms. There was a Japanese photography class going on by them. My heavens...just fairy tale beautiful. We snapped some photos and then Nate found us and pulled up. He took his helmet off and we just couldn't believe it, the barber had literally all but shaved his head. Couldn't stop laughing. It was just a riot. Could see every freckly on his head and just was like he had joined a Buddhist Monastery in the past 15 minutes. Sam and I and our monk, Nate, rode with us through the streets and down to the waterfront on the bike path that runs along the waterway through Kyoto. We flew down the path and then up into Gion- my favorite place maybe in the world. It is filled with old wooden structures, amazing painted shrines, winding streets filled with little wooden gates that have treasures and gardens behind each one.
I had stayed in Gion with the girls years ago. We had stayed at a traditional inn Ryokan there. We went to the Yasaka Shrine with its large orange gates and beautiful buildings and up into Maruyama Park. When I was here with the girls last the park was fully blooming. It was past peak but above it were more shrines and walkways and beautiful wooden structures.Many many women were dressed in Kimonos and their hair done and slippers and were wandering the gardens and shrine having their photos taken. They really are so beautiful all dressed up. Sam was so tired that Nate took him back and I went looking for the large stone Buddha that I had found with the girls. They were now charging to see it, where before we just walked up to it. Wandered around the streets on the bike and stumbled upon a shrine that had this crazy tunnel that looked like it was good luck or to eliminate bad luck by crawling through it. No one spoke english so I couldn't ask. Riding through these streets is just my favorite. Looking forward to going back on foot later.
This evening I was excited to meet up with my friend Kim Sachs. She was the head of Sam's school Park City Day School's wife. She and I became friends when she moved to Park City several years ago. She and Charlie live in Seoul now running an the International Chadwick school. She coincidentally was in Kyoto for one day, the day I was here! It was so great to get caught up. We had a delicious Tepanyaki dinner together and got all caught up. So fun to hear about her life in Seoul and what it's like living abroad.
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