Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kyoto

 First full day in Kyoto we got up at 8:30am and got the bus to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. It was a 20 minute walk from the hotel to the bus station and a 45 minute bus ride. Arashiyama has this tourist street which was super busy with loads of different shops. When we got off the bus we went straight to the bamboo forest which is off the main street.

Thought I took a lot more photos than this. Think I was just appreciating it as it was so nice to walk through. Was a bit cold as it was shaded but a great experience.

You could hire men in carts to take you through the forest not sure how much it was.

There was also some shrines in the forest that you can pay to go and see. We didn't go to any though.

We picked a good day to go as the weather was so nice and sunny.

We went to this shop that was further down from the main tourist strip that had all different rice crackers and yatushashi - a triangle flat mochi. You could try everything they sold in the shop. Was just filling up on the different flavoured rice crackers. We bought some yatushashi to bring home.

I got a sweet matcha drink not realising it was not the same as a matcha latte...

It was sweet but just this green liquid. It was nice but not what I was expecting.

We walked back to the main street that was full or food shops that had samples and souvenirs.

Dad got a vanilla and matcha ice cream

I got just matcha

After we took the bus back and went to Nishiki Market. Which was an indoor covered market with a lot of food stalls

Giant crab claw, octopus and scallops

These were so good and so cheap - 600 yen which is just under £3. We should have got more as other places were charging 600 yen just for the 1 octopus or scallop and you got 3 on a stick.

After wandering round we ended up in this restaurant where we got udon noodles and tempura

After we walked back to the hotel and I went for a walk on my own. Walked past Higashi Hongan-ji Temple which is actually lit up really scary in the dark!

Thought I took a lot more photos than this but I must have just been taking it all in and appreciating it forgetting to get my phone out for photos!

Next stop Fushimi Inari Taisha

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Kyoto

After 3 nights in Osaka we got the train to Kyoto. We left at 1pm and got to Kyoto just after 3pm. The hotel was round the corner from the train station so was easy to find but was tiny. There was no space to move in the room.

We chilled in the room till 5pm as they do free hot drinks from 5-8pm downstairs.

They have a public bath which turned out to be an Onsen - naked public bath. Separate men and women. We didn't use it and didn't realise the hotel had it but guessing people booked it for that as it was quite busy see people going down to use it.

After our hot drink we had a wander round to see the area and went to the supermarket to get some dinner and had a really early night.

The first day we went to the Bamboo forest which is getting its own post and the second day we went to Fushimi Inari Taisha which is also getting its own post.

On the 3rd day - check out day we walked to see Nidec Kyoto Tower. It also happens to be where Kyoto train station is. We went to get bullet train tickets to go to Tokyo from the station. The ticket cost £67 each and was an extra £5 to get reserved seats as we didn't know how busy it was going to be and wanted to have seats where we could put our luggage.

Kyoto version of a scramble crossing

We walked through the station and there's a free sky garden you can go to with views of the city. Not as high as the Nidec Tower but still high enough to get a good 360 panorama view.

The dirty glass was annoying but it was very windy up there

On the way back to the hotel to get our luggage we went to Higashi Hongan-ji Temple. It's free to walk around but you do have to take your shoes off. They give you carrier bags to put your shoes in.

We had something to eat at this place that was round the corner from the hotel.

Rice krispies in my noodles

Grabbed our luggage then head to the station to get the bullet train to Tokyo.

The leg room is really big and we could have put our luggage with us in front but we didn't realise this and ended booking the later train with reserve seats so we could sit together. We did tell the guy how big our cases were so he should have told us.

The bullet train just felt like a normal train. It didn't feel like it was going super fast. Like if I didn't know or no-one told me would have just thought I was on a normal train. It took 2 hrs 15 mins to get to Tokyo.

Bamboo forest next...

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