Dear All,
It's been a few days since I've been able to write the blog...weve been very busy..so busy that when we get back to our apartment we eat, sleep and rest!We moved from Osaka to Kyoto last Thursday. Were now staying at a small apartment in the middle of Kyoto, very central to everything. The apartment is very new and very nice :) not huge but big enough for the four of us. Kyoto use to be the capital city and it seems that around every corner there is another monument, temple or pagoda to visit. Along with streets and streets full of shops and a huge market that stretches forever..we've had plenty to keep us busy. Oh, and cant forget all the eating we've been doing in between!
Over the weekend we went and stayed overnight with my host family (the Hisanaga Family) at their new house in Kobe. When I stayed with them in Osaka we lived in a tiny apartment in Osaka. They've moved to an amazing house in the mountains overlooking Kobe that is gorgeous. They had a party for us with friends and family which included plenty of food, a surprise "congratulations on promise to marry jess and dan" cake, more food, photos, talking, a cute 2 year old (who was very cute until he got tired and starting throwing chopsticks..) more food and a few too many drinks..for everyone except mum who still fondly remembers new year 2000.Everyone at the party was lovely and bought along gifts for mum and dad. Mum and dad have been enjoying all the food, I think we'll all be going home with a little extra weight..especially if we continue eating mister donuts.
Today we visited Nara. About 30 minutes away by express train. Nara was once also a capital of Japan (when the a new emperor came to power the capital had to be changed..every time!). Nara is smaller than Kyoto and there are beautiful parks and wide roads to wander. We started at Todai-ji which is the largest wooden structure in the world. Its a huge temple that houses the biggest bronze statue, a buddha, in the world. Its amazing. At the back of the temple in a huge wooden pillar there is a hole at the bottom the same size as the buddhas nostril. It is said that if you can fit through the hole you will reach enlightenment...so of course we had a go!Dad and I squeezed through so we're well on our way to enlightenment..same cant be said for mum and dan unfortunately.
Whilst at Nara we fed the deer (they're wandering EVERYWHERE!) wandered the park, visited a few different shrines, had some lunch and what day in Japan wouldnt be complete without mister donuts!
We've come back to rain in Kyoto tonight so luckily Japan functions on soo many levels! Theres the street and below that there seems to be whole networks of restuarants and shops (perfect for wet weather!) below that is the subway networks. On the streets are huge covered arcades that are also good for bad weather. Above the streets are the highways and rail networks held up with huge pillars above the ground...dads very impressed :)
Tomorrow planning on visiting Kinkakuji (the golden pavilion) and dad is madly searching the internet looking for a motorbike shop to visit. Wednesday spending the day with my host mum Kimiko visiting a few more sights around Kyoto and a place where they make kimonos. On Thursday were off on the bullet train to Hiroshima!
Much Love,
Jess and Mandy, Steve and Dan xox
