Day 3 (Tokyo to Kyoto)
I was excited for the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) though not the price (13,720 ￥!) But really, its just a very fast train that goes through a lot of tunnels。It did, however, strike me how little flat land there is in Japan, which I already knew but its one thing to KNOW and another to SEE. Japan is twice the size of the UK but its population of 122,000,000 people lives on only one quarter of its land mass - the rest is mountains. As you whizz by, you see mountains or paddy fields. That's it - not open green space. One of my Tokyo tour guides had said how nice it must be to have open green spaces in England. I thought she meant just being a Tokyo-ite, it was something she hadn't experienced. I think the same is true for a lot of Japanese people - they are running out of space, which is why they build up.
I digress.
I arrived promptly, as expected, and on stepping through the train barrier and looking slightly warily at the instructions to get to my next hostel, a very nice old man approached me. I must have 'easy target' written on my backpack somewhere. Luckily, he didn't want to give me a tour of the train station but asked me where I was staying and gave me very clear directions along with a map in English and a guide on how to use the city's bus network. How lovely! Can you imagine anyone doing that at St Pancras or Heathrow...?
Me neither.
Anyway, a short(ish) trudge (a slow moving shuffle which I perform which panache when be-homed with my shell/backpack...) and I discovered down a tiny back alley an old brown Japanese house. The receptionist was in a beautiful kimono and spoke impeccable English and got me signed in in double quick time. She then lead me back the way I'd come to the hostel part of the business, where I discovered to my delight it was another tiny Japanese house. My room was a tiny (you see the theme here? Very glad I'm not 6 foot something) tatmi room with a futon roll and sleeping kimono all set up and best of all...air conditioning! How I sat happily under that thing for at least half an hour reading maps and guide leaflets! My brain said to my body "Fresh air! Don't you remember how wonderful it is not to be permanently glowing..?" (side note - horses sweat, men perspire and ladies GLOW. And I'm a lady...) My body replied "No, not really. It's been a good 48 hours..."
Day 3 started well and only got better. I set out on foot, and meandered towards one of the temples, stopping off wherever took my fancy along the way. I saw the largest wooden building in the world and sat quietly in awe for a long time. I saw 1000 golden Buddhas and their 28 guardian deities. I saw a temple on the edge of a mountain, looking down over Kyoto like a guardian angel. I walked (and got lost in) the narrow streets between temples and delighted in fans and traditional sweets. I was tempted by many pretty things... It was a glorious day. I saw 7 temples and shrines and every one was beautiful. Unlike Tokyo, you could take off your shoes and go in and sit and be still in your mind.
And I was. For the first time in a long time, I was very peaceful. It was heaven.
Sadly, my internet time is now ending and I have typed way too much) I'll try and finish tomorrow morning if I can find a computer and then figure out a way of not typing so much next time...
