Day 4: Bullet train to Kyoto, Arashiyama, Gion

On Day 4 it was time to make our way to Kyoto on the famous bullet train, called the Shinkansen. It would take 5.5 hours to drive between the two cities, but on the Shinkansen, it takes a little over two on the Nozomi.  

The train goes so fast it's a little hard to get used to at first. It feels like warp speed the train is really nice, very clean, and very smooth. You only have a few minutes to get on and off, so it's best to be aware of when you are arriving at your stop and be ready at the doors with your luggage. There's room for small carry ons here, but not much else unless you put it in front of your legs. We were hoping to see Mt. Fuji from the train, but the weather wasn't cooperating and the seats on that side were reserved anyway. 

 

  

 

We had some great mountain and sea views, but none of Mt. Fuji because the weather was not cooperating. 

 

We arrived at Kyoto station which is massive and has countless different railway lines. It's easy to get lost, but help seems easy enough to find. The subway trains here doe not electronically show you where you are at like Tokyo, but it's still pretty easy to get around. 

We checked into the Hotel Monterey Kyoto  which is a grand old hotel, very nice, with almost normal sized rooms and an almost normal sized closet. We are across from a Starbucks which as a view of an incredibly beautiful temple. 

 

We took a cab to Arashiyama which allowed us to see the city. The river by Arashiyama is at the base of some mountains, lined with cherry blossom trees, and is indescribably stunning. This photo really can't capture it (it was from the cab). We were lucky enough to time our trip for full bloom in Tokyo and full bloom in Kyoto. Arashiyama is bustling and a very cute town. 

 

 

  

 

   

We walked through the Tenryu-ji temple gardens, a Unesco World Heritage Site. These gardens are really incredible, and should be visited if you are in Kyoto. You can exit the gardens from the north gate and find yourself immediately in Arashiyama's famous bamboo forest. 

 

 

   

 

     

 

After the forest we got some tasty oat tea soft serve and made our way back to the train station. The neighborhood here is really fun to walk through.  

 

Train station

 

Before dinner we made our way to Gion, one of the last areas you can see geishas walking the streets. We toured Shinbashi street, a small street on a canal full of restaurants, lined with cherry blossom trees. It's described as one of the most beautiful streets in Asia. 

 

  

For dinner we got ramen nearby at Musoshin. It's a tiny ramen place (with an English menu). It's one of the many ramen places where you pay and place your order through a machine that gives you a ticket. The ramen was delicious and cheap. 

 

 

So far Kyoto is spectacular. Everywhere we look there is something more beautiful than the next.