After a night stayed in Osaka, we started our journey to Kyoto on the next day and we had been staying there for 4days 3nights...
TRANSPORTATION
After a night stayed at the hotel in Shinsaibashi, we chose to depart our journey from the nearby station - JR Namba Station. This trip costs us 890Yen/person. And we need to change two times train. The first changed was at Statioin Imamiya and the second changed was at Osaka Main Station then headed straight to Kyoto Station.
During this Kyoto trip, we realised that there are few different trains at every station. If you look at the map, the black dot with the station name is the main/big station while the black dot without the station name is a small station. Why I explain this?
It is because in Japan, there are different trains whereby people can choose to take either the normal train that will stop at every station or the rapid train that only stop at the main/big station (Stations that with black dot and station name). In the picture above, the blue label is refer to the rapid train lane while the yellow label is refer to the normal train lane.
However, with the tickets that we bought, we can only take the rapid or normal train but not Haruka train. Haruka train is a limited express train which require the extra token to board the train. And definitely Haruka will be faster that the rapid train.
From what I've read on net, I understand that there are reserved seat ticket and non reserve seat ticket. But until now, I still don't know how to differentiate these two. So all the time we took train in Japan, we just sit whenever we can~ Yea yea... I know that we were acting like as if we were just came out from "kampung". But, when you have walked for the whole day. I don't think you will even care much about how people judge you. Furthermore, we don't even understand a single word of Japanese >.<
The picture below is a foldable seat~ Not every train has this... And it can't be used during rush hour. It is the only seat that I saw it without the seat number. So, I guess it is for everybody~
Basically, we only took two days to go for sight-seeing and it was much easier and cheaper when we were travelling from places to places in Kyoto. Why? It is because most of the tourism spots can be reached by using public bus. With this, all of the tourists are actually entitle to buy the 500Yen daily pass.
If without the pass, they charge flat rate and every single bus ride is actually cost 220Yen. So, we have to take more than 3bus rides everyday to make our daily pass worthy. And I can assure that most of the tourists can take more than 3bus rides a day. With this day pass, we no longer fear that we enter the wrong bus or get off at the wrong destination.
Besides that, I found out that it is a very big different with Malaysia when comes to take the public bus in Japan. They have a good culture which I think it can be learnt by us - board the bus from the rear door and pay at the machine that located at the side of the bus driver seat then exit from the front door. Everybody follow this rule and it won't be jammed up at the door area and delay the bus schedule.
As for our day passes, we just need to insert the card into the machine before get off from our first ride and the machine will print a date at the back of the card. On the following ride of the day, we just show the card to the bus driver will do.
With this day passes, maps and all the information gathered.... Here we set and go!
SIGHT-SEEING DAY 1
1. Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社
Yasaka Shrine is located at Gion District. Therefore, it also known as Gion Shrine. According to the bus map, there are few buses going to there. This time, we took bus 100 to get to there directly.
After entered the main gate, we saw a lot of stalls selling food and drinks, as well as the souvenirs.
Daddy and mummy got attracted to this stall whereby the only stall that we noticed it was full of Chinese words..
A stall that selling snacks... Those snacks are not decent snacks.. They claimed that it can help to make our body more healthier and stronger.
Daddy bought this - blueberries.. They said that eat it a little bit every morning is good for diabetic patient. Although daddy is a diabetic patient, but he bought this just because of this blueberries taste good~
This shrine includes few buildings. It is including a gate, main hall, a stage and etc..
Once entered, there is a shop on the right side, it is selling all the things that needed for people to pray...
On the other hand, there is a small temple on the left side.. I believe it is a temple for love~ People who wish to pray for a good and smooth love life will come to here...
When we walked toward inside, the first thing we saw was the stage....
Another entrance on the right side of the stage...
The main temple is located at the left side of the stage....
People queuing up to wait for their turn to pray...
July is the most happening month for Gion, where the Yasaka Shrine is located. It is because Matsuri Gion will be held on this month every year.... So, we saw a lot of Japanese wearing their traditional costume walking at the street, especially in this temple...
A photo of us taken at the Yasaka Shrine before left the place....
2. Hanamikoji, Gion 花见小路，祗园
Due to the Gion Matsuri, Gion street is full of the hanging flats...
There are a lot of restaurants and souvenir shops at the Gion Street...
Spotted the foreigner wearing the Japanese costume...
Gion is a place for geisha / geiko. So, we were here to look for geisha... Due to the lack of doing our own research before came here, we spotted a tour group. So, we followed them to walk into this Hanami lane to find geisha since we shared the same mission :p
Hanami Lane is one of the Japanese's preserved traditional streets...
We saw quite a few people queuing up in one of the streets in the Hanami Lane... So, we kepoh and walked inside to find out that what they actually queuing up for... After tat, we realised that they actually queuing up for entering a restaurant while the restaurant not even open yet. I am wondering that why Japanese so love to que up ^^"I guess the food that the restaurant serve must be superb!
Spotted this 8500Yen / RM272 small bowl... Such an expensive bowl the shop selling ^^"
After walking at the Hanami Lane for around 30mins, we gave up for looking after geisha due to the weather is too hot~ So, we had to say goodbye to Hanamikoji~
3. Ginkakuji 银阁寺
There are quite a few buses go to Ginkakuji. This time, we took bus 203 to get there and the bus dropped us at Ginkakuji-michi bus stop.
After getting off the bus, we followed the sign board walked to the Ginkakuji.
Spotted the ninja the pull the trishaw... Yes, it was quite a long walk. We walked for about 10-15mins before we reached the Ginkakuji~
There are few convenient stores like this on the road side while we were walking up... Tourists who feel tired and thirsty can stop by to buy some drinks..
Here we reached the entrance of the Ginkakuji~
Got our tickets at 500Yen / person. Only me and my brother entered.. Ginkakuji will be closed at 5pm everyday~ And lucky us... we got there at around 4pm. So, we got the chance to get in and have a slow walk inside the Ginkakuji~
Ginkakuji, the silver pavilion is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). It is a temple that modeling after the Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavillion.
A small dry sand garden at the entrance~
Once entered, the mouton view here is really spectacular...
The first sight after entered the ground was the Silver Pavillion, formally known as Kannoden (Kannon Hall). A two stories building that was't covered in silver at all. Why named it Silver Pavillion? It is believed that the name arose as a nickname for more than a century after the building's contruction to contrast it with the Golden Pavillion.
The kogetsudai sand mound, also known as the moon viewing platform...
On the other side of the Silver Pavillion, it is the main hall named Hondo.. It has the paintings displayed on its sliding doors~ With the spectacular view here, a lot of tourists actually sitting at the Hondo here to rest and enjoy the view...
In front of the Hondo, it is the famous dry sand garden, also known as the "Sea of Silver Sand"...
Right next to the Hondo, there is an oldest extant example of Shoin architecture building named Togudo... After passing the Togudo, the walking path then takes us thru the Ginkakuji's moss garden... It consists of the ponds islands and bridges, little streams and various plants.. And a path that climbs up a hill behind the buildings from where there are the nice view of the entire temple grounds and the city beyond...
Walking out from the Ginkakuji and it's time to say Goodbye~ Met daddy, mummy and my sister outside the entrance~ Snapped a photo for memory then left this beautiful place~
A very hot weather in Japan... Imagine we need to walk under this hot weather everyday from places to places... But, no regret.... Indeed, Japan is a beautiful place with beautiful cultures ^^
