My first real day of exploration

Thought I would start with this picture - it is one of the sliding screen walls of my room. Very organic feeling!

Well, being an intrepid explorer has consequences - and after day 1, these take the form of two mighty big blisters - one  on the ball of each foot. Hopefully they will be much improved by tomorrow when I plan to use public transport not feet! Having said that, Haru and the chap in the local veg shop both seemed shocked and surprised when I explained (with map!) where I had been today. So it has done my cred levels good!


Not all the businesses are still going strong - well I assume this isn't still a going concern!

I started the day exploring my immediate surroundings and stopping of almost immediately for breakfast. Toast, tasty omelette and garnish, plus tea all for under £3 (Y400) - good start to the day. Then of to my first temple - very nearby, it was the Koryuji temple which houses some statues then go back to the 9th century. As a structure i am told by Haru it is the oldest wooden temple in Kyoto...

This chap was dressed to kill while he was tending the gardens at the first temple!

After the temple which was extremely pleasing I headed in a loop back to the nearby local train station complex and it's department store -well sort-off.

I came out of the shopping area from a different side to the one I went in and this threw me! However I had been in the shops quite some time, wandering aimlessly looking at all sorts of things. Haru had recommended the little private station complex as a good place to shop, no matter what you wanted. Clothes seemed cheap and there was lots of stationery stuff that we wouldn't find in a non-specialist shop, but I resisted as I know I have to be sensible - it is only day 1 after all! I settled for some eggs, cheese and water and as I was hot, took it all back to the digs so I could leave a couple of layers behind too.

I didn't  dilly dally as it was already 11.30, so set forth to the next temple. This was quite a walk away but I was not deterred. I won't mention all the places as mostly they will mean little to you, but suffice it to say i was well impressed.

By the end of the day, I had visited 6 temples and a shrine or two. This one was more colourful than some! There were lovely gardens to walk through as well as interesting buildings to study and in some cases enter. The highlight I would consider was Ninnaji Temple which has some really old statues of Buddha - some from the 9th century. Typically you weren't allowed to take photos inside here. 

This was part of  my favourite of the day and shows the raked stone garden.  Hope it doesn't give Paul ideas!

I also, don't laugh, went to a cemetery because I didn't know what the kanji characters meant and it looked interesting....quite different form European styles...photo to follow as I forgot about this one...

In this temple you could take photographs perhaps because it also is the headquarters for some Flower Arranging organisation (can't remember which of hand!)

 I also experienced my first Japanese toilet...photo above especially for my sister (sorry about my foot!) When we were on holiday decades ago, as young teenagers, Sis refused to go when confronted with a toilet that was not of what is called here 'Western style toilet'.  Well these are an improvement in my opinion - especially as I have such bad knees, there were grab handles so you could lower your self into position and back. A definite need for old dodderies like me!  While on the subject of toilets - something I visit a fair bit, I do wonder why the Japanese can translate all sorts of meaningless things but don't bother to explain all the symbols on the control panels....I know from the guide books that these offer heated seats, music to disguise sound effects as well as the more conventional hygiene types of thngs, still - makes for another photo!

And finally as I need to go to bed(!) this is an intentional bottle plugged into a tree - I imagine it is some sort of feed or similar - looks a bit like maple syrup to me though! Just look at the lovely texture on the tree!

Right of to bed this minute before the bad fairy casts a wicked spell on me for being up so late! Night night all!