DAY 4 - IMPERIAL PALACE/KIYOMIZU TEMPLE
Woke up to find out it was raining quite heavily! Luckily for us, we had done our research on the weather and fortified ourselves with some raincoats. After another killer breakfast,we decided to take a walk around Keage; after all our appointment at the Kyoto Imperial Palace was only at 10:00 am.
This walk was indeed very memorable as it was the first time in a few days we had a few hours with no plan, no timetable and no itinerary (and no trains to catch)! It was pure bliss just doing some window shopping, and running into side streets that led to nowhere. We saw lots of kids going to school in their raincoats, trying hard not to be late to class. We chanced upon a strange "mental powered vehicle" (also see picture) and we have no idea what is meant by that. We also observed a strange (to us atleast) Japanese car parking contraption, and one of the car owners explained how it worked. In one of the little stores, we bought asmall bottle of expensive sake (from an old lady who spoke no English) to imbibe during a less-hectic evening. We simply pointed our finger to different bottles of sake and raised our thumb. When the old lady nodded her approval (meaning that bottle rocked!), we purchased it! We also stopped by a sandwich shop to pick up some food to have on the way to Tokyo later that afternoon. For the first time ever, we bought a fruit sandwich, and wish we'd bought more. Later thatday our taste buds would find out that this delicacy consists of fruit (strawberry/kiwi/peach),fresh cream and white bread, all rolled into a delicious snack.
We made it on time to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, as did all the other visitors - after all who would take pains to make an appointment only to miss it? Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the Emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. It is located in the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park. Initially they made us watch a video introduction in this huge open air hall; later we were joined by a guide who spoke very good English. She took us around the palace, and explained all the details as we were not allowed to actually go inside the palace. Even this took close to 90 minutes! Our all-knowing guide transported us to another time, and explained to us (amongst other things)what the Emperor did during the day, and how visitors to the palace were given different rooms to stay based on their mode of arrival (foot/ox-drawn carriage/horse drawn carriage). It was truly a fascinating tour and we reveled in the embedded history. Our guide did such a tremendously good job that some visitors wanted to take a picture with her...she rules in Kyoto!
Before we left for Tokyo, we had to stop at the Kiyomizu temple - an old temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism, a relatively small sect that was established in 657 by the monk Dosho from China. The cab dropped us at a place from where we had to walk up towards the temple. All along the way, there were shops on either side that were selling some exotic goods. We picked up a little Japanese fan for Viha and some other small gifts on the way. By this time, it had started raining again, and when we got to the temple, it intensified. This only added to the beauty of this magnificent place, as the temple is surrounded by so many hills and trees. Once again in this trip, I wished I had gotten my SLR, as it would have done some measure of justice to every frame that it captured.
Once inside the temple compound, we observed one section wherein which people were removing their shoes and going inside. Not to miss this happening, we went forth and asked what was transpiring. The guides told us to proceed downstairs in the general direction of the stairs. We complied, not knowing what was in store for us. As we went downstairs, it was pitch dark and all we had was the wooden railing that we could hold on to. Holding on to this rail, we inched our way to the bottom where we could see some light. There was a stone Buddha here, that one needed to rotate once, while making a wish..which we did. I am not sure what Indu wished for (perhaps to see Viha?); believe it or not, I really wished for world peace, as corny as that may sound to some of you! Soon, we were back on top and inside the temple complex.
It's been advertised that drinking a cup of Tazo tea has been known to have the same effect as sitting for a while in a mountain meadow on a sunny day with your shoes off. Basking in the religious ambience of the Kiyomizu temple gives one a very similar experience. It is both a calming and rejuvenating experience. We could have spent hours walking around the heavily wooded mountain area, but chose to cut short our walk and head back. At the periphery of the temple, we chanced to walk past a small restaurant, where the kitchen was seperated from the eating quarters. The kitchen was inside the shop area, while the dining area was an open air roofed set-up with the hills on one side, and the temple on another. Patrons are advised to remove their shoes, and sit cross-legged while dining on a typical Japanese table that is ten inches high. Mats ensure that you don't have to sit on the floor! Here we lunched on some awesome noodles, and enjoyed the scenic beauty that was prevalent on all sides. With the rain drizzling down, all the leaves and trees looked alive, and we look back fondly at this moment as our best dining experience in Japan (possibly one of our top three dining experiences of ALL time; along with our anniversary dinner at the French Room, and out "memorable for other reasons" engagement dinner!).
Reluctantly, we showed ourselves out of the temple, and made our way back to the Westin. As all our stuff was packed and ready to go, we made our way to Kyoto Central, not really wanting to leave. We had fallen hook, line and sinker for Kyoto and almost thought of staying another day at the magnificent Westin (although we really did not have any reservations). Later, we managed to catch the afternoon Shinkansen to Tokyo. As this was a long journey, we did some planning pertaining to our Tokyo visit, and also managed to eat our egg and fruit sandwiches (bought earlier in the day) that managed to taste as good as they looked!
After disembarking at Tokyo, it was immediately evident that the two cities (Kyoto and Tokyo) were as different as night and day. Tokyo has it's teeming millions, who are all on a mission to get things done at any cost. It took us a while to get our bearings right, but we managed to make it to our hotel - the Princess Garden Meguro, and it was situated in (you guessed it) Meguro. This would be our headquarters for the next few days.
After freshening up, we decided to explore Tokyo. My favourite part of Tokyo is Ginza as that is where we stayed during our last visit - so Ginza it was! We used the super-efficient Tokyo Subway system to get to Ginza. Ginza is a fashion-conscious part of Tokyo, where every major marketer (SONY/APPLE/MIKIMOTO...anyone you name it!) has a presence. Economics dictate that the land value at Ginza is horrendously high, so many stores lose money here and make it back from outlets in cheaper areas. Most Japanese walking around look like they came right out of the pages of a fashion magazine. The dainty women are painstakingly pretty, and the male trend at the time was to be trendy chic yet look frazzled (this was last month's "look", am positive it's changed now!). Ginza is a window-shoppers paradise; if you are planning to go there, have loads of time, a pocketfull of cash...and lest you forget, look good! Contrary to what Neil Young says, out here in Ginza, it IS how you look, and NOT how you feel!
We decided to get a bite to eat and refresh ourselves with some Sapporo draught (the only beer Indu can drink, and not make faces!). Our rule was to only wine and dine at places where there was an experience to be had. Keeping this in mind, we walked into the "LION" bar - as we saw a lot of people getting in, and the menu from the outside "looked" good. In Japan, almost all restaurants have a visual 3-D representation of their food outside the restaurant, along with the prices. Potential customers can, in effect, figure out how their dish would look, and how much it would cost. This takes away any "sticker shock" while perusing the menu, and you don't have to wait for your spouse's dish to arrive to see if he or she got the better deal!
The LION bar was styled after a German beer hall, and the waitstaff were accordingly dressed. There were at least a couple of hundred people inside, and the place was packet to the hilt. The atmosphere was noisy and one could sense the excitement after a hard day's work. Apparently people like to party in Ginza (it was a Wednesday evening), and showed no signs of slowing down any time soon! We sipped our beers and got a bit to eat...all the while wallowing in this ambience and trying to study our fellow revelers.
The excitement of the day, and all the traveling had siphoned most of our energy. Rather than go someplace else, we decided to hang in Ginza for the rest of the evening. Shortly thereafter, we made our way back to the hotel, and were pleasantly surprised to see so many people riding the subway even at a late hour.
Our first night in Tokyo was an eye-opener to say the least, and we retired for the evening with the thrill of knowing that we had two full days to explore this vibrant, rich and historic city.
This walk was indeed very memorable as it was the first time in a few days we had a few hours with no plan, no timetable and no itinerary (and no trains to catch)! It was pure bliss just doing some window shopping, and running into side streets that led to nowhere. We saw lots of kids going to school in their raincoats, trying hard not to be late to class. We chanced upon a strange "mental powered vehicle" (also see picture) and we have no idea what is meant by that. We also observed a strange (to us atleast) Japanese car parking contraption, and one of the car owners explained how it worked. In one of the little stores, we bought asmall bottle of expensive sake (from an old lady who spoke no English) to imbibe during a less-hectic evening. We simply pointed our finger to different bottles of sake and raised our thumb. When the old lady nodded her approval (meaning that bottle rocked!), we purchased it! We also stopped by a sandwich shop to pick up some food to have on the way to Tokyo later that afternoon. For the first time ever, we bought a fruit sandwich, and wish we'd bought more. Later thatday our taste buds would find out that this delicacy consists of fruit (strawberry/kiwi/peach),fresh cream and white bread, all rolled into a delicious snack.
We made it on time to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, as did all the other visitors - after all who would take pains to make an appointment only to miss it? Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the Emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. It is located in the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park. Initially they made us watch a video introduction in this huge open air hall; later we were joined by a guide who spoke very good English. She took us around the palace, and explained all the details as we were not allowed to actually go inside the palace. Even this took close to 90 minutes! Our all-knowing guide transported us to another time, and explained to us (amongst other things)what the Emperor did during the day, and how visitors to the palace were given different rooms to stay based on their mode of arrival (foot/ox-drawn carriage/horse drawn carriage). It was truly a fascinating tour and we reveled in the embedded history. Our guide did such a tremendously good job that some visitors wanted to take a picture with her...she rules in Kyoto!
Before we left for Tokyo, we had to stop at the Kiyomizu temple - an old temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism, a relatively small sect that was established in 657 by the monk Dosho from China. The cab dropped us at a place from where we had to walk up towards the temple. All along the way, there were shops on either side that were selling some exotic goods. We picked up a little Japanese fan for Viha and some other small gifts on the way. By this time, it had started raining again, and when we got to the temple, it intensified. This only added to the beauty of this magnificent place, as the temple is surrounded by so many hills and trees. Once again in this trip, I wished I had gotten my SLR, as it would have done some measure of justice to every frame that it captured.
Once inside the temple compound, we observed one section wherein which people were removing their shoes and going inside. Not to miss this happening, we went forth and asked what was transpiring. The guides told us to proceed downstairs in the general direction of the stairs. We complied, not knowing what was in store for us. As we went downstairs, it was pitch dark and all we had was the wooden railing that we could hold on to. Holding on to this rail, we inched our way to the bottom where we could see some light. There was a stone Buddha here, that one needed to rotate once, while making a wish..which we did. I am not sure what Indu wished for (perhaps to see Viha?); believe it or not, I really wished for world peace, as corny as that may sound to some of you! Soon, we were back on top and inside the temple complex.
It's been advertised that drinking a cup of Tazo tea has been known to have the same effect as sitting for a while in a mountain meadow on a sunny day with your shoes off. Basking in the religious ambience of the Kiyomizu temple gives one a very similar experience. It is both a calming and rejuvenating experience. We could have spent hours walking around the heavily wooded mountain area, but chose to cut short our walk and head back. At the periphery of the temple, we chanced to walk past a small restaurant, where the kitchen was seperated from the eating quarters. The kitchen was inside the shop area, while the dining area was an open air roofed set-up with the hills on one side, and the temple on another. Patrons are advised to remove their shoes, and sit cross-legged while dining on a typical Japanese table that is ten inches high. Mats ensure that you don't have to sit on the floor! Here we lunched on some awesome noodles, and enjoyed the scenic beauty that was prevalent on all sides. With the rain drizzling down, all the leaves and trees looked alive, and we look back fondly at this moment as our best dining experience in Japan (possibly one of our top three dining experiences of ALL time; along with our anniversary dinner at the French Room, and out "memorable for other reasons" engagement dinner!).
Reluctantly, we showed ourselves out of the temple, and made our way back to the Westin. As all our stuff was packed and ready to go, we made our way to Kyoto Central, not really wanting to leave. We had fallen hook, line and sinker for Kyoto and almost thought of staying another day at the magnificent Westin (although we really did not have any reservations). Later, we managed to catch the afternoon Shinkansen to Tokyo. As this was a long journey, we did some planning pertaining to our Tokyo visit, and also managed to eat our egg and fruit sandwiches (bought earlier in the day) that managed to taste as good as they looked!
After disembarking at Tokyo, it was immediately evident that the two cities (Kyoto and Tokyo) were as different as night and day. Tokyo has it's teeming millions, who are all on a mission to get things done at any cost. It took us a while to get our bearings right, but we managed to make it to our hotel - the Princess Garden Meguro, and it was situated in (you guessed it) Meguro. This would be our headquarters for the next few days.
After freshening up, we decided to explore Tokyo. My favourite part of Tokyo is Ginza as that is where we stayed during our last visit - so Ginza it was! We used the super-efficient Tokyo Subway system to get to Ginza. Ginza is a fashion-conscious part of Tokyo, where every major marketer (SONY/APPLE/MIKIMOTO...anyone you name it!) has a presence. Economics dictate that the land value at Ginza is horrendously high, so many stores lose money here and make it back from outlets in cheaper areas. Most Japanese walking around look like they came right out of the pages of a fashion magazine. The dainty women are painstakingly pretty, and the male trend at the time was to be trendy chic yet look frazzled (this was last month's "look", am positive it's changed now!). Ginza is a window-shoppers paradise; if you are planning to go there, have loads of time, a pocketfull of cash...and lest you forget, look good! Contrary to what Neil Young says, out here in Ginza, it IS how you look, and NOT how you feel!
We decided to get a bite to eat and refresh ourselves with some Sapporo draught (the only beer Indu can drink, and not make faces!). Our rule was to only wine and dine at places where there was an experience to be had. Keeping this in mind, we walked into the "LION" bar - as we saw a lot of people getting in, and the menu from the outside "looked" good. In Japan, almost all restaurants have a visual 3-D representation of their food outside the restaurant, along with the prices. Potential customers can, in effect, figure out how their dish would look, and how much it would cost. This takes away any "sticker shock" while perusing the menu, and you don't have to wait for your spouse's dish to arrive to see if he or she got the better deal!
The LION bar was styled after a German beer hall, and the waitstaff were accordingly dressed. There were at least a couple of hundred people inside, and the place was packet to the hilt. The atmosphere was noisy and one could sense the excitement after a hard day's work. Apparently people like to party in Ginza (it was a Wednesday evening), and showed no signs of slowing down any time soon! We sipped our beers and got a bit to eat...all the while wallowing in this ambience and trying to study our fellow revelers.
The excitement of the day, and all the traveling had siphoned most of our energy. Rather than go someplace else, we decided to hang in Ginza for the rest of the evening. Shortly thereafter, we made our way back to the hotel, and were pleasantly surprised to see so many people riding the subway even at a late hour.
Our first night in Tokyo was an eye-opener to say the least, and we retired for the evening with the thrill of knowing that we had two full days to explore this vibrant, rich and historic city.
posted by ACV | 4:29 PM
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