Japan 12. (Kyoto 2)

Konitchiwa.

Are you enjoying the blog so far?
Please let me know. If nobody’s reading it, then I’ll write it all into a pocket diary instead, in pen.

I’m in quite a western hotel, I can tell because I can do star jumps in the room.

Yesterday.. what did I do? Oh yes, the basement breakfast, with spilled egg and stringy dessert. I have since found out that was Natto, which is the food the Japanese give to foreigners for a laugh. It’s fermented barley (I think!) and has a stringy-ness worse than any mozzarella. The Japanese like to watch foreigners getting into muddles with it, sometimes as bar snacks.

Takeo Isu collected me, he knew which one I was, even though we hadn’t met before…! We loaded my car boot items into the car, and left for the first flower trial.

Today we would visit the trials of Takii. The moment we walked in, the guys from Barakura were there! Reunions all round!

Interlude- I really want some coffee. That’s all.

Ooh, hang on, the phone in the toilet just rang. It was the laundry service. Why didn’t they ring my room one?

Bad blog writing today, you’re all experiencing my stream of consciousness… anyone who knows me in real life will be well aware of this aspect!

I enjoyed looking at some new flowers that I won’t mention. And then, we went to another trial, where I saw some more unspeakable flowers. One clue though, cyclamen looking like daisies…

Amusingly, the next trial was at Barakura. So, as I arrived, the staff were most intrigued, they thought they’d seen me off to the UK!

Then, it rained. Hard. On us.

Next, we had a 5 hour drive to Kyoto. I really have crisscrossed the country due to the appointments I’ve had. Halfway, we stopped at the motorway services. I ordered katsu curry from a machine, and a HOT can of coffee from a vending machine. A HOT aluminium can. In the UK, that would terrify us! Also, I’m addicted to heated toilet seats.

The scenery was incredible as we drove across the country, but I couldn’t take photos of much. But, just imagine mountains so fluffy, as they’re covered in trees and bamboos. And, the permanent sunset colours of ripening rice fields, breaking a patchwork across the landscape.

We arrived to Kyoto around 6, and Takeo drove me downtown, where Kyoto is more historical. He showed me shrines and local sights he’s never been to. One street of restaurants is by invitation only!

After a quick hotel check in, and BATH, we went 2 doors down to a “chicken place”. Takeo had undersold this, as I was expecting some place called “chick in”, with breadcrumbs all over everything.

However, this was a superb chicken experience, but look away now if you’re squeamish. I tried chicken breast kebab, chicken liver kebab, chicken gizzard kebab, chicken cartridge kebab, chicken heart kebab…. And, I enjoyed it all!! I also enjoyed hot sake, and then a wheat liqueur mixed with water.

I then came back to the room with dancing space, and slept superbly. I now sit, after another Japanese breakfast, typing my inane thoughts. Love to all.