As soon as we took off I think I passed out on the plane for a few hours, waking up with a terribly sore neck; air travel sucks.
Paid around $20 for a one day rail pass to get from Osaka to Kyoto on the limited express train (next fastest after the Shinkansen) and after an hour or so we were in Kyoto.
I decided that while we have the day rail pass we should check out Nara, a town just outside of Kyoto known for its temple and its deer. It was well worth the trip; its beautiful.
The deer here seemed very friendly towards me; I could happily go up to one and start petting it and take a photo with it! Quite a few people made the mistake of feeding the deer however; as soon as you have food they become a lot less docile! Plenty of people were being bitten at as they try to get the food!
Fitzey and I then checked out Tofukiji; the home to the biggest wooden statue of Buddha in the world. For perspective, its ear is two metres tall! The temple housing it is incredible.
We topped off the night with some sake back at the hostel.. which escalated to a much bigger bottle of what I thought to be sake but actually wasnt...
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After spending most of the day resting up Friday trying to fight off a cold developing, I was keen to get out and see things on Saturday.
Last time I was in Kyoto I really wanted to see the Golden Temple but never made it; I was sure to do so this time around and was not disappointed; it was spectacular!
That night our hostel threw a Takoyaki party. Takoyaki is a battered mix cooked into a ball, usually containing octopus.
I tried it once at the airport on my last trip and after trying to pick it up and seeing a big tentacle staring up at me was incredibly put off, without actually eating it. I am willing to try anything once so I gave it another go!
I have a problem with octopus after my last trip and trying octupus sashimi - raw octopus - but to my delight it isnt so bad when cooked properly into takoyaki balls. I ate a handful and cooked some too, definitely a worthwhile experience!
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Sunday was our last day in Kyoto.. next stop Osaka - my favourite city!
Fitzey and I hopped on the train with a known destination for me; Fukushima Station and J-Hoppers Hostel in Osaka - my very first hostel that I still hold very dear.
Even after two and a half years I managed to navigate back to the hostel without too much drama (we got off at the wrong stop... twice).
We spent the night with the local tour guide once again, Mr Yano. Our group consisted of Fitzey and I, a kiwi bloke, an American girl, a Melbournian dude and two ladies from Adelaide. Crazy to meet people from our home town 7750km away!
Kanpai!
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