Mission: Run Blindly then Find Way Home

Today was the first day I have taken a run in Kyoto. I like taking a run in a town because it allows me to get a sense of the geography. It also allows me to see more of the town at a reasonable pace.

This run was different then any run I have taken in Japan. Before I left I put two maps in my pocket, my bus pass and my camera. The two maps were the bus map and the Kyoto geography map. I then just started running. I knew the general direction I wanted to head. My plan was to run as far away from the hostel as possible in 45 minutes. I then would use the map, subways and buses to find my way back to the hostel. The plan worked well. I ran for 45 minutes and then pulled out the map. I found my location in the city. I then pulled out the bus map. The only setback was that I had ran far enough away so that none of the buses in this area were of any service to me. I then looked at the Kyoto map and found a subway. I then went into the subway to see where it would take me. After looking at my own maps and the subway maps for a little bit I found a way to get about 10 minutes walking distance from the hostel for under $2. Mission Accomplished… Now if I could only find my way in Los Angeles I might be able to claim I actually do have a sense of direction.

Castles, Temples, and Shrines Oh My!

Me in front of Kinkajuki Temple.

Today I went out and saw some sights in Kyoto. I used their bus system to get everywhere. It was really easy. I found myself really enjoying trying to figure out how the transit system worked. I would walk to a location and then look at the geography map and bus map and try to figure out how to get to different locations. The more I have travelled the more comfortable I have become with transportation. Ironically this increases the likelihood that I will get lost because I am more willing to just go somewhere because I have confidence that I will be able to figure out how to get back.

I saw two of their major sights. I saw the Nijo Castle and the Kinkakuji Temple. The nijo castle was really cool. There was a very beautiful tea garden after the castle.

Below to the left is a picture of me in front of Nijo Castle

Above to the right is a picture of Nijo Castle and the tea garden.

The Kinkakuji temple was awesome. This is a major historic sight in Japan. It is a national treasure. When I entered the garden there was a huge golden temple ( I assume this is Kinkakuji temple but I wasn't quite clear on it).
This is a picture of Kinkajuki Temple.

New Town, New Friends, and Lost...

My first night in Kyoto I got in around 5:00. I was hanging out in the lobby area and met a couple guys. There names were Rowan and Alex. Rowan was from the UK but is currently living in Melbourne, Australia. Alex is from Quebec, Canada. We decided we would all get dinner together in Kyotos downtown area.

We spent a good hour just walking around and trying to find somewhere to eat. The problem was that it was difficult to find a place that was cheap, offered a lot of food and had english menus with pictures. Eventually we found a place that we thought met all 3 criteria. They had an English menu, the prices were reasonable and we just crossed our fingers and hoped the meals were of good size. The thing about Japan is that sometimes the portions are incredibly small. I would say that in some cases (okay, many cases) the appetizers in the United States are bigger than the full meals in Japan. I have noticed this in particular at more expensive places.

When we got our food we realized why it was so cheap. The food tasted great. But the portions were tiny. I didn't really feel any different after the meal than I did before. So we headed to the local convenient store to get a more substantial dinner.
This is Rowan after he got some food from the convenient store

After that we headed to a bar to grab a drink. I met an Australian named Chris. Chris was 35 years old and this was his first time travelling by himself. He had just finished a mountain bike excursion across Mongolia. On a whim he decided to come to Japan for about a week. I enjoyed talking with him and hearing his story. He had a 10 year old daughter that he said he was beginning to really miss. Him and the mother had separated. He didn't go into detail but I appreciated his honesty and sincerity. We had a good old fashioned man bond.

From left to right (Chris, Me, Rowan, and Alex)

On the way back Rowan thought it would be a good idea to follow the river for a while. I thought this was a good idea too until we got lost. We were walking on the street to head back to our hostel and all of a sudden all of us realized that something just seemed wrong. It was taking way too long. During this time Rowan had been doing most of the navigating. Alex and I had pretty much remained quiet. I had given one piece of advice that turned out wrong. Eventually Alex spoke up. Since he he had remained silent thus far (meaning he hadn't been incorrect yet) I decided to jump on his ship and let him be captain. Eventually we found our way back.

What did I learn? First off always bring a map of my own. Second, never leave navigation up to the guy that got you lost in the first place. Third, always ask the really quiet guy his opinion. Fourth, I like the slang in Australian English.