Day 7 Kyoto & About

This morning we took a train ride westward to Arashiyama. I’ve read about it much in the travel brochure but wasn’t sure what to expect. I was quite shocked though to see the place crowded with locals, mainly school children and tourists alike as they soak in the ambience of the temple town. Nothing really stood out for me though except for this mini bamboo forest and this really old looking wooden bridge over the river. Back in Kyoto, we spent the rest of the day shopping and later in the evening cheering on the local baseball team.

Our accommodation was very near Gion this time round so when night came, we had the comforts of roaming the ancient streets without the throngs of tourists. The weather was freezing cold however so it wasn’t as leisurely as I would have enjoyed. Nonetheless the sudden calmness in this district had a really pleasant vibe to it as I tried to imagine how Kyoto was like during the shogunate rule.

We had dinner at an izakaya which sold kushikatsu – a Japanese dish of deep fried skewered meat and vegetables. It was the first time I had come across such a dish and when paired with their special dipping sauce which I highly suspect is made with sake, it released an umami sensation that just compelled us to order more. In the end the three of us ordered more than SGD80 worth of skewered meat. After a satisfying meal, we wandered out on the cobble-stoned street feeling very warm and woozy. Oishii desu!