Legit Travel Blog Kyoto

Day Two

Head over to Kyoto. Stop for breakfast at Pastry shop in Osaka Station city (not to be confused with any other of the massive department store/shopping complexes around Osaka Station and Umeda [which is a neighborhood and a station]). Cherry, tangerine custard things, almond croissant, coffee. 

Head to kyoto, on the ladies’ car on the damn local line. 

In Kyoto, taxi to Fushimi Inari Taisha and the thousand tori gates. Walk around and curse other tourists attempting same experience at simultaneous moment. Stop at little tourist shop and discover that deeper in lies beautiful hand-made pottery, “the best in Japan”. Truly gorgeous. Buy several pieces. Engage Okasan and Otosan in conversation about pieces bought and take picture with them. Secure business card for future purchases. Walk for a bit to get exercise and ice cream (soy, sake, and vanilla, respectively). Catch taxi to Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion). Reiterate and emphasize “GINkakuji” and not “KINkakuji” for cabby (his request). Walk around Silver Pavilion and grounds. Curse tourists attempting same experience at simultaneous moment. Take picture of ladies on tourist trip – good deed for day, check. Walk down philosopher’s path and enjoy cherry blossoms. Thank God for not knocking all cherry blossoms down during typhoon-like weather of preceeding weekend. Taxi to Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). Emphasize “KINkakuji” and not “GINkakuji” for cabby. Fall asleep in taxi cab due to exhaustion. Wake up and wander around Golden Pavilion grounds. Very amazing in real life. Almost too like the picture to be true. Extraordinary. Head back to station. Get coffee at Starbucks. Pick up Kyoto Starbucks giftcards. Clever girl behind the counter observes that we will not be using them completely in Japan. Puts our drinks and macaroon on our giftcards. Smart.

Train it back to Osaka (still carrying pottery purchases in fancy green paper bag). Subway it to Namba. Head up to Dotonbori. Pray for good restaurant with gyoza for sister who is craving gyoza. Experience vision from God. (seriously.) Enjoy famous gyoza, famous shumai, and famous pork buns. Also beer. Head back to hotel.