Kyoto Gion Hotel

... that.<br><br>Jack then met up with us and we got some grub at an Om-rice (fried-rice omelet) which was realllll y good. Then, well, not much else to say, except afterward we hopped on the Shinkansen to head back to Tokyo, from where I would head back to Tome! And that was the end of our Kyoto trip...short, but fun last day!<br><br>(Sorry for the short and long-awaited post. I promise many more are coming very soon!)<br>

... van een automaat. Vandaag zijn we de dag begonnen met een bezoek aan Osaka Jo (Osaka Kasteel). Het eewenoude, oorspronkelijk houten kasteel, is meerdere keren (met opzet en per ongeluk -bliksem en oorlog) afgebrand. Het kasteel is herbouwd in 1924 en 1945. Bij de laatste bouw is gekozen voor steen in plaats van hout. Zeker van buiten is het erg mooi! Misschien nog mooien en leuker: de tuinen rondom het kasteel. Een deel ervan is vrij toegankelijk. Via ...

... like I couldn't stand near here as if I would damage her kimono. She was absolutely breathtaking.<br><br>There are shrines galore in Kyoto and you need to dedicate a whole day to seeing them. I couldn't list how many we eventually saw but all equally beautiful. The day of walking up and back down the 6-8km trek of the Inari Shrine was something to remember - especially when a determined 12.5 week ...

... sprays water which becomes very hard to stop when you don't know what buttons you've pushed... Hmm. Our new supermarket at the moment it a Family Mart where we bought a lot of food and drinks for the next couple of days... ok hours. I bought a drink made by Final Fantasy, yes the game people called 'Potion'. It may be one of the most horrible things i've tasted in my life. I poured it into a glass and no, clear mauve should not be a drink colour.

... t really come in handy when your town is under attack by an army of angry Samurai wielding flaming torches. Which is why almost everything is a reconstruction. Unfortunately, Todaiji was partially burned down during the first few years after it was made. Yet it still stands to this day and is gigantic. Whats scarier is that what stands now, is still just one third of the original.<br><br>Inside Todaiji Temple is the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen. It contains Japan's ...

... dis*gree, *s the complex is *stoundingly l*rge. The entire *qu*rium is built *round its enormous, five story t*ll center t*nk which is home to, *mong other things, the biggest-*ss m*nt* r*y you've ever set your eyes upon *nd its very own wh*le sh*rk. E*ch succeeding t*nk is view*ble from multiple levels, displ*ying * l*rge v*riety of se* life from *ll *cross the globe with stunning *nd surprisingly life-like enclosures to m*tch. Everything from dolphins to gi*nt otters w*s covered, *nd ...

... for two d*ys *nd spent the first d*y exploring Fukuok*: Which *ctu*lly only re*lly involved going to C*n*l City, * huge complex th*t h*s been n*med * 'city within * city'. It h*d ret*il stores from Gucci to Hello Kitty, Pokemon Centers, Hundreds of b*rs, * The*tre (Which w*s showing the Lion King music*l) *nd even Hotels. We ended up wondering *round *nd getting lost *nd eventu*lly found * Movie The*tre, *nd decided to go see Sweeney Todd. Lets just s*y, I ...

... trip to the bathroom is a game of Russian roulette; an experience some of us had to learn the hard way (Rachael).<br><br>That aside, we recently crossed on over to the other side, to briefly explore the great isle of Kyushu. For those of you playing the home game, we were - and presently now are - residing upon Honshu, the biggest of Japan's four islands. First up was ye olde town of Fukuoka, which, while not home to any extraordinary sights beyond its fantastic ramen ...

... with a salad, miso soup, and some small noodles. The entertainment came when we caught our Japanese guide, Ei-Chan using a fork. After eating our food and watching Stapp down a gallon of a watermelon soft drink, we headed towards Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. As soon as we filed into gate, we diffused into the flood of fellow tourists and students. Kinkakuji, supposedly the photographed place in Asia, I must say was truly impressive. Covered in gold leaves and topped with a ...

... of Historical Heritage That day we walked to the Ninenzaka Slope, Yasaka Pagoda, Kodai-ji Temple and the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It was raining and it was so cold! I didn't bring enough clothes with me. I was trembling and my arms and hands became numb!! There is a story about a slope (near the Ninenzaka Slope). It says that if a person fell over to the ground while walking through that slope (I don't know the ...