Geisha districts...

  Kanazawa, Japan
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

I had an administrative few days in and around Kyoto after my trip to Shikoku, with plenty of organising and little sightseeing. It had to be done though, and getting it all out of the way meant that I could relax and enjoy the rest of my trip...and I did enjoy a brief encounter with a geisha down one of Kyoto`s old backstreets, a definite highlight of my trip.

1. Geisha in Kyoto

The first thing that I wanted to do was book my flight to Beijing before I had the chance to change my mind again, and I did this fairly quickly after hunting down a good travel agency in Osaka. I then had to go to the Chinese Embassy and apply for a visa, again something that didn`t take too long.

I had the rest of my trip mapped out now which felt good, and I`d decided to head back to Tokyo for a week as I missed the buzz and excitement that is absent in Kyoto. I was also looking at it as something of a trial run - if I enjoyed being back in amongst the mayhem, then I`d return in September to look for a job. So to be on the safe side, I went and applied for a re-entry permit, meaning that my working holiday visa will still be valid in the likely event that I`ll be back...

Unfortunately I received some crushing news from back home on Saturday night that made me want to board the next flight back to England, something that I might well have done had I not just booked the flight to China. Being in a country like Japan, it`s easy to feel isolated, and this was especially the case in the proceeding few days when all I wanted was to be at home. It was a case of grinding it out, keeping busy, and the three weeks would soon pass...

It was a relief to leave Kyoto behind on Sunday as I headed for Amanohashidate on the west coast, voted one of Japan`s top three scenic attractions.

4. Amanohashidate

The view of the 3.5km sand spit adorns the front of many a travel brochure, and I was thankful for the beautiful weather which meant that it didn`t disappoint. I reached the best vantage point via a chair lift which made a change from the ropeway, and at the top was a cheesey 1950s style fairground blaring out an annoying soundtrack...typical Japan! I preferred to listen to my own music...

My favourite part of the day came in the early evening when the Japanese tourists had gone home, and I walked the length of the spit and back again, allowing plenty of time to reflect with only the sound of the waves to be heard. It really was a beautiful spot to be in, and I couldn`t have timed my visit any better as the peace and quiet did me the world of good - it`s something of a hidden gem as it`s never on any foreigner`s itinerary, and hopefully it stays that way.

6. Sunset in Kanazawa

I went a few hours north to Kanazawa the next day, and booked into a beautiful ryokan for a couple of nights. I`ve stayed in some lovely traditional places of late, and as this one had normal pillows as opposed to the beanbag ones, it was a winner in my book...

Still in geisha mode after my encounter in Kyoto, I went for a stroll to the old Higashi district of the city in the evening. The narrow streets here date back to the 19th century, a time when the geishas would entertain their wealthy clients, and it was eerie walking around in the dark as the whole area was completely deserted. It was already apparent that Kanazawa was a more condensed, less touristy version of Kyoto, and I had a good feeling about the place...

z11. Kenroku-en

It was another scorcher the next day, perfect weather for a leisurely stroll around what many believe is the most impressive garden in Japan, namely Kenroku-en. Like Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu, this one had many picturesque little bridges and ponds, not to mention the odd tour group or five! I didn`t mind this though as I`d decided to make a concious effort to let insignificant annoyances (which soon add up over here!) go over the top of my head, and it`s working so far...

z12. Kanazawa-jo

Adjacent to the garden was the castle so I walked around the grounds, and got some nice views of the city. There were a few schoolchildren there as well, so I recived some excited "hello"s and plenty of giggles. Kanazawa is well set up for foreigners though so I would have thought that I`d be less of a novelty, but obviously not since I was accosted (again) in the afternoon by a middle-aged woman who spoke reasonable English (a relief since it was too hot and humid to engage in a game of chirades!).

I spent the rest of the day mooching around Katamachi, the entertainment district of Kanazawa, eating strawberry crepes and enjoying the sunshine...