After a false start yesterday, I have finally made it to Kyoto! I'm going to be spending a few days here, mostly because I wanted a friend of mine is studying at 同志社大学 in Kyoto. I havent seen her in such a long time! And also because there's nothing to do in Saijo. Most everyone is going travelling this break, some to their home countries, some to distant places in Japan, and still others to nearby countries in this neck of the woods. I'll admit, it would have been cheaper to have just stayed in 広島県, but that's why I cooked for myself and saved money! Also, my UHM scholarship came in.
I wont bore you with the details of the bus ride here, mostly because there's not much to tell you about. Well, okay, I did enjoy my travelling partner, and I almost got left behind because I didnt recognize our bus at the rest stop, but for the most part, it was boring and uneventful. When our bus finally stopped at 京都駅, I was very happy. And by "very happy" I mean that I was estatic and smiling like a crazy person. I wandered around in the station for awhile, because it's so big (the second largest in the nation), and there were so many people. But thankfully, with the help of several maps positioned around the station, I managed to get out into the city. It was only a short walk more to get to my hotel, the APA Villa Hotel Kyoto Ekimae.
And let me just say, I want to stay in this hotel again! I booked my room on Agoda, which was recommended to me by my friend's mother, who is a travel agent. And I am recommending it to you, because I got a better deal on that site than Expedia. It was about ten dollars cheaper, which means I saved about a hundred dollars through their booking. But so far, I am enjoying this hotel immensely. The main reason I love this hotel is its location. Like I said, it's only about a block away from the station, which means it is relatively easy and convenient to travel not only to other parts of the city, but also other parts of Japan. And if you're a coffee junky, this is the hotel for you. There's a Seattle's Best coffee shop in the lobby, where you get a 10% discount on the day of your check out. And about a block away is a Starbucks. Also nearby are McDonalds and a Seven Eleven, all cheap eats, although there are many restaurants surrounding the hotel.
But what I really enjoyed tonight was the fact that there is a Yodobashi Camera department store nearby. Yodobashi Camera is one of the best places to go to if you're looking to buy electronics. And in true Japanese fashion, there are floors upon floors devoted to extremely useful electronics, at rather cheap prices. Are you in the market for a new 電子辞書? They have that. Need a new hair dryer with a "Quiet" setting? It's a little expensive, but they've got that. Would you like to buy a cheap rice cooker so you dont always have to wait for the Chinese guys to stop using the kitchen (!!!!!)? You can buy a three cup rice cooker for about thirty five dollars.
Also in the same building are several other stores. I didnt look around too much because I was hungry and they were expensive, but I saw many different clothing stores. There were men's clothes, women's clothes, hats, shoes, you name it, it was probably there. And I saw quite a few things that I wanted. Especially the shoes! I dont buy shoes like some people, but I saw a few pairs that I would have bought with little resistance. And I would like more fobby clothes, so I always look for that, but they tend to be way expensive. Also, my friend that I'm seeing here said she knows a good second hand shop, so I want to check there first.
As far as food goes, there were several choices I could have picked from. The hamburger and steak shop looked really good, but I wanted rice. There was an 揚げ物 restaurant, where you fry your food at the table, but I wasnt too keen on oily food. I finally decided on a restaurant that specialized in 名古屋料理. To tell you the truth, I dont know what that means, because the menu looked like what every other Japanese food restaurant looked like, but it was delicious and worth it. I had a 定食 that had 親子丼 and 鶏唐揚げ, and it came with a dark miso soup and 漬物. The don was a bit eggier than I prefer, and the rice was completely drenched by the 汁, but overall it wasnt that bad. The karaage wasnt as crunchy as I've had, but the pepper thing on the side and the mayo topping made it better. In total, it cost about twelve dollars, but I feel it was worth it. Maybe I didnt enjoy it as I have other restaurants, but considering how full I felt afterwards, it's okay. Oh, and did I mention that the music they played was phenomenal? I felt like I was in some fifties nightclub or something, because of the Ella Fitzgerald music they played. I was definitely not expecting that, but it made for a wonderful atmosphere.
While I do have my laptop with me, I dont have my adaptor card for my camera. So while I can blog and tell you all about my travels here in the old capitol, I cant show it to you. Maybe when I upload pics to my facebook, I'll come back and reedit in pictures that I take. In any case, I am super stoked to be in Kyoto, and I'm hoping that my little vacation here will procede without a hitch. I need to go to bed soon, because I'm meeting up with my friend tomorrow for some sorely needed catching up. 明日、楽しみに！ ^_^
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