Second day in Kyoto, I was determined to do something a little more worthwhile today, so I went to the Imperial Palace this morning. It was a lovely park, but I didn't see much of the palace itself (due to walls). Instead I lounged on various benches and admired the setting, and the shade of the trees.
After a while, I decided to go to Nishiki market for lunch. I saw a small place selling freshly made Takoyaki (Octopus in balls of gloopy pancake-like batter), and I had to try some. I had had some 'Takoyaki' at FujiQ Highland, but it wasn't freshly made, and on the menu board it did actually have the quotation marks around 'Takoyaki', which does not imply that it was the real deal.
It really wasn't. It was so good at Nishiki Market, so so so delicious. I could actually tell I was eating Octopus, for one, and it was so fresh! Made and prepared right in front of my eyes. I'm salivating right now, despite the enormous bowl of Ramen I just had for dinner.
There wasn't much other freshly cooked food at the market, much to my disappointment, but there were many weird and wonderful shops, selling things from dried fish to fermented garlic to tiny tiny teapots.
I had just paused at a place selling chopstick-rests, when someone said my name. I looked up, and was overcome with disbelief when I saw the same woman that I had been sitting next to on the flight from Amsterdam to Tokyo! Roxy! Seriously, what are the chances! We met two weeks later, in completely different cities, and in between she had flown to Amsterdam and back!
I could not shake a broad grin from my face for the next 20 minutes, I must have looked so strange looking so elated in the subway station.
After that crazy encounter, I decided to go to Nijo Castle, which was a world heritage site close by. I got there an hour before closing time, so looked around quickly. It was lovely, lots of beautiful paintings and gardens, but it was so hot.
I met a couple of girls from Sydney who shared my opinion, as we hid in the shade overlooking the moat. We had a nice chat, and went around the rest of the grounds together.
This trip would be fairly dull if I didn't find company so regularly :P
I went home around 4 (when everything here seems to close) and managed to run a much needed wash of all my clothes. Then I found my ramen (noodles in a broth), which was seriously good, although extremely fatty. I don't care about eating healthily while I'm on holiday, thank goodness :D
And then I went home. Well, to my hostel.
P.S I forgot to mention yesterday that I have officially past the half way mark of my trip! This is a sad exclamation, I really am not going to want to leave in under two weeks :(
I will just have to make the most of the precious little time that I have left...
After a while, I decided to go to Nishiki market for lunch. I saw a small place selling freshly made Takoyaki (Octopus in balls of gloopy pancake-like batter), and I had to try some. I had had some 'Takoyaki' at FujiQ Highland, but it wasn't freshly made, and on the menu board it did actually have the quotation marks around 'Takoyaki', which does not imply that it was the real deal.
It really wasn't. It was so good at Nishiki Market, so so so delicious. I could actually tell I was eating Octopus, for one, and it was so fresh! Made and prepared right in front of my eyes. I'm salivating right now, despite the enormous bowl of Ramen I just had for dinner.
There wasn't much other freshly cooked food at the market, much to my disappointment, but there were many weird and wonderful shops, selling things from dried fish to fermented garlic to tiny tiny teapots.
I had just paused at a place selling chopstick-rests, when someone said my name. I looked up, and was overcome with disbelief when I saw the same woman that I had been sitting next to on the flight from Amsterdam to Tokyo! Roxy! Seriously, what are the chances! We met two weeks later, in completely different cities, and in between she had flown to Amsterdam and back!
I could not shake a broad grin from my face for the next 20 minutes, I must have looked so strange looking so elated in the subway station.
After that crazy encounter, I decided to go to Nijo Castle, which was a world heritage site close by. I got there an hour before closing time, so looked around quickly. It was lovely, lots of beautiful paintings and gardens, but it was so hot.
I met a couple of girls from Sydney who shared my opinion, as we hid in the shade overlooking the moat. We had a nice chat, and went around the rest of the grounds together.
This trip would be fairly dull if I didn't find company so regularly :P
I went home around 4 (when everything here seems to close) and managed to run a much needed wash of all my clothes. Then I found my ramen (noodles in a broth), which was seriously good, although extremely fatty. I don't care about eating healthily while I'm on holiday, thank goodness :D
And then I went home. Well, to my hostel.
P.S I forgot to mention yesterday that I have officially past the half way mark of my trip! This is a sad exclamation, I really am not going to want to leave in under two weeks :(
I will just have to make the most of the precious little time that I have left...
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