Anything & Everything

Day Five BREAKFAST Aware that we had limited options, we decided to go to the McDonald's we'd spotted the night before - unfortunately, this wasn't open, so we opted for a DeliFrance bakery next door. Guess what? No photos. (I know, I'm a failure.) ARASHIYAMA From Kyoto station we took a train to Sanarashiyama station. After studying a map and help from a station attendant we located the Bamboo Grove, which is indescribably beautiful. Bamboo Grove. The colour seems a little washed out but the whole country seems to have a filter that makes everything seem older and more mature After wandering around (and getting lost) in the Bamboo Grove we circled the area. There are many rickshaws driven by both men and women available for use. There are a lot of small shops in the area also good for souvenirs, of the edible and non-edible kind. Artsy photo of a rickshaw, courtesy of Dad. Arashiyama and its surrounding area In Arashiyama station is als...

Day Four BREAKFAST Convenience store-bought  bread in the hotel. No photographic evidence (bad habit - I'm working on it). SHINKANSEN AND EKIBEN The shinkansen  platforms to take were decidedly more confusing than the normal trains, but once our platform and leaving times were established, we allowed ourselves some time to buy ekiben . Short for eki bento  (train station lunchboxes), there are a wide variety available from convenience stores, as well as shops that sell only ekiben . The wide variety caters for different palates, budgets, and stomach size. Lucky shot of the bullet train The seats for shinkansen  are much more upright and straight-backed than aeroplane seats - however, the legroom is more generous, and the seats lean back further, allowing for a good sleep. The train ride took 2-3 hours, and during, we had lunch. Yakisoba pan  - fried soba noodles in bread. A little too heavy on the carbohydrates for our liking. Colo...