I checked out at 9am and then headed off to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. People are only allowed in if they sign up for the free tour and those you have to book ahead of time, which I did. So I got in!
It's a very nice site but it was scorching hot today. As in, if you don't have an umbrella or hat, you're screwed. My legs felt like they were burning being in the sun. I didn't have much stamina. Plus, Kyoto is great if you're into history and culture and stuff...which I'm not really...at least not Japanese. There's temples and shrines everywhere and eventually they all kind of bleed into one another. I think if I didn't blog immediately, I'd forget what pictures were from where. Not to mention that lots of the temples require you to pay 400-800 yen for its entrance fee and then the grounds aren't even that big so you're out in 20 minutes. Keeping all that in mind, as well as the temperature, and the fact that I had a one-day bus pass, I did what I did in San Francisco with my parents: hopped on random bus lines to see where it would go! So eventually I did pass by all of the temples but I didn't go in. I think I had a better time than if I went outside and burned myself. Even sitting near the window on the bus was hot. It wasn't just me...there were barely any people out besides the tourists and the locals kept to the shade and had all their anti-UV gear on.
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| Mountain with the word "Dai" in it |
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| The map to the Golden temple...which I didn't go in |
Right around here, my camera ran out of batteries. Since I didn't bring the cable to charge the camera, no more pictures. But really, you're not missing much. Kyoto kind of looked all the same to me.
Eventually I got tired of Kyoto and picked up my stuff from the hostel and took the Shinkansen home. My favourite part of the Shinkansen ride is when the ticket lady or trolley lady comes through. They always bow before the enter each car and bow when they leave.
I have to admit, I like Tokyo better than Kyoto. Just the feel of it, the people...I felt more comfortable. But overall, I still think that Hong Kong is better. That could just be a comfort zone thing like the fact that I can actually communicate, the fact that I can eat everything, the brands are familiar, and transportation is a lot more convenient. I could and have gone back to Hong Kong over and over again and still enjoy it. But after this trip to Tokyo, I don't think I'll be planning a trip back anytime soon. It's kind of a been there, done that sort of thing. I think part of that is the fact that there's a lot more Japanese imports in Canada now and it's a similar price. So even though I had fun, I'm ready to go home.
Tomorrow is my last full day in Tokyo. This means I can finally shop! I'm a bad tourist shopper. A tourist shopper is supposed to shop like they'll never go back. They see it, they like it, they buy it. That's against my nature. I prefer looking around, comparing, and then going back for things. It makes me upset when I buy things and then find one better or cheaper later on. I like to do my research too.
I'm not looking forward to packing but I am looking forward to going home. Also, I want to lose the ugly tan I have. I hate tanning....and I'd like to give my legs a chance to heal from all the bug bites.
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