Kyoto - Temples, Palaces and Shrines..Oh my!

Shinsenen

Nijo Castle

Imperial Palace



Kyoto is a short trip of about 20-30 minutes on local train from Osaka. So we decided we would commute across each day rather than stay overnight in Kyoto.

On this day we went to Nijo Castle and then the Imperial Palace and gardens. I'm sure we went somewhere else, but it was all a blur. Especially after we joined the long river of humanity that flowed through the Imperial Palace, in spring the public are allowed through with the need to go a specific tour times, this was one of those days. Standing taller than the surrounding crowd has its advantages when trying to take photos.

Imperial Palace Gardens

Rest day + Osaka Castle Park

Resting up and doing some washing.
Cold and sore throat, but gastro seems to have faded to just rumbling sounds in my belly.
The pollen count is very high, luckily brought hayfever tablets from home.



Didn't feel like doing much, but didn't feel like staying inside for a whole day, so went went for walk through Osaka Castle Park again to see how the cherry blossoms were progressing. The period from start to finish is only about 10 days, once out they get better everyday until they start to drop and streets look like they have been covered in confetti.

Okayama & Karakuen

Okayama

Shinkansen - Tickets booked 10:05 am to 16:48 - 44 minute trip. East exit, tram and walk. if it is nice day, just walk it about 20 minutes.

Got to the castle park and got an immediate attack of gastro and a very quick lesson in using a squat toilet. it was not a clean one … feel sick thinking about it.


Wandered around to castle, a concrete reconstruction, got another castle stamp Okyama Castle stamp #70. Happy about that, being a modern reconstruction it had regular stairs and a lift. The 800yen entry was not worth it for the minimal displays, though some of the dioramas of edo life had some nice period furniture. I like the stair case + drawer units. Super clean loos here with toilet paper, but was squat toilet only

Left the castle and wandering around to the Korakuen. One of the top 3 gardens. Got the combined ticket for the cultural museum which is across from the exit.
580yen


The first thing in the garden was a cage of Red Crested Herron Cranes, they are huge!. A elegant as swan, but as tall as an average Japanese woman.


Then we strolled the rest of the garden slowly taking the time to enjoy each vista as the planting give way to views of a small lake with the castle on the hill in the background. The park is unusual in Japan for its use of open grassed areas (do not walk on the grass) as integral to the design.


Unfortunately the park and grass was very dry and dusty. so the the fabled green was not there. It will rain this week, so I may return there on my own at some point.

I felt the garden is not as good as Kanazawa (will be there next week), but certainly has some very interesting touches.

the small bridges over carp ponds, the black soil/mud in one pond with a zig-zag bridge so you watch your footing and look down at the delicate worm track patterns in the black mud.


The rest house with water flowing through the middle where we sat and ate our lunch was shady peaceful and a beautiful place to just sit and be. The tea field is not something I seen before and was interesting to see how it was worked into the garden design


Cherry Blossom were also out, and they white flowers were glowing in the spring sunshine, the light really makes a difference.. the angle of late afternoon sun often brings out some of the best photos for blossom

Then with my stomach rumbling again we went out to the cultural museum. not a lot of english on the displays, but we were given a guidebook in English. So of the ancient pottery exhibits were interesting shapes. The shard sizes would make Time Team jealous.

A special exhibit of swords was also on. the complete blades where so intricate and beautiful in their scabbards, but the 10 or other ones with just the blade were pretty meaningless to us without enlist. I assume they were showing how the shape/size/techniques changed over time.

Back to Okayama Eki (Station), long walk along river and back through town, via Bic Camera store to pickup as gorrilla tripod and look at the amazing fridges and 350degree ovens for making good pizza at home.

Still had two hours to kill but I was not feeling well, a cold starting on top of everything else. Toilets at Shinkansen station include western style with loo paper and are very clean. thankfully.

After being unable to decide on food from the various restaurants, we settled on Eki-ben from the vendor near where were sitting. I had #22 and Gill had #2.
I recommend #22.

Got cold so we moved to the warmed waiting area in the station.. train home felt a lot quicker because we were eating our meals.

Flower Expo '90 and Shopping

Off to Expo '90 Park and Mitsui Factory Outlet and Umeda Shops
Expo '90 park, many flowers not out yet, including the tulips (found a few, but most hadn't flowered in the main windmill display). Many of the exhibits and exhibit gardens are really run down now. Such a pity.



In the Australian Garden there are some nice bits of bush, the wattle were all out, the bottlebrushes looked nearly ready to flower. A lot of beautiful gums with all of their limbs cut off, just the lovely white bark of the ghost gums and few box gums. But so sad to see them looking like a venus de milo. No leaves, and no sign of life, maybe they cut them back for winter?

Over all the park was a disappointment this time. Combination of being too earlier for best flowering and the general run down appearance of everything. The windmill looks quite boring when the tulips aren't out.



There were some very good single flower cherry blossoms though and a little rain due this week will make it all seem better.

Mitsui Factory Outlet. Previously called Blossom Town, the name which you can still see on a tower which is near it, this can help you find it after leaving the station.
Gill got a pair of shoes here, as we walked into the addidas shop they passed us a 30% voucher, which is a pretty good discount off the already cheap prices.

Then went back to Umeda, which from our vantage is a shopping precinct that runs underground between 3 or 4 subway stations. Easy to get lost, but eventually you end up in the same place, even if you didn't intend to.

Had some nice Okanomyaki and 'talked' to a couple in the booth beside us who were on holiday from Ogaki, Gifu. And they had recently been to a zoo in Wakayama were they have pandas.

Gigantor. Bigger than Big. Stonger than Strong

Strolled through Osaka Castle Gardens, cherry blossom just starting to bloom, lots of atmosphere of people having fun and picnicking under the trees on blue tarps, wonderful smoky smells of bbq and yakitory


Then went to Kobe, Shin-Nagata station to see the life-size statue of Gigantor. Standing 18 metres tall, absolutely brilliant piece of engineering & whimsy. If you ever watched the cartoon as a kid you will really want to see it. Wandered the covered street stalls for a few blocks and circled back to the Diamuru store near the Shin-Nagata station. Wandered through the shop, lots if interesting clothes and kitchen items, including tools to press and cut rice and nori into Hello Kitty shapes.



From the second floor of Diamaru we were able to get to an outdoor balcony and get some really good shots of Tetsuijin (Gigantor).

Then home via Shin-Osaka station so we could book our Shinkansen tickets for Wednesday trip to Okayama.

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet? No.

We are in Cairns, it is now Saturday. Originally we were due to fly out of Brisbane. (Brisbane-Cairns-Osaka) on Thursday but Jetstar bumped us to Friday.

Friday we flew to Cairns, and about 20 minutes after the Cairns to Osaka flight was due to take off.. they cancelled it.
We were put up in the Mecure Harbourside Hotel in Cairns, all shuttles, buffet dinner and breakfast pack paid for by Jetsar.
Lovely room, great view and had nice walk on the esplanade, surrounded by Japanese (passengers stranded like us).



if I pretend really hard, we could be on the beach at Miya Jima ...though the lack of a giant Tori Gate and no sacred Deer running around is a bit of a give away.

So now it is Saturday and Jetstar is flying us back south to Coolongatta to get on a flight to Osaka from there. Not sure why it is easier for them to fly a plane load of people there, rather than fly a new crew up here. I guess I'm too logical to run an airline.

Fingers crossed we get into Kansai Airport with enough time to get to our destination before the subway stops for the night.
With the two days delay we missed meeting up with R&Y before they fly out to UK, but luckily we do still get to stay at their apartment.

All going well we should be taking photos of a lifesize Gigantor Robot tomorrow.

Ready for another trip

I've been saving up and looking forward to the this next trip for over a year. Going to spend 10 whole weeks wandering around. Basically where ever the train and the whim take me. :-)

Sad for the people who are affected by the recent earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruptions and the ongoing nuclear crisis.
If it was safe enough to help out in those zones I would, it makes the Brisbane floods cleanup seem like a great day out.

Anyway stay tuned .. first pics and locations will be turning up by this weekend. Should be some prime cherry blossoms within a fortnight too.