What to do when dinner is rubbish?

Posted on by July 25, 2015

Find cake shop and eat chocolate cake!

Tonight we tried a restaurant down the road from where we are staying. It’s a University area so there are plenty of cheap restaurants.

Unfortunately cheap does not always mean good. Last night was Chinese food and was fantastic. This evening we ended up in student heaven eating slop! Mine actually had roast potatoes with the dodgy pork and rice.

Nellie’s and Mr Fogg’s were equally unappetising so we finished quickly and popped over the road to a very cute looking cake shop!

Cue chocolate cake and Mojito for Mr Fogg while Nellie and I had a more refined cola and tea with our cake. Delicious.

Ive also been playing with my new camera while here. Found a funky button on it and figured out (with a little help from my techie geek) how to transfer things to the phone. This is beautiful Kyoto Zen gardens:




Posted by YourTourGuideChick

Signs you are in a different country

Posted on by July 25, 2015

It is truly wonderful to be back in Kyoto again. We were here 8 years ago and in parts it feels like yesterday.

I can tell the Mosquitos have heralded our return with a celebration party- us being the guests of honour. I also remember the many helpful signs for tourists.

What I don’t remember is the rather humid climate. Since we have been here it has been about 34 degrees in the shade and probably slightly hotter in full sun. Couple that with an 86 to 89% humidity and it’s probably akin to sitting in a dryer on high heat.

Walking is a bit of a challenge, doable but tiring. We are seeing lots of the main sights and some beautiful shops – those with air con are particularly appealing.

All told a super trip so far. Great company and good humour all round. Now, how about another walk for food??

Posted by YourTourGuideChick

Whap Bamboo

Posted on by July 25, 2015

Yup a Forrest of Bamboo, what is there to say about it? Enchanting, no, Mystical, no. It is after all just a Forrest.

More interestingly on the way down from the monkey park was this health and safety advertisers wet dream, yes you are seeing correct, a 60ft ladder, stood on a makeshift 3ft wide platform that is perched on the edge of the cliff, with the ladder touching electric cables

It was so damned hot we just had to have the worlds best ice cream to chill

Before entering the “mystical” bamboo Forrest

However there is a very nice temple and gardens that are worth looking at


A good, but tiring day with all of us almost nodding off on the bus back. Cold shower then out for grub.

Tomorrow Nara
posted by the biker daddy.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Posted on by July 25, 2015

We fed Monkeys here.

Yes we made it up 160m in blistering heat to see the Japanese Monkey and feed them at the top.





Next is bamboo, like we don’t have it creeping in from next door!

posted by the biker daddy.

Buses, Ryonjii and Lunch

Posted on by July 25, 2015

Another relaxing start at Oil Street, brekky then out temple, bamboo and monkey hunting all ably navigated by Tour Geek Mrs Fogg.

Sat in 34 degrees waiting for an aircon bus

The beautiful Zen garden at Ryonjii

Taking a well earned rest

The long road up

Now just before we get eaten by the monkeys (no I’m not a believer), time for lunch.

posted by the biker daddy.

How do you say…..

Posted on by July 24, 2015

Most of our trip so far ha been filled with a smattering of Japanese, Korean (way to go Nellie) and lots of pointing at pictures.

On the way for food this evening, Mrs Fogg desperately needed mosquito repellent, easy if you are able to say what you are after and the other person understands. Cue Mrs Fogg trying to demonstrate to a bemused part time schoolboy working behind the counter of the local “sell you anything” shop, the word Ka (for mosquito) and waving her hands around her arms uttering the noise “psssh” (to simulate a spray can). The poor young lad looked frightened as hell with this crazy English lady saying Ka, Ka, psssh, pssssh at him.

Eventually she got something resembling industrial strength fly killer, where she sprayed it in everyone’s lungs outside the shop (see the passers by gasping for oxygen).

Fun end to another long and enjoyable day.

Tomorrow is a trip to the monkey Park and Bamboo grove and Ryanoji

posted by the biker daddy.

The Kyoto Laundry Blues

Posted on by July 24, 2015

Yup wash day, sat in a room no bigger than 2m x 3m, with 3 washing machines and 2 gas powered tumble dryers in it. Outside temp is 34 degrees, inside temp is 44 degrees!

A slight challenge being the fact that all machines are in Japanese, but we successfully managed to do a full wash and dry for 3 of us, total cost, a paltry 800yen, less than a fiver, awesome.

Next stop, grub.

posted by the biker daddy.

Floats, Sushi, Palaces and Sunshine

Posted on by July 24, 2015

We’ve been walking round here.

After breakfast we headed into Main Street Kyoto to see the annual float/ parade.





Before heading off to the Imperial Palace tour, we mistakenly went for sushi to a yucky place, with slow service and horrid food, it was all smiles to start and then grimaces by the end of it


Having bolted down the late food it was then a 30 minute fast walk in 34 degree sunshine and 80% humidity to the Palace for the tour. Unfortunately the tour had too many people and a poop guide, nice scenery but rude people



Followed by shaved ice to cool down

This afternoon, it gets no more rock and roll than doing the laundry

posted by the biker daddy.

An Oil Street Breakfast

Posted on by July 23, 2015

After another long hike and a good rest on the tatami mats, it’s time for an Oil Street Brekky before another hike (again). Today the Imperial Palace and a float parade

posted by the biker daddy.

Memories Are Made of This

Posted on by July 23, 2015

Now this brings back fond memories for me and Mrs Fogg and it will stir a few for Stew and Jen also. Walking down a very famous street in Kyoto called Ponto-cho.

And then stepping into a rather exclusive private dining experience where your traditional Japanese waitress, comes in to cook and serve your sushimi. We took Jen and Stee here 8 years ago and it has lost none of the charm, so we decided to treat Nellie to a slap up meal, cooked beef served in raw egg, in preparation for the 10 mile hike back to the guest house.



And now to bed on out tatami mats

posted by the biker daddy.