JAPAN Day 18

Hello back home, or to whomever reading and keeping up with my travels and adventures.
Hope your day has been great and your soul is happy!

I am well, thanks for asking. Pretty pooped after another big day. But excited to feed a monkey tomorrow. Weow!

No I am good though, Jess is good also!
I'm just a little bit sick of rice, which I never thought could happen. And Jess is keen on her green-tea ice cream still. But today was a good day all up.
Although I am still loving seeing Japan, I miss my cat. Oh and my family! So shout out to them... I do actually love you (in case you were wondering Steph)! But I mostly miss my bed! (Jess and i are on the floor again) but that's okay. Before we left we wanted the Japanese experience. Well, we got it!

Today we left for Kyoto!!
so we got to see a lot of Japan going 320km per hour on the Shinkansen bullet trains.

 The Japanese landscape. Rice fields.

Houses and more rice fields. 

Got to speak with the lady next to me on the train, with the little English she could speak and the little Japanese I could speak I found out that. She was going to Osaka to see her Father. She is married but has no children, her 2 cats are said to be her kids. I also got to give her my shine braclet, she was so touched. Its amazing how something so small can be so big at the same time. So I quickly got to share the gospel with her, and she have Jess and I some pokey. The Japanese are so lovely!

 More Japanese land.

We arrived in Kyoto around 12:30pm. And apart from the Taxi guy not having a word of English we made it to our guest house. 

 This is our place for the next few nights. Traditional Japanese guest house.

 Complete with no beds haha, but it is such a beautiful little place. Apparently its 85 years old! Very clean and well kept... like most of Japan.

 Jess on our little balcony.

 Selfie on our street. Kawaiii. We then headed to a place to find lunch, we were pretty hungry after the trip here.

    Nothing like more rice!
 
                         
 Jess has also got me onto beer. This one is actually quite nice, and refreshing! Japan is changing me.

 We then went to Kate and Chris's hostel. Which is filled with amazing things. AND YAY FOR SEEING KATE AND CHRIS AGAIN! may our Japan adventures continue.

 Kate, Chris, Jess and I walked around the older part of Kyoto. Called the Higoshiyama district. Basically some of the oldest parts of Japan.

 Loved walking around the cute old little streets.

 Motorbike in a little alley way

 We all found this Engrish sign quite amusing.

 We found a shrine in whilst walking around. They aren't to hard to find, but this one was particularly nice!

 The streets of Kyoto

Jessica

 One of my favourite humans. Love spending more time with her before she adventures off for 2 more months.

 More streets of Kyoto.

 Sunshine and Shrine.

 Christopher.

 Walking through the streets of Kyoto.

 Along the river.

 Ice cream balls.

 Lanterns.

 We then all had indian for dinner. Was delicious!

 Walking back down the river at night. Such a popular place!

 And then we all went back to the hostel where Kate and Chris are staying for a drink.

Christopher played some lovely tunes.

that was basically the day here in Kyoto. Jess left her charger at the last hotel, so we had to find another one here. We have been pretty wrecked, so just trying to have some Jesus time and rest. Other then all of that- we hope you are well friends & fam. Sending love from Kyoto, Japan xx

Kassy. That's right basically everyone here calls me Cassy. So now I just say Cassy to them so they don't have to try pronounce the 'th' 

Goodness it is funny. 

Tomorrows adventures include a castle, bamboo forest, feeding monkeys and the thousand gates shrine. So its off to sleep for us!

Bless ya

JAPAN Day 17

Today was a pretty mucky day. The first one we have had so far, was basically raining all day. But it was still a good 24 degrees.
We were lucky we had bought umbrellas in Yokohama on the 2nd day of being here. They came in handy today!

We needed to book our train tickets to Kyoto for tomorrow, and for the 8th when we leave on Monday Kyoto to the airport.
So we headed back down the mountain to Odowara.

 Walking in the rain to the bus stop.

Such a beautiful area we are staying in. Reminds me of home in the Dandenongs. Up in the clouds here!

 Jess crossing at the station.

 Waiting for the train. They come every 10 minutes here which is great :)

 The train up and down the mountain has one track. So it stops at every station and by passes another train, and they swap.

 Jess in the train.

 We needed a lot of coffee today, mixed with the weather we were pretty wrecked!

The little 7/11 car! So Kawaii

 We then walked to Odowara Castle. Which was originally one of the oldest castles in Japan. But it has been restored in the 70's.

 The massive castle behind Jess.

 The Map of the grounds.

 Castle goodness.

 Heading up the steps of Odowara castle.

 We paid 400 yen to see inside.

 The inside was much of a museum. They had ancient belongings back to the Edo time.

 One side looking out of the 2nd story of the castle.

 Looking out the other side. You can see how miserable today was. There are mountains there behind the clouds.

 Jess from above.

 At the top of the 4th floor of the castle.

You can walk around and see the city of Odawara.

 We then walked back to the station and had some epic lunch.

 Gotta love me some good ramen for less then 9 bucks each!

 We then went the wrong way on the train which took us to the seaside. Of course I didn't mind this. However it isn't the nicest beach!

 Jess along the rocks.

 I love the oceannnnn.

 Rocks everywhere!

 Jess and I walked back a different way to the station in the Japanese suburbs. These kitty cats were outside a little house! One even had it's own umbrella

 Love seeing the real parts of Japan. This was a little store in the middle of houses.

 Japanese streets.

 This house had some cabbage.

 Train station. Japanese girl.

 Lady walking down to her house.

We ended the day with ice cream.

 It was more then ice cream though. Of course Jess had her dose of green tea. She has at least 1 green tea ice cream a day!

The drains in Japan are all pretty artistic!

And then took the train back up the mountain to where we are staying here in Hokone.
Also we booked tickets for our trip tomorrow. So we head out pretty early, and will make it to Kyoto around noon tomorrow. Yay for more bullet trains!
And we have had to change our plans for when we leave now, which is a little frustrating for us.

The train on the 8th isn't early enough to get us to the airport in time, so we are now heading back to Tokyo on Sunday the 7th, and having a night there before we head to the airport on Monday morning.
Hopefully we can get some money back from our reservations in Kyoto, and find a place to Stay on the 7th in Tokyo without spending too much more money!

All is well though, I'm sure it will work out :)

Love from Japan,
Kath