Ohaio!
Todays blog is being brought to you from the Chita Geust house in Kyoto. Little did we know that said guest house is a traditional Japanese guest house. Score! The room is nothing but tatami mats and we`re sleeping on futons. Our view is of a massive shrine accross the road, and there are no showers - just a communal bathroom where you sit down and wash from a basin. But don`t dispair - there is a vending machine in the front room! Oh and we have to leave our shoes at the door. We`re loving it!
Yesterday we went to Iga-Ueno. It`s a little off the main trail but it also the birth place of the Japanese ninja (aledgedly) and my word don`t they milk it! There were ninja everywhere, on the trains, at the station, on the light poles, in windows, holding up menus EVERYWHERE. And for people trained in stealth this was somewhat surprising. We went to the ninja museum and it was possibly the best museum we`ve seen yet - probably because everything was in English and it was just so damn cool. There was a full recreation of a ninja house and a girl in full garb showed us how ninja had the house set up to be sneaky and undetectable. Unfortunately the demonstration was not on yesterday, apparently ninja need to rest too.
From there we went on the scariest, dodgiest train ride we`ve been on (we expect worse in China) but eventually made it to Kyoto in one piece.
Our first stop was Gion Corner. Damn tourists! But it really was delightful, the streets are all done up to look old worldy, there are geisha just roaming the streets - we harranged a couple in to taking their photos - and the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom. We voluntered to be part of a tea ceremony demonstration as part of the Gion Corner show. Being served tea by geisha..... awesome!!!!
We`ve finally found the western tourists. They`re all in Kyoto! It feel wierd to hear English just walking down the street now, and our hostess speaks fluently so things aren`t as much of a struggle as they have been.
Today we`re off to walk the Philosophers Path and see Shrines shrines shrines!!
You were surprised at the ninja museum ? Look lady, nothing is free in this world and even ninjas need funding. They're not magicians. These guys work hard for a living. They have allll sorts of things to buy. You think those blacks stay black with regular napisan ? Think again, baby. They need cash and the museum is the best idea. The reason it's in English ? Silly squirrel, who else would go there ?
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