Japan: Kyoto Temples

Part II:

Japan for me is not so much the tech toys or the anime that I grew up on. These where things I used to dork about. Travelling for me is now about history, wonders, culture, people and shopping. You might not find so much history in Tokyo. So Aya graciously travelled with me to Kyoto.

Shinkansen and bento box here we go!

Oh at this point I really must mention the smoking rules of Japan. Lets just say if you smoke you might as well quit or the more you want, cause you can only smoke in smoking areas... that includes no smoking on the streets! Yes you can NOT walk and smoke. You have to stop and find a designated smoking area, usually found by a 7/11 or station. Trains also have smoking carriages, which would probably put you off smoking, with its lack of air to breath in.

Oh and before I forget train stations and travelling. If your an avid traveller it's not that bad if you can read maps. Just takes a little longer since everything is in Japanese, even google maps on my android comes up in Japanese! I got around ok even better then Aya!

Golden Pavilion - Kinkakuji

Kiyomizudera

 

Sanjusangendo

Holds 1001 life size stautes. Each one looking diierent from the next and hand carved. You can't take pictures in side but its worth a look. The building is also a very long one to house all those statues. It also used to be an archery school, so you can imagine how they would have to shoot an arrown from one side to the other.

Ryoanji Temple

Arashiyama

Koudaiji Ryozen Kannon

Yasaka Jinjya

I haven't added some of the other temples and shrines we visited,as some places wont let you take pictures. As you can see there are lots of pictures. I will be making another travel book at some point, maybe when I get my own computer!

That weekend must have been my favourite part of the trip. Seeing as many temples as possible spot of shopping in small roads off the beaten track and some culture of geisha dinning.

 

Alex said that it is rare to see let alone spend time with Geisha. That I had a privileged experience. It was definitely different and hard to communicate, and cant help but ask questions and stare at their beauty.

The Out takes

Next week.. Part III shopping

Day Out: Dior exhibition at Harrods

I was never a Dior girl... but now colour me grey and grab me a tutu! 

Its a small exhibition but ever so cute. With videos projected onto objects and clothes worn by famous Dior girls. Only there for a month, free entry, lovely windows, gorgeous exhibit. You have to go! 

If not here is what you missed out on.

The infamous Charlize Theron dress

 

Easter Weeekend.

Its Easter week and apart from taking kids anywhere to enjoy the holidays I found out, I too am off for a week... Now what to do? specially if I dont have kids to take on some easter egg hunt?

Covent Graden seems to be the place... They have a hole lots of eggs on show and will be auctioned off on the 1st of April. We missed the egg hunt in feb!!! I know!!

 Links of London also have these limited edition cute little charms....

Oh and why not catch a chocolate martini at dirty martini?! lol

Images from www.coventgardenlondonuk.com

Japan: On the hunt for Style and History.

Here it is finally.....

Part 1: Tokyo

I've done my fair share of travelling and obviously not as much as some people in my circle of friends. Japan must be a top ten for many of us. I had holiday time that was meant to be spent doing some styling work that was cancelled and as Aya was going home, I thought why not? I'll have friends to visit and can take me around. So booked a flight and visited Alex who's out there teaching English and loving married life with his ever so cute wife Ayano.

my castle

So lets start on Tokyo. Japan is a country moving so fast that it is desperately trying to hold on to its culture and past. It's a tad like London in the respects that you can find history amidst present and future. Just not so much in Tokyo. Here it is more the capital of the future, the hustle and bustle.

Oh you have to experience rush hour. It is nothing like London rush hour, they really know how to find an empty space and fill it!

I cant really say it feels like the thousand of people crossing the road that you see in movies. It really is not that bad unless I must have missed rush hour walking? But there is a lot to see and trying to take the time out to stop and see is rather difficult.

With that in mind trying to find zen in the capital is like finding a fishing place next to the station....

Sky Tree

If Tokyo is the future then you would have thought that we should have learnt something from them? The Tokyo Sky Tree is their new tall building to see the view of the city, like our The Shard.

But unlike The Shard the Sky Tree has more to see on the outside as you wait to get up there, with shops, restaurants and, an aquarium. The lifts alone are a spectacle as you go up and the tourists are oohing and ahhing at the light display. There are also videos and maps of old Tokyo that can be seen on the deck.

 

Imperial Palace & Gardens

The Imperial Palace is a bit like Buckingham Palace, you just can't go in or actually see it! Which no one told me as I walked round the area that seemed like a stone dessert in the heat, and I can see heat waves as I walked around the stone walls and moats.

 

Just like Buckingham Palace it has a huge public park close by, which is free entry and open to the public.

 

When you come out of Tokyo Station you can spot people drawing the station across the road. Its like visiting New York, there are also little areas you can find between buildings that have quaint seating areas.

Boso-no-Mura Museum

I got a bit tired of the city and took a trip out to the country side. I should have gone earlier, or maybe during peak season to actually see some activity, but from what I did see I liked. Instead of seeing pictures and movies of what the past looked like here you can actually experience and touch it.

Before you go

Get a Rail Pass. It is expensive and you pay for a voucher before you get there. But considering that if you are a Japanese residence a shinkansen to Kyoto is the price of a Rail Pass for a week! You don't get discounted tickets when you get there you can only apply for the voucher before you arrive. So if your planing to get out of Tokyo and see the rest of the country. You need one!

 

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