3) Kyoto and Nara

On Thursday (23.04.) we were brought by bus to Naha airport. After saying good bye to the great people of the EMBO course meeting, I took a flight to Osaka airport. I was lucky having a good window seat again overlooking the islands and the sea during the flight. An express train brought me within less than 1.5h to Kyoto central station. I stayed in a privateroom of Backpacker K's Hostel. Clean place, good location and fabulous value for money. I left my luggage at the hostel and went to Kyoto Tower area to have dinner. Then I decided to go to sleep early and rather start early the next day for sightseeing.

Flying out of Naha towards Osaka

The next morning (24.04.) I walked along Kamo River to the Nishi Market. Many stores were still about to open. I tried some snacks to go while slandering through the market. After the market I had lunch and then continued to Nijo castle. Each step in the castle made sounds from the wood below your feet. I remembered that many places were build like that to hear approaching enemies, especially during night. The castle had some nice paintings, but overall it didn't really leave me impressed. From Nijo castle I went to Kyoto Imperial Palace. The huge ways around are filled with loose stones, again to hear approaching people. I was lucky that a spot was avaiable when I came and I had to wait only 20min to get into the palace - guided only. Most impressive about the palace were the gardens to me. Somehow all old buildings in Japan look very similar to me and I felt as if I had seen most of it before. From the Imperial Palace I took a walk to the Higashiyama station. From there I walked south past plenty temples. Unfortunately, it most of them were already closed as it was 4pm in the afternoon. But I didn't feel like visiting all of them anyways. But getting a glimpse of their gardens was allways nice... and around this area I also saw many Geishas or at least Geisha-like dressed women^^ After a short phone-reloading stop at the hostel I went for dinner at chabana restaurant near Kyoto Tower.

at Nishi Market

outside Nijo Castle

entrance of Nijo Castle

gardens around Nijo Castle

gardens in the Kyoto Imperial Palace

spectacular tree in front of a temple Shoren-in temple

funny stuff infront of a door near Gion

dinner at chabana restaurant...

...quite different to western restaurants^^

The next day (25.04.) I took an early train from Kyoto station to Nara. There I went the Sanjo Dori street towards Nara's ancient sights. I started at Nanendo shrine and Kofoku-Ji. Then I walked through the park towards Kasuga-Taisha. Funnily, plenty deer can be seen on the way. And the ways of the park are filled with shrines making this an incredible scenery. I continued to Todaiji Nigatsudo temple and enjoyed a great view over Nara from there. On the way down hill, I visited the huge Todai-ji temple and its Golden Buddha Hall. There were many tourists around on this sunny Saturday. Mainly Japanese school kids... still, it was quite and somehow spiritual. In the end I had very late lunch on Sanjo Dori before I took a train back to Kyoto.

Nanendo shrine

Deer - all around Nara's parks

Kasuga-Taisha Treasure House

Kasuga-Taisha

next to Todaiji Nigatsudo temple

stairs towards Todaiji Nigatsudo temple

selfie from Todaiji Nigatsudo temple

me overlooking Nara from Todaiji Nigatsudo temple

Golden Buddha Hall in Todai-ji temple

Todai-ji temple

Back in Kyoto I went up the Kyoto Tower to watch the sunset. I was just right in time to see the sunset and enjoyed the view over Kyoto. Exhausted from the day, I went to bed early. Sunday (26.04.) morning I took the famous Shinkansen Bullet Train from Kyoto to Tokio Shinagawa.
470km in 122min. Not a single minute delay on any stop. German Railway and ICE are a joke compared to that. From Shinagawa I connected to Haneda airport and flew back to Boston via Toronto. Within 14h I saw sunset, sunrise and sunset again... my shortest day so far :P

view from Kyoto Tower

view from Kyoto Tower