There. One week to go in Tokyo. Now we must get under way for Kyoto ... our bags are already loaded: we have already bought almost all gifts, more full of fun characters. (Note: we arrived with two suitcases with an almost empty:))
The owner of the Ryokan helps us get the luggage. It is time to pay the bill, no surprise. I leave a little note in the Guest Book to express our satisfaction. We offer small souvenirs each of us and we propose to accompany Ueno Station by car! Royal Service! Super cool! In turn we offer them a small bag of candy: caramels authentic made in Normandy. They are excited ..... it was that or a pie! I opted for some more caramels to carry! : P
Anyway, overall satisfaction Katsutaro RYOKAN . There are very strong chance they will return if we go back to Tokyo!
Halal'm a little sad to leave the nest but hey wonderful discoveries await us .... then towards Ueno station, subway to Tokyo Station, one passes through a Akihaba LAST time ... sniff. There will have to somehow manage to take 2 train tickets for Kyoto. This time I had no information in advance: tickets had not been reserved, no idea of the price ... the only thing I knew was the destination (yet happy: p) and I knew we would take a Nozomi , the TGV, which borrows the Japanese Shinkansen (high-speed tracks, the term is often equated with SHINKANSEN train but it is really fast lanes). Schedules? Ha! it's no problem, Japan trains there every ten minutes! It was quite good, despite my apprehension: imagine more housing in Tokyo, if we get stuck as it is a TGV Express 1H after we find ourselves in Tataouine (well I exaggerate a little! ... it's just an expression !).... The Serigne M'Baye song in mind (Let my forehead touching the ground, or my fist tight, I will like the almighty .../... ....( Love thy neighbor )) All my guides in hand, my limited Japanese tourist chaotic I'm doing anyway! 2 tickets for a 11:33 direction Nozomi 700 to Kyoto (~ 26,000 yen or approx ~ 650 Frs. 100 €) YES!
I introduces me a bit too quickly in the train when the train arrives in station is supported by a cleaning crew that runs for 10 'around. Well they ' m'éjectent ' kindly: p but I could make sure it was the correct train. :) ... So we must wait quietly ... like everyone else. Did you see the class of this train! The TGV Formula One!
We place:
Some clever satisfy r angements Choo:
While I m formless Environment:
(For those wondering, the Green Cars are the first class.) During the journey we cross the suburbs Tokyoite, country Japanese:
about 2:45 to reach the Kansai .....
En route we will be happy to see the Fuji Yama:
but we will cross lands completely snowed! Gulp! Kyoto is slightly more South Tokyo that I told my little choo there would certainly be a bit better! ... And then it snows! (In the region of Gifu-Nagoya certainly)
Eventually it will come to Kyoto because it does not snow and the climate is substantially identical to the capital.
I made myself to Astro to find our way ..... ;)
For our stay in Kyoto, I had booked a non smoking room, high, king size bed in a Western-style hotel on the Internet via AsiaRooms The Maruko Inn .
In my research, I noticed that many hotels offered were located near the station, and I thought it would be annoying with the noise from the railway business ... so I selected an institution little farther .... good actually, and I do not know, but he was really at hand! Located 1H walk from the station! 1H walk that does not scare us ..... but an hour's walk with suitcases in hand and without lair is still not clear! So
information request repeatedly in the streets to demand the police station, etc ... etc ... Well it is not obliged to know everything either, and the Japanese themselves are often lost, but nobody really knew where it was! I presented my docs in English, Japanese, plans, but they were vague ... except the neighborhood, see the street (Nishinotoin) otherwise no one knew this hotel!
Slowly, we went there and fortunately after 30 to 45 'galley, a man in the car stopped and he offered to help. We appreciated the offer, even if at first they did not know whether we should accept or not. This gentleman himself was inquiring as and as the route, sometimes leaving us alone in the car! Finally, it has kindly dug up the hotel and dropped us at the entrance taking care of our luggage. Arigato no michi San. (Thanks Mr Unknown)
The hotel was, and is certainly still down at the bottom of a driveway in a street perpendicular to the long axis.
this picture (repatriated from the Internet site Rakuten ), one can see that our hotel is the white building at the bottom. This is a picture that was taken from the street .... so you see it is well a dead end and so it is not clear to find!
After some explanations due to our Purchase AsiaRooms, we handed over the reins.
Not at all the same atmosphere as Katsutaro ryokan, we already regret our futon, but it's very own (without smell of stale tobacco!) And comfortable all the same ( tv, bathroom, fridge, kettle, clock radio, etc. ...). We meet on the 10th floor and the view is excellent:
Electronic Toilet (Washlet) with water jet flow variable in the program:)
(I planned to do later on various non-standard. There will be a special on the toilet, on the manhole covers, etc ... So I come back later .. . on the pot.;)) There. Transfer made. We still experienced many things.
We no longer haunts, it must start from zero.
The atmosphere on Kyoto is very different, much less tumultuous, busy. In short, we are completely disoriented, but at least warm, well-housed, as expected.
After a good bath and a good night sleep, tomorrow we will see things differently.
