Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto is one of the more traditional cities in Japan. It is usually known for it's cherry blossom trees (one of my favorite flowers) but in the middle of the winter you can imagine they are not in bloom. So what do we do in Kyoto during the winter? My family is anything but normal, so te first night we head straight to a zen Buddhist temple to spend the night. It was actually a great experience. We slept on futons and pillows with big beads in them; and the rooms are separated by thin walls of rice paper doors. It was fun, all of us packed like little sardines into the room. Before one enters a home or a room, shoes must be removed, so I bought a pair of 10 dollar slippers which are easy to take on and off.

The next morning we set out to experience Kyoto fully. The day started with 30 minutes of zen mediation and a tour of the temple, followed by more green tea (not my favorite...) We then rode bikes to the golden temple, tried green tea dumplings (gelatinous and fish like... as I guessed) but unfortunately it terrential downpoured in the middle of the day, so bike riding in the freezing cold rain cut our very pleasant day short. Luckily we were able to grab a cab to take us to our hotel for the night- also very traditional with rice paper walls and futons. Seeing as we were cold and wet, we wanted to warm up. So baths were hopefully in our immediate future.

Oh my, my, my... Where to begin with the baths. First off, toilets are completely separate. I imagined toilets to be the same in every country. But no... Toilets in japan are not like they are in America. They are an adventure all in themselves. You sit, no squat, very very low to the ground because the toilet is essentially on the floor. Once you have finshed your business finding the toilet paper can be difficult. In this bathroom it was all the way behind me, therefore practically impossible to reach. All I could do was hope and pray I didn't fall out of my squat into the bowl. Not all bathrooms are like this however, another one I have experienced washes your private parts for you (Skye tried it and said he was very surprised at how well the water aims) and other toilets have fuzzy heated seating on raised toilets much like the ones in the US, and others play music.

The washrooms are also completely foreign. When I stayed the night with Alisa, I was able to take a shower in the morning, but I wasn't really sure how to use it... Then today I learned (step-by-step from a picture on the wall in our hotel.) You first remove your clothes. The wash area is separated by a glass door so when you enter the wash room it is steamy. The "showers" consist of removeable shower heads. that you use to wash your hair and body while squatting on a stool (it seems they must have terrific thigh muscles for all the squatting.) After you have cleansed yourself you then go and sit in a giant bathtub/hot tub area where it is so hot it feels like you are boiling alive- but don't worry, you get used to it and eventually is very relaxing. However once you feel you have had enough, you get out and feel a bit light headed as you wrap the towel around yourself. Oh yeah, did I mention this entire wash area is public? 4 stations to shower on stools and a large bathtub tha could probably hold 6-8 people. Tonight I was alone, but who knows what it will be like the morning!

For this evening I am looking forward to eating some tempura and sushi before I leave Kyoto. Then off to Kobe tomorrow!