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We have now been in Japan for a week and since our last blog entry have left Tokyo. After visiting the brilliant Ghibli museum (the people behind Spirited Away and Howl]s Moving Castle, we caught the amazing shinkansen (bullet) train down to Kyoto. Man, that thing puts our trains to shame. They that thing puts our trains to shame. They are sleek, spotless, fast, prompt and They are sleek, spotless, fast, prompt and you get loads of space in your seats. Plus the fact the stations they leave from are immaculate and the staff where uniforms you]d expect to see pilots and air hostesses wearing. Britain really needs to learn from the Japanese when it comes to trains.
Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and is home to thousands of temples and of course Japan:s geisha. The world of the geisha is very secret but all the same we saw a few training geisha in the Gion area of the city in which they live. The temples we saw there were unbelievable, and the miles we walked to see them all I wouldn:t want to count. Dan now has very sore feet, put it that way. Unfortunately our camera broke on us early on our second day looking round Kyoto, which meant that we day looking round Kyoto, which meant that we annoyingly missed out on hundreds of photo opporunities. Dan thinks he will be able to fix it but for now we have bought a disposible film camera, which means that we managed to take photos today.
Today we are in a smaller town west of Kyoto called Nara. It too is an old capital and as such is home to lots of lovely temples, one of which is the largest wooden structure in the entire world. The thing I love most about Nara is that the park in which most of the temples are located is home to thousands of deer, because they are considered sacred. They are not only tame, they are cheeky! They come right up to you and start nestling up to you, hoping you will feed them. Dan got you, hoping you will feed them. Dan got a bit fed with me stroking them all so I had to stop after a while, but it was seriously cool.
We have been eaten lots of sushi and sashimi, ramens and then bizarrely yesterday we had pasta. It seems that Italian food is just as popular here as it is at home. Oh by the way, they have Starbucks here so you can all stop panicking that I]m losing the will to live without my chai (Faye - have you been for a chai since I left?). We have been avoiding them though and only went for Friday Starbucks on Friday and then one on Saturday because there was nowhere else to go and we needed to sit down. Actually Starbucks the first thing we saw after leaving Narita airport.
Anyway, enough about that. Our accommodation has been great. The place we:re in now is very much a traditional rykosan in which we sleep on matresses on the floor. It has its own baths though and the most beautiful garden in the middle of the traditional complex. The last place we stayed in was very traditional too, although it consisted of just three rooms in a lady:s house.
I:m still running and doing my yoga by the way, but don:t worry Mum, Dan by the way, but don:t worry Mum, Dan:s keeping a close eye on me when I go. All the Japenese people look at me as if the say, 'Crazy English girl,' when I`m running. Ahhhh, just found the apostrophe! Silly Japanese keyboard.
Tomorrow we are going to pop to Osaka, which is not all that far from here, and then we:re going to Hiroshima in the evening. We:re staying there two nights and then we:re visiting some small towns and Mt Fuji on our way back to Tokyo. Our second week in Japan is looking to be as busy as our first, but as we be as busy as our first, but as we're only here for a couple of weeks we're desperate to make the most of our time.
I hope you're all well. Missing you all loads. Was great to well. Missing you all loads. Was great to speak to you the other night 'Rents, sorry we couldn't Skype you bro. The place we're staying in on Sunday definitely has Skype so we should be able to see and talk to you guys then. Also the place we're staying Monday night def has a Skype phone so we can call you 'Rents before you head off on hols.
Better go as my time on the comp's almost up, but please email me to let me know you're all ok.
Big hugs,
Lauz/Laura & Dan
xxx
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