Day 3: Nijo-jo Castle

20th October 2018 (Saturday)

I was checking out and moving to Daiya Ryokan today. The guesthouse owner saw me in my t-shirts and told me it would be very cold. I said I would be okay. As I stepped out of the guesthouse, I realised what she meant. It was drizzling and it was cold. She was right and I pulled out my jacket.

On arrival at Kyoto Station, I went to the south-side to store my baggage at the coin lockers near the escalator coming down from Pedestrian Walkway on the first floor (or 2nd floor in American English). Almost all the lockers were coin-operated, as opposed to IC card operated. The lockers accept ¥100 coins only. The medium size locker which I used cost ¥500.

Since it was still drizzling, I was in no hurry to go to Nijojo Castle. After storing my baggage, I went to Hachijo East Side to video-tape the JR Nara Line train station with a running commentary to record what I did the previous morning and to find the spot where I arrived from Osaka Airport. I also recorded a video on how to get to Ramen Restaurants from Kyoto Station south side via the Pedestrian Walkway.

From Nijo-jo, I would be going to Kinkaku-ji Temple in the afternoon by bus. It would be more prudent to buy a bus one-day pass for an unlimited ride for ¥600. Using the ICOCA card, it would cost me ¥230 x 3 trips = ¥690. The day pass could be bought from Bus Ticket Center on the north side of Kyoto Station, just outside the Central Entrance.

I was not very sure how the one-day pass was inserted into the pass reader the first time it was used to have the date printed on the pass. From my seat, I was observing how passengers paid their bus fares when they disembarked. Many were paying by dropping their coins into the cash slot. Someone also changed his big note to coins using the machine. Very few were tapping their ICOCA cards on the card reader. I also noticed many showing some kind of cards to the driver and I was confused at what they were doing. Surely, being a tourist city, there would be many visitors using the one-day pass the first time this morning. I did not notice any, until later on the bus trip. By the time the bus arrived at Nijojo-mae bus stop, I knew what to do already.

Nijojo Castle was okay. It has an interesting history with respect to Ninomaru-goten Palace. Other than that, there was nothing much to see.

Day 2: Nishiki Market, Kamo River and Gion (Again)

19th October 2018 (Friday)

After visiting Kiyomizu-dera and strolling along Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka to Yasaka Pagoda, I decided to return to my guesthouse which was close by. However, it was locked. The time was only 2:10 p.m. and it would probably not open until 4:00 p.m.

I needed to ease myself. I decided to go to Nishiki Market, which was in my afternoon itinerary. Hopefully, I could find a washroom there. Surely, the Japanese know that tourists are human and need to pee, and being so considerate and thoughtful, would have washrooms ready for needy tourists and visitors like me.

Looking at the OSM map on my Garmin eTrex 20x, Nishiki Market did not look very far away from the hostel. It was about 1.5 kilometer away (but Garmin gave me the long route!). But, when the urge to pee was so strong, the distant seemed doubly far. It was about 2:50 p.m. when I reached Nishiki. I looked left and right along Nishiki Market and was very disappointed that I did not find a washroom. The Japanese were a disappointing lot. Of course, that was not going to stop me from having some bites.

It was not yet 3:20 p.m. I was at the west end of Nishiki Market. I wouldn't walk further west to Phiten at Tearaimizucho, on the same street as Nishiki Market to find the items that CTT requested. I had decided that I needed to return to the guesthouse for my pee. I estimated that I would reach the guesthouse by 4:00 p.m. With hurried steps, I walked back. 

Then, I saw Hankyu Kawaramachi Station. Surely, there must be a washroom here!! I hurried underground to the station. What a relief! Why hadn't I thought of finding a washroom at the train or subway station earlier? It was pure ecstatic feeling!

Feeling relieved, I was ready to see Kamo River. The first time I saw pictures on the internet of the building lining Kamo River, I had decided that I must visit this place. The view was unlike anything that I have seen before. It was very authentic and original, one of a kind. Earlier, I thought this place was called Pontocho, but further reading told me that Pontocho was actually an old street. I still haven't found the name of this place, except for the name of the river running alongside, Kamo River or Kamogawa.

On the way to Yasaka Pagoda from Kamo River, I dropped by the Geisha/ Maiko alley again, with the hope I could capture a vivid photograph of a Geisha/ Maiko. I guessed most of the visitors were thinking of doing the same thing. The Geisha/ Maiko were the celebrities here. In fact, when two Geisha/ Maiko were spotted walking together, a woman, presumably a mainland Chinese by her uncouth behaviour, followed and chased after them for a photograph.