Last stop in Kyoto was the monkey park at the western edge of the city in Arashiyama. Turned out to be quite a serious hike up to the top of a small mountain where the feeding area was, so I was very glad I didn't attempt this on my own with the boys. Monkeys like to eat peanuts, apples and chestnuts. Gavin (who is a bit scared of animals in general) was particularly pleased with the way the monkeys take food from you by reaching out their hands (as opposed to having to put your hand near the animal's mouth). There was also a nice playground for the kids with a gigantic slide. The fun stopped however when the monkeys decided it was their turn for the slide and scared Gavin off. Arashiyama itself looked like a the kind of place you could easily waste the day away in, lots of nice shops/restaurants and boat rides up/down the river on offer. Very well manicured gardens and lots of temples of course.
Bade a fond farewell to Kyoto and it was off to Kinosaki Onsen. The 2.5-hour train ride took us through beautiful countryside including mountains, rivers, etc. All very green, lots of rice growing in any flat corner of the landscape. The bamboo is insane. The stalks are as thick as aspen tree trunks, sometimes thicker.
Jason has declared he is never leaving this hotel - this is truly heaven on earth for him. We exchanged all our clothes at the door for a yukata (a type of kimono) and slippers. This is all we'll need for the next couple of days - all our meals are taken at the hotel and the rest of the time is spent hot spring (onsen) hopping from one hotel to the next. Also there are 5 private onsen in our hotel which means we can all soak together (most of the onsen are segregated male/female because it's a naked thing). We're staying at a Ryokan which is a traditional Japanese inn. I was nervous about sleeping on the floor again after the Seoul experience, however my fears were completely unfounded. Those placemats in Seoul are not even a distant cousin of the plush bedding we've got here. We are also in a 3-room suite, 1 room for sleeping, another room for eating, plus a large entryway and private bathroom. And free wifi!
Watched a bit of Japanese baseball on TV before dinner. After dinner we visited two onsen. The village is just gorgeous. I am amazed at how the weeping willow trees, which seem so quintessentially English when you're in a place like the Cotswolds, look as if they could only be here. My mom must add this to her list of places to visit. I can imagine the best time to come would be in early March when you can see the cherry blossoms but the weather is still cool enough that soaking in a hot spring is very appealing (vs now when a hot spring is kind of the last place you want to be on a muggy day. Speaking for myself, of course - Jason isn't bothered by the heat in the slightest).
We can add another item to the list of Gavin's idiosyncrasies. He does not like hot water (even in the bathtub at home), he will not put more than a toe into the water of the onsen, but he is fascinated by the ritual that goes along with the onsen experience. After we went to the two onsen outside the hotel, it was actually GAVIN who asked Jason to go for a third (they went to the one of the ones in our hotel).
ATE: Breakfast - pastries from a convenience store at Arashiyama train station.
Lunch - Dumplings and yakitori assortment from food hall in the Cube department store in Kyoto Central Station. The dumplings and meatball yakitori were highlights.
Dinner - at the Ryokan. An hour after arrival our meal was served in our private dining room, a feast for the eyes if not for my shy palette. Times have certainly changed though - never was willing to try sushi at home but here it's the 'easy' thing I start with before moving on to stranger things. Can't remember everything we ate but here's a go: mixed sashimi plate with fresh wasabi, boiled crab legs with vinegar, prawn and vegetable tempura, sesame tofu, 2 pieces of smoked fish, a plate containing fish parts (ie liver), a candied piece of fruit and a smoked clam, a bowl of (not sweet) custard containing eel and other fishy things, broth containing a poached prawn and tofu roll and some other mysterious fishy item, two slices of beef and some veggies that we cooked on a hibachi they brought to the table, miso soup, mixed pickled veggies...and that's all I can remember. They boys had shrimp katsu, tomato salad, sliced pork and rice.
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| Shinto Temple in Monkey Town (Arashiyama) |
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| Monkey See-saw |
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| Monkey feeding area |
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| Getting acquainted |
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| Monkey over Kyoto |
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| Map of Arashiyama |
Sounds wonderful! Photos? (not of the naked people)
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