Bamboo forest and Gion district

The sun came out today so we took the train to Arashiyama to wander through the bamboo forest. Like the Golden Temple this was very much a tourist trail with lots of souvenir and food stalls along the way. However, it is also a residential area and it was very cute to see little kids on their way home from school for lunch with their mothers, on bikes and on foot. Japanese children go off to school in coats, but shorts, skirts and bare legs even in the middle of winter !
After the tranquillity of the bamboo forest, we went back into town to find the "real" Kyoto. We spent the afternoon in the Gion area - lots of little alleys with old style houses, shops, bars and clubs. Many of these looked impenetrable and / or were marked "members only". We saw a real Geisha (or Maiko) shuffle / glide down the road and swiftly into one of the doorways.
The main street of the Gion area is another shopping extravaganza - souvenir shops galore but also very old shops selling kimono fabric, linens and the like. We got some snacks at the Nishiki Markets, a long thin alleyway filled with fish, vegetables, pickles an all manner of foodstuffs.
We were all tired (except for Russ who has boundless energy when in the cities) so came back to our local ramen for dinner and went home to bed. Big adventure tomorrow #feelinganxious.Read more