One of the best days of the trip, biking all around Kyoto proved to be one of the most fun activities to be done inside the traditional city. We started at Kyoto station and rented our e-bikes and off we went going towards the river. We rode along it which felt amazing, with the summer breeze and clear blue skies. The sun shining down warmth and the sound of the river moving along with us, what a great day. We parked our bikes when we needed to and just enjoyed the river. There was a guy who was playing a Chinese bamboo flute, we stayed for a while and got to know him while he played us some songs even some from my request such as Yue Liang Tai Biao Wo De Xin. We also encountered a cute dog and played fetch with it. We stopped by Gion to grab some snacks and walk around the old town. We had some udon for lunch and went through the Imperial Palace grounds, both slipping on our bikes under the rocky gravel.
We somehow ended up in the most nature-rich part of Kyoto, we were in a farmland, from there we went up the mountains, into the forest, I was euphoric. The views were awesome, and the downhill was adrenaline-filled, going full speed. I probably would have died there and then but definitely worth it. We stopped by some lakes and another temple or so before heading to Arashiyama area for the bamboo groves which was super full this time around. We biked a bit more around the area and had a rest by the river before deciding to head back to return the bikes. We grabbed some ice cream at the convenience store and were soon riding along the river again. We had to carry our bikes up the stairs because of some routing problems but it was all good as we got there on time to return our bikes.
To end the day, we went to an very good onsen. I let my body get the best relaxation it can get after a long day of biking and my body thanked me for it. We went back to Osaka afterwards and had a pretty good teppanyaki dinner, grabbing some more drinks and ended the day but I had trouble sleeping and the air-conditioning kept on turning off.Read more
September 21, 2020 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C