...and then Adrian does an terrific job leading us back to the bicycle hire place through tiny alley ways as if he is a local tour guide - well done.
Bicycle Tour
Sunday 2nd April. Our
presence was not required until 9:30am, so a leisurely start was in
order for this particular morn. I woke up just shy of 7 thirty, and
proceeded to, unlike many other days, carry out my morning tasks in a
calm fashion. Such fanciful a reality only lasted 40 minutes, until
daylight savings time changes decided to be a thing - even when I
leave the country it decides to screw me over. Anyway, so I ripped my
coat and bag from their stand and rushed out into the lobby 15
minutes late, under the burning glares of my peers.
Then we arranged ourselves for the day. Initially the plan was to hire out 17 bikes and visit a bunch of temples as a big horde of clueless tourists, buuut some people weren't feeling too well, and others just preferred to traverse the land using these unbelievably handy extremities called legs. So the 'cycling group' ended up only being 10 people, Yours Truly making up one of those ten. [Let me just put in here that if you were hoping to hear about the happenings of the other 7 between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, I am sorry; because that group's doings will be completely void from this entry.]
Now our group, the important group, caught a bus out to some place and hired ten bikes. From the bike-hire place we rode to Temple, spending minutes there before taking off for Temple. Afterwards we rode into town and sourced out some sustenance – otherwise known as lunch – and took a quick break. Then we were back at it again, riding like mad for the Bamboo Forest. We locked the bikes at the edge and hiked up into the unknown, where awaited us... a sea of people. And I wish I were exaggerating, but that's exactly how it felt. To enter such an esteemed tourist attraction in Japan means you must be prepared to jostle your way through a seething mass of people. The tourists here are almost a tourist attraction themselves. We spent about an hour there, following the winding path which cut through the densely growing stalks. Then it was time to find a way back to the bike shop and return them before going back to the hostel. Adrian, our guide for the ride, chose a colourful route through the back streets of Kyoto city. For half an hour we zig-zagged in the general direction of the hire shop, all the while taking in the beauty of peoples' cramped but humble living style. It was really an experience to see the side of Japan the Japanese don't cater to tourists. Hundreds of small, two to three story home; rarely room for a car; minimal, if any, space for a garden, but those lucky enough to have one take pride in it and it shows.
All souls made it there, then it was onto a bus and back to our beds.
Then we arranged ourselves for the day. Initially the plan was to hire out 17 bikes and visit a bunch of temples as a big horde of clueless tourists, buuut some people weren't feeling too well, and others just preferred to traverse the land using these unbelievably handy extremities called legs. So the 'cycling group' ended up only being 10 people, Yours Truly making up one of those ten. [Let me just put in here that if you were hoping to hear about the happenings of the other 7 between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, I am sorry; because that group's doings will be completely void from this entry.]
Now our group, the important group, caught a bus out to some place and hired ten bikes. From the bike-hire place we rode to Temple, spending minutes there before taking off for Temple. Afterwards we rode into town and sourced out some sustenance – otherwise known as lunch – and took a quick break. Then we were back at it again, riding like mad for the Bamboo Forest. We locked the bikes at the edge and hiked up into the unknown, where awaited us... a sea of people. And I wish I were exaggerating, but that's exactly how it felt. To enter such an esteemed tourist attraction in Japan means you must be prepared to jostle your way through a seething mass of people. The tourists here are almost a tourist attraction themselves. We spent about an hour there, following the winding path which cut through the densely growing stalks. Then it was time to find a way back to the bike shop and return them before going back to the hostel. Adrian, our guide for the ride, chose a colourful route through the back streets of Kyoto city. For half an hour we zig-zagged in the general direction of the hire shop, all the while taking in the beauty of peoples' cramped but humble living style. It was really an experience to see the side of Japan the Japanese don't cater to tourists. Hundreds of small, two to three story home; rarely room for a car; minimal, if any, space for a garden, but those lucky enough to have one take pride in it and it shows.
All souls made it there, then it was onto a bus and back to our beds.
Kiara
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