March 29, 2010: Tokyo To Kyoto

Alicia dorsum inwards Tokyo, amongst merely a long bench overlooking the kitchen area.

The carte du jour did non offering plenty English linguistic communication for us to navigate amongst remain but fortunately the immature human being working that nighttime had an impeccable grasp of our native language. (He explained subsequently that he spent unopen to fourth dimension working inwards the UK. However, he also revealed that this was his final nighttime inwards that undertaking in addition to hence I'm unsure how us English-only types volition fare inwards the future. The older woman someone develop didn't utter English linguistic communication at all.)

The best approach was to instruct for a dinner laid (1200円 $13.90), though at that topographic point was however unopen to choosing to do. First there's the fried characteristic - Michael went for the tempeh in addition to veg cutlet spell I happily took their recommendation of the fried soy chicken. Then at that topographic point was the array of mutual coldness sides displayed on the bench, of which nosotros could each select three. We were able to sample all v of them betwixt us - the uncomplicated greenish salad amongst avocado chunks in all likelihood rated every bit my favourite.

It was an utterly comforting repast taken inwards what felt similar someone's living room. As nosotros confusedly consulted our map on a snowy street corner a few minutes in addition to blocks afterwards, a local boyfriend stopped his truck, led us out to the middle of the intersection, in addition to wordlessly but effectively pointed us inwards the correct direction. Though the weather condition was unhelpful in addition to nosotros were linguistically incapable, Kyoto did its best to laid us right.

March 30, 2010: Kyoto Ii

evening's unseasonable snowfall burst, Tuesday dawned fine in addition to clear, in addition to thus nosotros decided to tackle a Lonely Planet temple walking tour through the Southern Higashiyama area. As did everyone else inwards the greater Kyoto area. Within xv minutes of setting out we'd come upwardly across 3 other people furrowing their brows at the same walking tour inwards the Nippon Lonely Planet guide.

Sunny Place, alongside clutter in addition to truthful cat paraphernalia taking upwardly every spare corner of the cramped space. Again nosotros were seated at a bar, alongside all the cooking in addition to repast training taking house correct inwards forepart of us.

Sunny Place - it's every bit good difficult to option a favourite, we'd recommended both to anyone passing through Kyoto.

March 31, 2010: Kyoto Iii

An early on wakeup on our minute morning time inwards Kyoto gave me my offset chance to create whatever existent birdwatching inwards Japan. H5N1 pre-breakfast wander along the river in addition to through the grounds of the nearby Shimagamo Shrine resulted inwards or in addition to hence xv novel species, including Teramaki shopping mall, an quondam street that was i time chock total of temples in addition to is similar a shot a covered mall amongst loads of sneaker shops, restaurants in addition to video game arcades.

Like all of Kyoto though, at that spot are ever temples lurking - something similar 12 are tucked inwards behind narrow gaps inwards the shop-fronts.

With nighttime falling, nosotros gear upwards out to honor dinner, heading upwards to the river in addition to some of Kyoto's best cherry blossoms.

name="siesta" The venue for dinner was the trendy-sounding Cafe la Siesta, a veg-friendly bar in addition to cafe fitted out amongst tremendously cool retro video games.

Even the picayune bill of fare holder is Nintendo-themed.

While the drinks bill of fare lists a broad gain of game-themed cocktails. I couldn't resist a 'highscore' (white rum amongst apple tree juice in addition to mint, 680 円/$8), land Cindy opted for an 'invader' (rum, lychee in addition to sherbert, 750 円/$9).

You can't quite larn inwards out inwards the picture, but the yellowish ice-cubes inwards Cindy's drinkable were inwards the kind of picayune infinite invaders. Very cool.

The nutrient options are a picayune less zany - the vego bill of fare made upwards of 4 pizzas, 4 pastas in addition to a twosome of rice dishes (vegan options are plentiful in addition to clearly marked). Cindy decided she was upwards for some pasta in addition to ordered the mushroom in addition to pepperoncino spaghetti (750 円/$9).

As you lot tin see, this wasn't a specially exciting repast - it was tasty enough, but given the high standards we'd boot the bucket used to inwards Japan, it didn't actually mensurate up.

My Thai-style curry amongst rice (700 円/$8.50) was a chip ameliorate , amongst a pretty impressive curry sauce in addition to some nice, fresh vegetables.

I shout out back though that Cafe La Siesta is actually a ameliorate house to boot the bucket drinking than eating - it was empty when nosotros were at that spot betwixt 7 in addition to 8 in addition to I larn the impression that it's much to a greater extent than pop every bit a nightspot than every bit a restaurant. It's sure slow to imagine having a cracking fourth dimension drinking cocktails in addition to playing Streetfighter or Afterburner until the wee hours. Unfortunately nosotros were both pretty shickered from our long 24-hour interval (and too I shout out back Cindy's patience for video games was wearing pretty sparse - nosotros sat correct past times an quondam console amongst a instance total of games to pick out from in addition to I chop-chop turned into a terrible dining companion).

So nosotros headed dorsum out into the nighttime in addition to had i terminal await at the cherry blossoms earlier jumping on the develop abode to bed.