Backdate: Japan Tokyo - Kyoto Dec 2018 Day 2

12/12/18 Weds: We’d already packed our luggage for the 6-days' trip to Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. Ian came to send us off before he headed to work. We boarded the Shinkansen with reserved seats at 9.33am. *Had to "activate" the 7-Days Japan Rail Pass which would allow us free travels on all JR Group trains.*

I got unagi bento (900￥) to eat on the 2+ hours' journey... shiok~ Potato had salmon set! *Shinkansen is fast and quiet. Potato and a few of them napped too after breakfast.* 

It felt colder in Kyoto. They visited a drug store randomly. We were walking to the train station when I saw these school boys literally wearing school uniforms and carrying the same bags even... maybe that's their culture?
I liked that the train master came out to check that all passengers are clear of the train doors before the train door closed and departed. *The names of the stations reminds you of Mahjong if you were to read them in Chinese haha~*

Had to walk a bit to our Airbnb (S$78.02 per person for 2 nights) after alighting at Shijo station, and it was rather quiet on the way. Went the wrong street at first, but with Potato's guidance, we found Nyoi An, a rather traditional-looking house in no time. The owner was already there making the place, and so we put our barang-barang down before heading out.

We walked over to a random playground across the street, and Potato bought a can of warm milk tea for my freezing hands and for us to drink of course haha. 

Francine, Ning, Potato and I made our way to Fushimi Inari via the train, while PY went elsewhere to explore on her own. *京都的小巷子很有日本的古老味道。*

There was passing rain when we reached Fushimi Inari, and a lot of other visitors too. One could "cleanse" their hands and mouth before entering the sacred ground. Well, before we began our walk up the mountains and passing the Torii, we had some snacks at the food alley on the left of the shrine. Potato bought Dango, which got rather sweet after a while, while Ning and Francine ate beef~

Once we passed the main shrine and the main gate, we would walk through the Senbon Torii. Each torii was a form of donation, and just along the main path itself, there were around 1000 of them. *They are pretty!*

We saw small mounds for private worship along the way as well.

It was quite tiring climbing the steps neh. Though we did not make it to the top, we did enjoy the picturesque view halfway through at 4+pm. Ning enjoyed her milk ice-cream too! *The pain in Francine's ankle was getting worse, and we found an abandoned umbrella there, which she used as her "walking stick" for the next few days with us.*

After descending down, we accompanied Francine to look for some medi-plasters at a drugstore nearby. Then, we went ahead with our plan of having dinner at Gion street. It was a small alley filled with restaurants and bars, and I remember seeing a Geisha from afar too. Rather pricey for dinner there as it would cost about S$30+ per person at one glance from the menus outside the restaurants, so we popped into one that had less expensive sets.

My duck nabe (1700￥) was delicious. Never got sick of the soup and the meat right up to the last drop haha~ Potato and PY had some beef nabe, and they were competing who could beat their eggs faster lol.
However, as Francine's pain in her right foot was getting worse, she thought of visiting the hospital. Potato and I accompanied her, and we took a bus to武田病院, which was supposedly the nearest hospital we could get to from Gion street. *Kind of intrigued by the "timetable" at their bus stops as it could tell roughly which stop the bus is at within two bus stops away, or if it has just gone.*

It's a fixed 230￥ on buses in Kyoto. It was about 8+pm by the time we were at the private hospital, and luckily the two could speak some Japanese and get their points across (though there was a lady who spoke English on the phone whom acted as their translator).

There was no doctor available to attend to her, and so they recommended京都第一赤十字病院. They even called a cab for us, but as cabs were expensive there, we decided to take the train at Kyoto station instead. 

I don't know if I was busy taking photos of Kyoto Tower on the way that I failed to keep my right hand glove safely in my pocket, so I realised I'd lost it when we were reaching Kyoto station. *Potato traced back the path and recovered it for me~ thanks dear!* It was pretty dark on the streets while we were walking to京都第一赤十字病院, and I saw this dumpling eatery just outside the subway station.

After the counter staff settled Francine's registration, he told her she'd have to wait for about 2 hours till 11+pm to see a doctor. Potato and I decided to go back after that. I was a bit worried to leave her there alone, but Potato said she's rather independent, and knows Japanese, so she should be fine. Two of us craved for and ate some pork ramen and gyoza (700￥) for supper haha~

We went back to our Airbnb first, and then PY went out to accompany Francine at the hospital. They came back at 1+am, and the doctor only did an X-ray for her if I did not remember wrongly, and told her it was not a fracture or anything, just a sprain, but it did cost Francine a bomb though.

A peak into our 2-storeys Airbnb in Kyoto for 2 nights. Other than the fact that the stair's a bit squeaky, and that it got cold for me and Potato at our side of the room (the only heater was at PY and Ning's side) in the night, it was all good I reckon. Francine had to sleep downstairs as it's a hassle for her to climb the stairs up. *Oh I liked the lemonade Chu-Hi Potato bought for us to try, so I bought 4 back to Singapore hehe~*