Traveling to Kyoto
We woke up early on the morning of the fourteenth. We packed up our things quickly and caught a train to head to Kyoto.
The trip was rather short; it only took us 13 minutes. On the way, we chatted about what we would do once we arrived and how much fun we would have.
Iwatayama Monkey Park
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| Iwatayama Monkey Park |
The Iwatayama Monkey Park is a park in Kyoto where wild monkeys roam freely. It's located in Arashiyama, a sightseeing district, and is home to around 120 snow monkeys. Although these monkeys were fed by humans, they were still wild, so we had to treat them with caution. After all, we were essentially visitors in their home.
Wooden structures and benches litter the park, providing a place for monkeys and humans alike to rest. Sirvaad seemed somewhat interested in the monkeys, as did Tristen; they both kept taking pictures for social media websites.
Ramen Sen No Kaze
After the Iwatayama Monkey Park, we traveled to Ramen Sen No Kaze. This is a ramen shop in Kyoto that is rumored to be the best in Japan. As we filed into the shop, we were greeted in a friendly manner and, after quite a long wait (almost an hour!), were given seats.
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| Exterior of Ramen Sen No Kaze |
Even though the wait was long, we knew that it was for a good cause: what could very well be the best ramen in Japan. When we had all taken a seat, we each ordered a separate bowl of noodles. We all enjoyed different parts of the ramen; my favorite part was the pork, while Tristen said that he liked the broth. Rohan and Malachi seemed to enjoy the noodles, as they demonstrated by hungrily slurping them down. I found it interesting how, even though we each had a favorite part of the soup, we all enjoyed it equally.
Arashiyama
Arashiyama is a sight-seeing district in Kyoto that is home to the Iwatayama Monkey Park and many Shinto shrines. As we passed through the district, we made sure to take many pictures so that the beauty of the place could be captured.
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| Inside Arashiyama Bamboo Grove |
One of the most well-visited places in Arashiyama is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We did not go in, but simply passed it. Even so, we could see that it was magnificent; the stalks of bamboo towered over the awestruck tourists as they snapped pictures of themselves in front of the gigantic plants.
Kikyo Sushi
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| Sushi Bar in Kikyo Sushi |
After we departed Arashiyama and had rested somewhat, we decided to go to dinner. Our dining place of choice was Kikyo Sushi, a restaurant that, as the name suggests, specializes in sushi. As we came into the restaurant, we were heartily greeted by some of the staff and encouraged to sit at the bar, in front of where the sushi chef practices his craft.
After some light conversation with the chef, we asked him what he recommended. Thinking for a moment, he suggested the salmon, as well as some toro (fatty tuna) to go with it. We accepted his suggestion, and he immediately went to work.
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| Some of Our Food |
Slicing with precise cuts as only a man with many years of experience can do, the sushi chef quickly made up two platters of raw fish for us. We quickly set to work on the gargantuan task of devouring the food, made easier by our ravenous appetites. Out of all of us, I was surprised to see that Rohan had eaten the most; I would have thought that he had gotten enough food through other snacks earlier in the day.
After finishing our delicious meal, we made sure to thank the chef profusely. In Japan, politeness is emphasized, often to the point of being too polite; we thought it best to err on the side of caution and be thought of as overly polite than as rude. As we left Kikyo Sushi and returned to our sleeping quarters, we were all extremely tired from the delicious food.
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