[2014-Nov-09] Sun

It was 4.00 am. It was freaking cold for me. The escalator nearby non-stop telling people to be caution of their steps. Loud and clear like no one’s business. I couldn’t sleep more, as we don’t want to waste any more time and looking forward to get to Kyoto as early as we can, we woke up & took turn to wash up. We had our first coffee from the konbini at the second floor next to tourist information centre. While sipping my hot coffee, I observed people around me, some of them still sleeping covered with the same colour of blanket. Hurmm..too good to say it was a coincidence. I was wondering, where the hell they got this blanket? After a while I figured that anyone can borrow that blanket from the tourist information centre for free. Awesome right?

My surroundings slowly filled with people. After got direction from the information counter, we headed to JR office at another building and while crossing the bridge there I saw my first koyo. Luckily we were early to JR office, because soon after we arrived, the queue gotten longer and longer. You don’t want to waste your time here. Definitely! Once you touched down, go change your JR pass as early as you can. Haruka Express departed at 7.42am.

Playing tourist : Pictures around Kansai Airport & our first train ride from KIX to Kyoto.

We arrived Kyoto around 10.30 am. It was quite a struggle at first to change train but we managed at the end. After checked-in at Khaosan Kyoto Guest House, I picked up pocket wifi at the counter and then refreshing up properly. We headed to Teramachi Street and didn’t went to Nishiki Market since our initial plan was to go to Manga Museum.

Teramachi Street (寺町通 teramachidōri?) is a historical street in Kyoto, Japan, running north-south. The area extending from Shijō Street to somewhat above Sanjō Street is an arcade containing an assortment of shops and services, both traditional and modern. The street’s name literally means “Temple Town”, similar to English “Templeton”, and reflects the large number of temples moved there during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s remodeling of Kyoto in the 16th century. – wiki

Playing tourist : Pictures around Teramachi Street.

Why Kyoto Manga Museum? Well why not? 🙂 Both of us love manga and it was just a good place to kick-start our journey. It was raining & cold to stay outside anyway. On our way to the museum, we met a family from Malaysia. They shared a few tips on which brand of bread & butter we can eat from konbini & which kanji that means non-halal ingredient. After thanked & took pictures with them, we parted our way. I was mesmerized with koyo colours. It was really beautiful although in a cloudy day. We reached the museum around 1.30pm. Manga museum cost us 800 Yen per entry & photography only allowed on certain section. Hence, we didn’t manage to capture many pictures from inside the museum. After we saved our bag inside the locker, we started our exploration at the caricature artist counter. I don’t remember  how much it cost but I really love the outcome. Next, we went to the activity section. We met Kaoru san & Katsuharu san. It was a warming & lively conversation while we did the pop-up card together. We exchanged Facebook ID & said goodbye. We went upstairs to look for more exhibition. Surprisingly, They have a collection of magazine from all over the world including Malaysia. There was ‘Gila-Gila’ magazine which is really popular back then in Malaysia. There was a special exhibition too, a series of artwork of Yasuko Aoike.

Yasuko Aoike (青池 保子 Aoike Yasuko^?, born July 24, 1948 in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi) is a female Japanese manga artist. Most of her works are shōjo manga, predominantly focused on romance, adventure, and light comedy, and many of them contain elements of shōnen-ai. She is included in Year 24 group.^[1] – wiki

Playing tourist : Pictures around Kyoto Museum.

Time flies so fast, it was already dark outside. We headed back to our guest-house by walking through Gion Street area.

Playing tourist : Pictures around Gion Street.

 

My to do list for today;

1. To change JR Pass voucher.
2. To take the earliest train to Kyoto. We can use JR Pass. Yokatta!
3. To check-in at Khaosan Kyoto Guest House.
4. To pick up pocket WiFi at Khaosan Kyoto Guest House receptionist counter.
5. Sightseeing/shopping at Teramachi Street.
6. Visit Kyoto International Manga Museum.
7. Sightseeing at Gion Street & Pontocho Street.

 

My expenses for today;

1. Machi Coffee – 100 Yen
2. Kyoto Sightseeing Two-day Pass – 2000 Yen
3. Mochi – unknown
4. Kyoto International Manga Museum – 800 Yen

 

Tips/Notes;

1. Be aware with sunrise & sunset time while travelling in Japan. I visited Japan during late autumn, day time was shorter & most of the shops closed early around 6 pm & 7 pm.
2. Autumn is a rainy season. I brought a small umbrella with me or you can simply buy an umbrella from konbini.
3. Due to cold & dry weather, a lip balm & lotion is very important to protect your skin. Don’t ever underestimate the weather. Really! Don’t ever underestimate the weather. I’ve got a lot of scratches :(. It took awhile to heal.
4. If you are under a strict budget and it is important to keep hydrated, just bring a long a tumbler. You can use it to fill in hot or cold water. Usually guest house will provide a free coffee, sugar & creamer.

 

I think that’s all for now. Ja mata!