To Kyoto

Though I was at Ueno station well before the train departure time of 8:30 AM, the ticket-checker informed me that the train left from Tokyo station, not Ueno, at that time, so of course I missed it. Now how could I have made such a silly mistake? Still, I took the JR line to Tokyo and took the next train from there, and was lucky enough to find a vacant seat in an "unreserved" car. Sat next to an English chap (mother from Cork--it's amazing the number of Brits I've met who's mothers hail from Cork!), struggling against jet lag, who had been at last evening's match and was now heading for the next England game. The trip took less than three hours.

Kyoto Station

The train station at Kyoto is the most impressive I've ever seen (and believe me, I have seen a LOT of stations). Huge, bright, spacious, with dramatic lines, on several levels. There was even an orchestra playing on one of the upper levels as I arrived! The station contains a hotel, a couple of department stores, three(!) theatres, and no shortage of shops, cafes and restaurants on the different levels. Unfortuntely, not many of the vendors speak English. I went to several travel agents to price a ticket to Seoul, from any city in Japan, but the cheapest offer I received was about 70,000 yen from Japan Airlines, which was outside my budget. Walking around the station I spotted several women in kimonos, while girls are dressed up as geishas for advertizing purposes (but somehow that mobile phone looks out of place--it's no substitute for a parasol!).

A Tidy Town

With plants in pots and boxes dotted around the streets and neatly-clipped shrubs and hedges in boxes, Kyoto looks likes it's gearing up for the Japanese equivalent of the Tidy Town competition. And it's nice seeing some buildings that are more than fifty years old!

This seems to be the hottest and most humid place I've been in Japan so far. Of course I was not helped by having to carry three bags as I walked about two miles to the hotel.

In fact this city was capital of Japan for most of its history, and new emperors are still inaugurated here. Due to its cultural significance, it was not bombed at all during the war.

Kyoto is described in the Lonely Planet guide as the cultural heart of Japan, and recommends a stay of several days there--ten days to see everything--and then proceeds to a long list of the local shrines and temples. I suppose it's like a visitor to Dublin being given a list of all the notable churches within a fifty-mile radius and told:
"Here you go--take your pick. Oh, by the way, most of those are in the Wicklow mountains, and there's an entrance fee for every one. And ten thousand visitors, mainly schoolkids, pass through each one every day..."

A Decent Hotel

Well, all hotels in Japan are pretty decent (except for the prices!) from what I've seen so far, but the Mitsu Garden City hotel, comparable in quality to the Holiday Inn, is great value for 4,000 yen, especially since I also got a large-sized room, as they were out of singles. I longed to stay longer, but I didn't come all this way to wallow in 4-star luxury, did I?

The Hot Seat

The toilet, though Western-style, was a real high-tech affair, with detailed instructions in Japanese and (bad) English on how to operate the various buttons. I had been warned when using this kind of toilet not to press the buttons--you never know what will happen. The buttons operate things like in-built heated seats, jet sprays, blow dryers, automatic seat-lifters and tinkle-muffling tunes and artificial flush noises. In fact, some are even operated by a remote control device, so you can flush from a distance!

Wash-day Blues

A retractable clothes line over the bath (something I hadn't seen in a hotel for years) was a signal to get some washing done. During this trip I met so many fans who complained of having taken too much clothes, and I couldn't believe the size of some of the cases and backpacks of some who were staying only a few days. What on earth did they pack?

Based upon my experiences of backpacking in my younger days, I take just one change of clothes, which I wash when I am not wearing them, and then leave them out to dry and air. All you need is some washing powder (or hotel soap, if you haven't any) and a piece of string to hang over the bath or better still somewhere outside (though women might avoid hanging their underwear outside, as underwear fetishists appear to be more numerous in Japan than elsewhere! The Lonely Planet book has a few stories). Someone told me that their laundry bill for a single batch in Japan came to 60 Euros!

Because this is the World Cup I've taken some extra gear: an Irish jersey, a large Irish flag (which can double as a ground sheet or towel) and a light sleeping bag (some Chinese-owned hotels, even in Singapore, don't provide bed-clothes, and the sleeping bag is also a protection against mosquitoes). I also brought along a long-sleeved shirt because there was a warning in one of the English newspapers to cover all tattoos (I have a tattoo on my right arm), but though in fact I never bothered covering my tattoo, the shirt did lend an air of respectability in airports, etc.

However, I did also take a few luxuries, among them a small electric kettle and small thermos flask for making Barry's tea and instant soup.

Pontocho-dori

My evening stroll took me as far as the river, then through the shopping arcades in the centre of the city--very interesting, with all kinds of souvenirs and nick-nacks. Unlike Tokyo, this is a city I enjoy exploring.

Between one of the main shopping streets and the river is the charming entertainment area of Pontocho-dori, which is essentially a narrow street of old-style wooden buildings, which, dotted with tea-houses and restaurants, with hanging lanterns and traditional signs, evokes the atmosphere of old Japan. Geishas and maikos are seen around here (though I'm told they're expensive, around 3,000 Euros for an evening!).

The Beautiful Game

In Group F, England could manage only a 0-0 draw with Nigeria, while the TV images of weeping players and fans showed how bitterly disappointed fellow group member Argentina was to draw 1-1 with Sweden and thus sent packing. Argentina failed to get past the first round for the first time since 1962. England and Sweden progress to the next round.

In Group B, Spain played against South Africa--the Irish lads will have been glued to this game, as Spain will be up against them in the second round. Spain won 3-2, and in the same group Paraguay beat Slovenia 3-1, so Paraguay and Spain progress.

On TV, a sorry-looking French team arrived back home in Paris.

Well, you know what the Bible says: Some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last.