Discouraged by Japanese traditions, but full of impressions - part 2

AMAZING Aerochute (continued, p.2) The next day, our faithful taxi company "MK Taxi took us to the Shin-Kobe Shinkansen train station where we decided to go to the city of Himeji. Upon arrival, we left the station and walked along the boulevard in the direction of the oldest and most well-preserved medieval castle in Japan. We saw a green hill on which the white castle. It has become abundantly clear why the castle was nicknamed "White Heron". It's really a magical place: its wooden construction with a beautiful slate tiles create a sense of eternity. Main Tower - an impressive wooden structure with supporting beams and adjoined by several floors, each of which follow less than the previous. You can climb up the steep wooden stairs. From the roof of the tower offers stunning views of the surrounding of the countryside. Then we visited the Garden Koko-en at the foot of the castle: pine, bamboo, in a small pond next to a traditional tea house floated huge carp - all just wonderful. True, we did not manage to eat dumplings taco (with octopus), one of the main dishes of Himeji. Perhaps it was too late. We boarded the train back to Kobe and just walk around the city in the harbor, on the road even a little astray. A nice Japanese businessman took us back to where he came 10 minutes ago, and all to show us the way to our apartment - very nice of him! Himeji Castle returned to the apartment and Yui Yuki, we tasted the delicious cabbage fritters, and then we were invited to take a bath. We refused, as politely possible. We, as the guests invited to take a bath first. Bath is usually taken on a full stomach and enjoy a very, very hot water, and then have to make sure that this same water is pure enough to ensure that the next person took a bath! All of this bath treatment - just super. So much fun as singing toilets! Singing toilet the next day in Kobe we have not been able to order online - all the websites of local service in Japanese! But we are quite aggressively asked to stay another night so we went the next day at a sushi restaurant in which we tried to get on the first night in Kobe. We promised to consider the morning after all agreed. The next day we went to the city of Kyoto. Yui advised us to an excellent restaurant with traditional cuisine, even told how to reach it, and after a long search we finally found it. We were offered a menu of 10 dishes - seafood in batter - at $ 35 each, all very tasty and everything is ready before our eyes. Then we visited the Kiyomizu Temple, tiered structure, towering over the trees. We had to look for it among the many Buddhist and Shinto temples, which in this locality big set. We are continually met with students in the form of sailors who arrived in town on tour. Then we went to Gion, the historic center of Kyoto, which seemed to consist of all the sliding doors, wooden beams and narrow cobblestone streets. At this time of the day's quiet here, though we managed to meet a girl in a kimono, like a geisha. Cover fire hydrant Soon we went to the station and the Shinkansen train back to Kobe, where we finally managed to get a great sushi restaurant which we were advised to Yuki and Yui. We met with them in the restaurant and tasted the best dinner in my entire life! Sushi to Kobe rather large, not that pretentious little, nice-looking portions, served in Tokyo (as told our hosts). In addition, sushi, Kobe is also very tasty. We are very fortunate that we went to a restaurant with our Japanese hosts, if they do not, we could not find any restaurant or order something from the menu because there is no foreigner to whom we could ask for help, but we Japanese do not know. Yes, after all we are very, very lucky. During the meal, we discussed many different topics. For example, we talked about three forms of language that is often used in Japanese, and were once again amazed at how complex and varied language of Japan. Then I realized that the right time to pay for lunch, because behind us was a "payback." I pretended that I needed the toilet, and he paid the bill, using sign language in an attempt to explain the confusing and slightly troubled the waiter what I actually want. Returning a table, I told our hosts that "all paid for." They were surprised, but embraced the news philosophically, and we all went home, where we are with them a little drunk and exchanged photographs before going to sleep. The next day, it's time to say goodbye. The next night we decided to conduct a riokane (traditional Japanese inn, prim.perev.), Where, with help from Yuki, we managed to book a room. Start material: Read more: See also: Tokyo, Japan: moving to the metro