back on the floor

We've left Tokyo behind and moved on to Kyoto, where Kristian has attended a conference the last 3 days. The conference was a bit outside of Kyoto, near the mountains, it was really peaceful there. So peaceful that I infact got a bit stressed. I guess it is hard to wind down, coming from loud, noisy, bustling Tokyo. We did however get to wear even better looking matching japanese sleeping suits - kimonos.

Since we left the appartment, I've felt I was in some kind of transit. I haven't been out seeing much, and at the same time I'm stressing over the fact that there is so much to see and so little time left. I guess, we're slowly getting mentally ready to go home.

I did manage one last trip in Tokyo, though. To Asakusa. And I was glad I did. It had a totally different feeling to it. Not so many skyscrabers and more temples. No Gucci instead lots of stalls selling rice crackers and the like.


We didn't have the anonymity, we've had in the more 'modern' parts of Tokyo, and people constantly wanted to take photos of Selma and pad her on the head.

Anyways, back to Kyoto...after having spent a really boring day near the conference center, going for walks, not at all being able to enjoy the beautiful nature (even Selma said: Mom, why aren't there any people here. I want to go back to the place with all the people), we went sightseeing in Kyoto yesterday. Kyoto has more than thousand temples and shrines, of which 17 are Unesco world heritage sites. But it looks like any japanese city, when you arrive, so even though I wanted to see a temple or two, I also wanted to just be in the city and thus soothe my post-big city-blues. Apparently, I've gotten addicted to being in a big city.



We had a really nice day. We saw this beautiful temple, Shimogamo-jinja, which is a Unesco world heritage site. Afterwards, I'd promised Selma, that we'd go to a park with a pond full of carps. Not just any park naturally, but the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park. It was a really nice park. Beautiful, but really the best thing was, that it was full of life; not quite like Kongens Have but still...Selma misses playing with children, so as soon as she saw a girl not much older than her, she went over to play near her, and soon they were climbing in trees together. In the meantime Villads was also making a new friend. A girl came over and sat down and played with him. There we were not talking for half an hour, just smiling and giggling and playing with Villads together. Her friends were there with bags of popcorn, so guess where Selma went, once she was done climbing trees...

Villads with his new friend. Villads still has to learn the japanese pose...



...and Selma eating popcorn with the big girls.

Later we met up with Kristian, who joined us to go geisha spotting. We didn't have any luck though. Selma on the other hand had luck playing in one of those crazy gambling halls.

Today we've moved back on the floor or tatami mat as it is. With Kristians conference being over, we now have to pay for our own accomodation, so we've moved to a more humble hotel. But the good news is that Kristian has vacation!!!!

Tomorrow we'll report from Hiroshima.

Take care,
Rikke