We didn’t make any real plans for the Kyoto leg of the trip, so we figured we would just re-visit 奈良 Nara on the first day we were in Kyoto since it was close by.
Right after stepping out of the train station, we noticed something was going on, with some folks dressed up in traditional costumes. A quick search later, we realised we had stumbled into the preparations for the 采女祭 Uneme Festival.
Continue readingAfter a week (or so) trekking the pilgrimage trail in Wakayama, and half a day of visiting Hikone, we were ready to just relax in Kyoto with no plans. For the first day, wifey had a sleep-in while I enjoyed the grand bath in the hotel, and ended off with a nice cup of coffee from Kurasu which was just opposite our hotel.
We had lunch at this popular ramen stall 吟醸らーめん久保田 Ginjo Ramen Kobuta [Google Maps] which already had a queue when we arrived at 11:15am (they open at 11am).
The queue wasn’t that bad and we entered after 15min. We ordered a 醤油ラーメン Shoyu Ramen with Egg (¥1000) and a 味噌つけ麺 Miso Tsukemen Ramen with Egg (¥1100).
The noodles for shoyu ramen were springy and the soup was full of flavours. The dipping sauce for the tsukemen came with minced meat and accentuated the enjoyment of the noodles. Overall a very satisfied lunch!
On the last day of our 5-day Kansai Wide Area Pass (link to: Official Website, Japan Guide), we decided to make the most of it and went all the way to 彦根 Hikone at Lake Biwa after dropping our luggage in 京都 Kyoto.
And we gotten an eki-bento in the form of curry katsu sando which we enjoyed on the train ride.
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Once we arrived at 白浜駅 Shirahama Station, we quickly made our way to 三段壁 Sandanbeki and 千畳敷 Senjojiki via bus.
三段壁 Sandanbeki is a cliff with rocks engraved with the works of nature. Ripple marks were created on the surface of the layers about 16 million years ago when waves and currents moved sand and mud from the seabed. At the bottom, there’s a legendary cave where Kumano naval force hid ships as long ago as the Heian Era, and one of Japan’s largest bronze statue Murodaibenzaiten is dedicated in the cave. One can pay to go down an elevator to the cave but we didn’t venture.
千畳敷 Senjojiki meaning “one thousand tatami mats” is a rocky coastal plateau in Wakayama known for unique geological formations. This is a vast, white, terraced rock plateau eroded by the Pacific Ocean, allowing for coastal hiking.
The weather was beautifully sunny—great for photos, but not so great for our sun-fried selves, LOL! Luckily, a refreshing strawberry-flavored shaved ice (¥150) from one of the souvenir shops revived us a little.
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Our main activity for this trip was to walk the 熊野古道 Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails, which are ancient pilgrimage trails on Japan’s Kii Peninsula, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the sacred sites they connect.
The trails offer various trekking options, ranging from half-day strolls to multi-day treks. Since we aren’t the most active couple, we opted for the easier half-day walks, on the Nakahechi pilgrimage route. The route starts from Tanabe on the western coast of the Kii Peninsula and traverses east into the mountains towards the three famous Kumano grand shrines, namely 熊野本宮大社 Kumano Hongu Taisha, 熊野速玉大社 Kumano Hayatama Taisha and 那智大社 Nachi Taisha.
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This was THE trip of the year!
After months of planning and anticipation, we finally touched down at Kansai International Airport late on a Saturday night. Instead of staying in the hustle of the city, we hopped on a train straight to 和歌山市 Wakayama City for a quiet overnight rest – our gateway to the scenic wonders of Wakayama Prefecture.
After a restful onsen soak and sleep at the ドーミーインPREMIUM 和歌山 (Dormy Inn hotel chain), we caught the 9:10am train to 湯浅 Yuasa, a charming little town just 45 minutes away. It’s an ideal half-day trip, and the station makes it super easy for travelers like us—luggage lockers were available (¥500 for the big ones), and the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) next door offered maps, advice, and even ¥100 coin exchanges for the lockers. Language barrier? No problem. The friendly staff used a translator to help us out. We were on a mission: to try the famous 醤油ソフト soy sauce ice cream!
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Our niece had started her university studies in 京都 Kyoto, Japan, and we decided to go over for a visit during our holidays 🙂 Despite the typhoon midway during the trip, we still had a great time! Here was what we did:
Day 1
Our last meal in Japan, and we thought we should splurge! We got ourselves 2 very pretty and delicious bento (¥3000 and ¥2600, excluding taxes). There were also a few mochi surprises, LOL! Overall, an enjoyable meal 🙂
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Met up with our niece at this quirky cafe. Gotta say, the portions here were certainly very generous and yummy too!
We managed to wiped clean everything which was a real surprise to us, considering the amount of carbs involved.
Heard from our niece that this was one of the favourite places among her schoolmates, and we could certainly taste why 🙂
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Our last night in Japan, and we were still craving for yakitori, LOL! So while we were trying to find our way back to our lodging, we made a detour to have some very delicious skewers 😀
The menu came with pictures, and so all we did was point, wait and eat. Prices ranged from ¥90 to ¥400, with most items in the ¥100+ range. There was an additional cover charge of ¥220 per pax. We really enjoyed the food, atmosphere and friendly service! What a great way to end the night 🙂
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Eat.Eat.Walk.Walk . 吃吃走走 