We checked out from our Osaka apartment and continues our adventure to Kyoto. It takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. No pass were purchased during out stay in Kyoto. We bought tickets individually from ticket machines.
I would say that Kyoto is a mix of the old and new. Modern buildings collide with the Edo age architecture. It's exciting to see 2 different generations in one place. Our apartment is situated nearby to Nishi-Muko train station. It takes about 20 minutes walk to our host place.
This time, I chose to stay with the host and her husband. Reason because I wanted to experience the day in and day out activities of the local. My host is a part time music teacher. So expect to have small kids coming over to have their piano lessons in the morning. She has 2 kids, a boy and a girl. Her daughter studies in the Philippines and her son works in Tokyo. She don't speak English but we used sign language to communicate. She was kind enough to borrow us her bicycles so that we don't have to walk in the cold to get to the train station. Some host will provide bicycle for their guest. This is provided in the itinerary when you book via AirBnb.
Finding halal food in Osaka and Kyoto was hard. We survived mostly on biscuits when we were in Osaka. But in Kyoto, we managed to find halal local cuisine. Halal food is expensive in Japan because it's not easy to find halal butcher. Muslims are minority there. One halal meal cost approximately 1,800 yen per pax.
You may Google, Halal Ramen Gion Naritaya for their halal cuisine. We even tried their wagyu beef. It was so good but the portion was slightly big for me. So if you're a small eater, you can share just a bowl with your partner. This small restaurant also provide praying room for their patrons.
Souvenirs are quite expensive in Kyoto. The streets that we strolled were tourist area. But you can find many unique gifts like kimono or their local handmade products that you might want to buy as your private collection. Most shops closes at around 8 pm, that includes their shopping malls. The sun sets around 6pm in spring. This is also the area where if you're lucky enough, you might find yourself a geisha or maiko. Juan was lucky to catch a glimpse of these beautiful creatures.
Expenses of the day:
Temmabashi to Higashi Umeda 360 yen
Umeda station to Takatsuki-Shi 740 yen
Bicycle park 360 yen
Shijo to Kyoto Station 420 yen
Shijo to Gion Shijo 300 yen
Fridge magnet 480 yen
Dinner 3,200 yen
Vending machine coffee 260 yen
Kawaramachi station to Nishi-Muko station 440 yen
