looking east...

Places to visit-- Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu temple, Kinkakuji temple, Fushimi inari...

Quick Tips:

Shopping- check out the 100 yen shops on Terramacchi street! Theres a new one that had come up not much before i visited, and it was quite classy actually- not the usual plastic stuff.

Either way, its good value for money even if most of the stuff there has a lil `made in China' label!

Best Way To Get Around:

Kyoto is not a huge town, so getting around isn't such a big deal. The subway connects most parts... besides there are busses and taxis plying. You can also hire bicycles for the day...

we visited this rather cool restaurant in town for dinner last night. it seemed to be everyone's favourite place to eat. a little bit on the expensive side for me, i thought, but well- good food and nice ambience- hmm, why not...

3 steps into the restaurant, one of the waiters rushed towards us with a little piece of paper on which was written: we have a system of tips here, please pay 300yen extra. huh?? well, we were tired from a reasonably long walk thru town and were right there at the restaurant. hmm. ok.

step two-- we were led to a nice seating area and offered the menu- scroll scroll scroll... enter waiter again.
"What would you like to drink?"
Husain- "Hmm. Nothing.
Waiter- "But we have a system here- you HAVE TO order a drink."
HUH???
- would i now be forced to go to the bathroom also? well, there could be a system you know...

much debate- all in japanese- god help someone who can't speak the language and who has to argue here... mercifully though, the food was quite nice. albeit i needed to grab a snack later coz it wasnt quite a filling meal even so.

...and leaves turning red! it had only just begun while i was there, would have loved to see the spectacle in its fullest colours! Winters i guess are very beautiful here- red leaves and white snow. hmmm...

Held on the 22nd of October every year, The Jidai Matsuri Festival, or The Festival of Ages is one of the three big festivals in Kyoto and a big tourist attraction in the city.

The highlight is a procession of people dressed in costumes representing famous figures in various historical periods.

Until recently, the brand-conscious Japanese were willing to pay two or three times more for brand names; however, the slowdown in the Japanese economy has forced people to consider otherwise...

There are 100 yen shops, where you can get interesting goods- from fashlights to CD holders, and some typical `Japanese' souviners... (even if they are made in China!)

It's a welcome break from the over-priced shops all around. A must visit for all bargain hunters!