Week 3 - Gion Matsuri
WARNING: This post is EXTREMELY long, because tons of stuff happened in week 3. But week 3 is currently my best week in Japan so it's worth reading +D You'll soon find out why it's the best! Okay! Here we go!
So, week 3 was quite crazy. The weekdays were nothing special, work, eat, movie, sleep +D but nonetheless I was extremely excited for the weekend because that weekend, me and my co-worker (Martin) were going to Kyoto for Gion Matsuri (about an 8 hour bus ride from where we lived). Anyways, when Thursday came about, I realized that I would be able to get my cellphone on the same Friday, because that was also the day I was able to pick up my Alien Registration Card. So, I decided to go to Kojima (remember, it's future shop) to ask if I could maybe complete all the paper work on Thursday and basically activate my cellphone on Friday prior to leaving.
Thursday - A Girl's Number and Email!
So after work, I went to Kojima on the Thursday, lucky for me the girl that knew English (and spoke extremely well) and that pretty phone girl was there! She said it wasn't a problem and started on the paper work. So I sat there chatting with her while she filled out the paper work for me because it was in Japanese. She told me her name was Maki and I just told her I was an intern from Canada etc. Then, she got to the part in the form where I had to get "bonus" features in order to get my phone for free. Being the asian that I am, I of course, didn't want these special "features" because along with special "features" come special "prices" +p But she was kind enough to tell me that I should just get it and then go to the company store and cancel the next day. She even wrote a note in Japanese saying I wanted to cancel these features and just told me to go show the note to the company! So of course, I accepted the bonus "features." One particular feature was 50% off on any calls made to 3 numbers of my choosing... Of course, I didn't even know my own address, let alone people's numbers.. so I told her I didn't know any numbers... Eventually, she just wrote down the stores number, and we both found it quite funny. We continued to chat and at one point she tells me, that girl (points to the pretty phone girl) wants to be your friend! I, of course, was like wow! I definitely wouldn't mind that and came up with the most brilliant idea! I asked Maki if I could put the pretty girl's number (Haruka) as one of the 3 numberse! She thought it was a great idea, but told me Haruka couldn't speak English, so she said why don't I try emailing her. And just like that, I got Haruka's number and her Keitai email (Keitai = cellphone. In Japan, every cellphone has an email address.. it's exactly like texting) +D. Yea, needless to say, I was quite happy! So upon completing the forms, she told me that they were both suppose to be off work 40 mins ago... I felt pretty bad for making them stay but they were REALLY nice about it and told me at least I gave them business. So, as if that wasn't enough, I asked if they could charge my phone for me before I picked it up tomorrow because I was going to Kyoto +p and of course, they agreed. (Wow, I'm so ma-fan, but whatever.. 10 points for the number and email OHHH YEA!!)
Friday - Shinjuku and the Night Bus to Kyoto!
Friday came about, after work, I went to Kojima to pick up my newly charged super pimp cell phone +p Said "hi" to Haruka and was just about to leave when this other phone guy stopped me and gave me a bag of goodies (similar to the one I received for the internet but definitely better items: alarm clock, cups which I needed so desperately because I only bought 1.. and those cellphone dangly things) That was just amazing.. considering they had already done so much for me already... and yet they were still nice enough to give me a bag of presents.. +D Anywho, I thanked them quickly and headed off to Shinjuku where we would board the night bus to Kyoto.
Shinjuku... what I can say.. that place is awesome!!! Bright lights, over-crowded streets, loud, busy and bustling! When I arrived, I felt like I finally arrived in Japan! I was completely amazed by the numerous brightly lit signs hanging off buildings and the never-ending ringing from pachinko parlors (pachinko is kinda like a retarded version of pinball, it's there only form of "gambling") Unfortunately, our bus was leaving in an hour, so I took a quick walk around, 
and ate a some fast food Japanese restaurants. (I know what you're thinking.. FAST FOOD!? But really, it's nothing like McDonalds, I got Zaru Soba, cold noodles, and a bowl of Teriyaki Chicken on rice, they just make it fast!) Anyways, food was delicious (as usual) and we walked around a bit more, took some pictures and got ready for the 8 hour bus ride to Kyoto!
Saturday - Kyoto
After 8 hours on the bus sleeping and waking up several times...arms/legs falling asleep about a dozen times, I arrive in.... Osaka!?!? lol, well actually, we bought a bus ticket to Osaka, because all the night bus tickets to Kyoto were full... No matter, a one hour train from Osaka brought us to Kyoto. So! Why Kyoto and why now? In Kyoto, around this time, there is a humongous event called Gion Matsuri... it is one of the largest (if not the largest) festival in Japan. 
But at the same time, when I arrived at Kyoto.. I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.. for those who went to Japan in Grade 10, you know what I'm talking about. I arrived at that same station.. and I remember exactly where I wandered 5 years ago... In fact, I even went to the same shopping street! And went into that exact KFC! It brought back memories and I obviously took pictures.
Anyways, it was early, and there were tons of things to see in Kyoto. So we ate a quick breakfast and headed out for the nearest temple/shrine. Our goal was to hit up as many temples/shrines as we possibly could.
Note: I'm just going to dump photos for these temples. Can't really narrate here. These locations are all in the order I visited them in and all on Saturday +D
Ninnaji Temple:
Note: Unfortunately I lost most of the pictures from here. Anyone who went to Japan trip in grade 10 will recognize this place!
Note: By now, it was rainy and windy.. because at this time, there was a typhoon hitting Japan +D Nonetheless, we didn't want to lose a day so with shoes and clothes completely soaked.. we trekked on!
Streets of Kyoto - Gion:
Anyways, we walked through the streets of Kyoto for a while. The streets weren't that busy due to the rain, but at least we had fun. Went back to our Ryokan (Japanese style hotel) and took a well needed communal bath! OHHH YEA! +D Oh yea! one more thing, that night a bunch of people from CJP (Co-op Japan Program) met up at Kyoto station to take a group pic. I would say this organized trip was quite a success!
We woke up quite early on Sunday and headed to Nara. Nara is about an hour away from Kyoto by train. I believe it's South of Kyoto. It's quite a small city in my opinion, but they have an extremely beautiful park there with tons of deers! Yatta!!
Todaiji Temple is a pretty nice place. It's apparently the largest wooden building in the world? It is quite big, but apparently this is actually 2/3rds of the original size because the original got burnt down... Don't quote me on that, "that's what she said" lol... (from The Office, I watched season 1 and 2 in weeks one and two during the weekdays lol..)
So, after Nara, headed back to Kyoto and hit the streets of Kyoto a second time... This day was extremely nice, no rain at all... and so the streets.. well +p You can see for yourself what Gion Matsuri is really like!
Haha, ugly guy AKA lover boy.. he was drunk as hell and frigging dirty lol... but yea, awesome time! And the last picture there... proves that I've been to Gion Matsuri OHHH YEA!
Monday - Kyoto Last Day:
Tired as hell, but we woke up early anyways and hit up some more places! First place on the list... Fushima Inari Shrine +p
Fushimi Inari Shrine:
Wow... this place was surprisingly difficult. It seemed like it never ended and damn.. I was getting tired by now +p Oh yea, I think this place would be so scary at night.. all those "tori" gates... Could be a scene from some super scary horror film.. Basically, these red gates made a passage all around this hill/mountain.. I'd estimate about 2000-3000 of these gates... That picture of the water bottle was hilarious, it was tied to some sorta light post hahaha!
I think this place was really amazing! Unfortunately the amazing part is actually IN the building, but we weren't allowed to take photos... There were 1000 Buddha statues in this temple... I knew how much a thousand really was. But yea, looking at a thousand statues.. is really something. Rows and rows of these statues.
Kyoto National Museum:
We went here after to avoid the rain, we weren't allowed to take any pictures here either.. but honestly, it was quite boring and there really wasn't much to see... A lot of random artifacts.. nothing special.
Kiyomizu Temple:
This place was amazing.. very beautiful. This place was one of the candidates for the new 7 wonders of the world. This temple apparently uses no screws.. All the support is by interlocking piece of wood.. that's some fine ass craftsmanship!
Oh yes, that girl there is walking from rock to rock with her eyes closed. I believe they're called the love stones? If you can walk (without looking) from rock to rock, then you will get your love partner or something +p
Streets Of Kyoto - One Last Time:
Kyoto - Sayounara!
I could probably summarize everything that happened this weekend, but I'm pretty sure this picture will do +D
Hahaha, yea IT WAS AWESOME! So we got on the night bus at about 11:00pm, got back to our dorms at about 7:00am, took a shower and went to work +p Tired as hell, but worth totally worth it!!
