Gion

Part 2 of 'Emily's late uploads'. Read on, brethren!

The tatami mats were quite comfy and we were all sufficiently warm. This morning I stayed at the house and finished my book while the others went for a walk. I can really feel the tiredness catching up to me, as it tends to do quite easily, so I'm making sure I don't overdo it, because the last thing I want is to get sick. After they came home, we headed to Gion on the bus, and spent the entire day wandering around taking pictures. The weather was sunny and warm with a cool breeze, and Gion was packed with people, including lots of school groups and couples in traditional dress. We tried to catch a glimpse of some geisha, but no such luck today. Highlights included Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Maruyama Park and the shopping streets connecting them. 

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

View from Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Maruyama Park

Me after too much ramen.

Shopping in Gion

We had dinner on the the Ponto-cho (former red-light district, now popular restaurant area) by the river, which was a massive pot of citron broth (sort of a peppery lemon deliciousness) that boils on the burner in front of you. They give you a massive stack of vegetables and raw meat and you cook it yourself in the broth and then slurp it all up. It was fabulous. 

Dinner!!

I don't know the name of the restaurant, but it's on the Ponto-cho and this is above the shop,
so if you're looking for it, keep your eyes peeled

I am massively tired, so it's a very short blog entry tonight, but hopefully I can upload all this tomorrow!