To Kyoto by Shinkansen
Thursday 2004-11-11
The Shinkansen is the high speed train that runs the length of the main island of Japan. It's very nice and very fast. The trip from Tokyo to Kyoto took about 2 1/2 hours for a distance of about 500 km (about 300 miles). When I arrived in Kyoto it was pouring rain. I walked about 1/2 mile in the rain to my ryokan. The hostess greeted me, showed me to the living room and gave me green tea and biscuits. Once I had finished my tea she showed me to my room. It was a traditional style room - tatami mats, futon, etc. Again, another very nice place. She gave me some maps and a quick orientation to the town and the main sights. About this time it stopped raining, so I took off exploring. My main destination was the center of town, which has a lot of shops. I checked out the shops and had dinner. It was dark by now and I was a little tired, so I decided to call it a night and return to the ryokan.