asia - day 5 - nozomi

this was the day we travelled to kyoto via nozomi bullet train. the train station is kept impeccably clean by men in blue and ladies in pink who pop in and out of little doors that look like they lead either onto or under the tracks.




we were a little early so we ate our snack that we picked up the night before. i forgot what they are called but they're basically little bundles of rice with battered and deep fried shrimp secured with a little piece of seaweed. they are freaking delicious! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. we ate them for the first time in hawaii. there was a special team flown in from japan who were making these little morsels of yumminess for a limited time at a japanese department store. vince and i tried them and loved them so much, we lined up at least 3 more times during our trip. i was so so so happy to see them again - exact same brand and everything. they tasted just like i remembered. the little guys were nearly flattened when vince put his heavy bag on them. i shrieked but there was thankfully only one casualty. [i'll see if i can dig up some hawaii photos - i thought i had posted them previously but i guess not.]





nozomi bullet trains are not included with a japan rail pass so our train to kyoto was nice and empty. when the train comes in, all the seats are facing the "wrong" way, so the ladies in pink go in and spin them all around. they also replace all the cloths that go on the headrests. incredibly efficient. the train was right on time and super FAST.



we arrived in kyoto in about 2 hours. we took the subway to a stop near our hotel and checked into the smallest hotel room ever.



we were tired but had to go in search of food. we walked to a covered pedestrian street called teramachi and looked around.




i was a little tired of japanese food so we found two alternatives - a french restaurant and what i believe was an american/italian restaurant. plastic food models were everywhere! we couldn't seem to make a choice until i looked closely at the food cases and noticed that the french restaurant had le creuset cookware holding its plastic food. i postulated that "this restaurant must know what it's doing" and our decision was made. :)



i was worried when we stepped into the restaurant and couldn't smell any food. but there were people there and they were eating so we looked through the menu and made our choices. this is what we both ordered... and it was delicious!!! cooked and seasoned to perfection.



after dinner, we bought macarons and headed out to explore and do some shopping. there are tons of these arcades scattered about - but nobody playing the games.



i really wanted this one but couldn't figure out the game. i hate that stitch talks but he looks so cute.



after we bought a bunch of stuff, we headed back to the hotel. my favourite purchases included fake cell phones for 100 yen a piece, fancy socks with the big toe separated, a piece of gorgeous fabric that can be tied into various styles of bags, and vince's colourful hightop converse.








i loved how my hair looked as it was drying after my shower but vince had fallen fast asleep so i spent some time trying to take a photo so i could show him the next day. do you think he cared?