August 30 Kyoto Pt 2

Brendan here.

Kyoto. Another day walking around this town.
We seem to either be cycling 30 or 40km looking for the next place to sleep in sweltering 35 degree C days with about 80% humidity or we are walking 10km in the rain.

The day started bright and early as we wanted to get some sight seeing in. This is a picture of the markets before the crowds.



The street provides some interest like an old pit bike that was chained up by its basket to the wall. I don't think the basket was even screwed to the bike. I don't know if it's the Parramatta upbringing in me but I've noticed that the Japanese don't seem to steal stuff off the street. I see cars left outside service stations with the engine running and no one in them, bicycles parked with a small chain around the back tyre, or not locked at all, suitcases left in a hotel lobby with no one around. Crazy. Some of my old school mates would have cleaned up here. I was toying with the idea of just stealing cars and touring Japan by driving from one service station to another.



Some of the bicycle around here are very beautiful. For some reason I never have my camera ready when a really sexy fixie zooms past me. This was a picture of an old brooks saddle. I have one that is well on its way to looking like this.



Then we decided to try and see some attractions. We avoided the UNESCO World Heritage sites as they were really busy and instead opted for some of the side attractions like this ninja house near the castle:



It is meant to have a nightingale floor (basically a squeaky timber floor to warn of intruders) and secret rooms and so on. Naomi took a break outside while I walked in. I got all the way to the back of the house before the owner (who still lives in it) knew I was there (the underwear strung across the living room was a good indication of this). He promptly chased me out with broken English saying I needed a reservation to see it.
I reckon it can't be that good if I managed to walk in that far without being caught. I wonder what happened to the last owners? Ninjas got'em I'm sure of it.

Then It was off to see some of Naomi's sight-seeing goals like the handmade textile museum. It was a gorgeous museum with wonderful kimonos, obes, and Noh costumes. This is a picture of the tea room overlooking a wonderful garden. My camera is woefully inadequate for capturing the gorgeousness of the fabric so I didn't try.



A closer view of the tea room.



Then we went to the textile centre just around the corner. This area of Kyoto was known for it's skilled weavers and fabric dyes. This is a Jaquard loom (Naomi could probably explain it all better than I).



A problem with stepping off the usual tourist track is that there are very few english notes for displays. It's a shame that I can't read more of the language.
This is one for the loom.



This was a poster for some kimono fabric sneakers exhibition. Pretty cool way to use the fabric I thought. Shame we were going to miss it.



Then back to the Markets for dinner. A circle.