First took off from Jeju Thursday morning, July 16th. Landed in Gimpo airport and took the shuttle to Incheon International airport for the flight to Osaka. I thought there might have been not enough time with the shuttle transfer from the airports and boarding an international flight, but everything went smoothly.
My first glimpse of Japan from the plane:
Once the plane arrived in Kansai airport, you can get to Kyoto via the JR West railway line. For around 2400円 (yen) you can get a non-reserved ticket on the Airport Express HARUKA line, which is approximately a 75 minute trip.
For 1950円, you can get the slower (95 min) train to Kyoto Station, but have to transfer in Shin-Osaka. To avoid any unnecessary confusion, the Airport Express is your best bet.
Before you embark, they have attendants clean the train, even the chairs help out:
It's not much of a view on the ride; you can see the outskirts of Osaka as they lead into Kyoto. On the upside, the chairs are pretty comfy and are perfect for those who like napping.
Once the train arrived at Kyoto Station, I felt really out of place. I had a map of where I was supposed to go, but wasn't really sure how long it would take to get there, or if the bus was a better option. Having remembered that the cabs here are ridiculously expensive, I tried the walking approach.
Located on Kawaramachi-dori (street), the Econo Inn is about a 15 minute walk from Kyoto station and is easily visible from the sidewalk with it's big bright blue sign; it is particularly useful later in the evening when you might have had a few drinks.
The Econo Inn was surprisingly cheap at 3495円 a night/per person. The room was small with an even smaller bathroom, but it had an extremely comfortable comforter and bed to make up for that. It's a great place to stay on a budget and is within walking distance to many of the shopping districts and sights in Southern 東山区 Higashiyama.
Spotted a rainbow from the balcony of my room, always a good sign:
Nothing could prepare me for the craziness on the streets along Kawaramachi-dori and Shijō-dōri. In the nights leading up to the 祇園祭 Gion Matsuri parade, people walk about the streets in their summer kimonos, watching artistic and musical performances whilst perusing through countless street vendors.
Went to a nearby traditional Udon restaurant, Mendokoro Kyoumen, in the Gion District.
It was the best beef udon ever, priced at 1050円.
The nearby 八坂神社 Yasaka-jinja (Yasaka shrine) is the spot to be on the 16th, with swarms of people and shops on the shrine's grounds.
Inside the shrine, there are numerous concession stands selling everything from pineapple on-a-stick to cans of Asahi, to yakitori (barbecued chicken skewers).
Inside the shrine are several golden 神輿 Mikoshi (portable shinto shrines):
In 869 the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Gion Shrine were paraded through the streets of Kyoto to ward off an epidemic that had hit the city. This was the beginning of the Gion Matsuri, an annual festival which has become world famous.
There were several people ringing the bells nearby, praying for a wish.
We stumbled upon a 神楽, かぐら Kagura performance, "a specific type of Shinto theatrical dance — with roots arguably predating those of Noh." I was delighted.
It was a lengthy performance, but well worth watching. The next scene the main character has a battle with dragons; awesome.
He eventually kills the green dragon, who proves to be the most stubborn and powerful amongst the lot. The actors reveal themselves and bow to the large crowd.
Decided to turn in at that point, and prepare for the parade of floats early the next day.
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