We have known about Love Hotels for some time from reading other cyclists journals, and now, here we are doing the same thing. They sure come in handy. We do recommend them, but of course, like any accommodation, do the research to ensure it suits your needs. We had a lovely one booked which was highly rated. Luckily they had a no restriction cancellation policy as I discovered after booking it that the earliest check in time is 9 pm. In asking for an earlier check in, they were happy to accommodate us, the catch is that you pay per extra half hour and within an hour you have doubled the price of your stay.
Barry getting our breakfast from the little door within the door.
Hotel Sagano gets a good rating and it is in part due to the friendly owners and their staff who give very good service. We enjoyed chatting with them.
The bridge is the site of an important initiation for local children. Young boys and girls (in kimonosJ first receive a blessing from a local temple and then make their way across the bridge under orders not to look back. If one ignores this instruction, it is said to bring bad luck. The stakes are high for these children.
The Togetso-Kiya bridge and this smaller bridge anlongside are a tourist draw and their aesthetic melds well with the Japanese love of beauty. Having visited this area 37 years ago in the fall, we are remembering how was stunning with it was the backdrop of fall colours.
It is Saturday and it is crazy busy here with tour buses and massive crowds of tourists. Barry got wedged in by this bus and the traffic so we had to wait it out in this gridlock. Yesterday when we rode through here to our hotel downriver, it was very quiet.
Fellow Canadians! Kylie and Tracy Tracy are from Whistler…what a small world. In the last month and a half, we have met 4 Canadians. It was great talking to them. Tracy has connections with Saltspring where we live and Kylie has just finished working and living in Hokkaido.
Barry discovered a new convenience store called MiniStop. They are known for their ice cream:Tiramisu in the bowl and vanilla in the cone. Move over Dairy Queen!
We get such smiles and greetings from all Japanese people we see. It seems that little kids are equally intrigued and it is special when their shyness is replaced by wonder.
As we have been getting closer to the centre of Kyoto, we are realizing that cyclists are not as welcome here. There are many signs and warnings to be aware of. When Barry went to the tourist office for info, they mentioned that Kyoto has more restrictions for cyclists here. They warned him to be careful cycling here.
While watching these women in their kimonos, you can see that the kids are having fun watching us too. Their friendly smiles and their curiosity are providing us with wonderful memories and make us feel very welcome.
We were trying to decide where to stay, when we found this place which would have been a family home at one time located on the the top floor. Riding up the hill, we were pleasantly surprised that we would be staying in the middle of a neighbourhood. People were coming out of their homes to greet us as we rode by. Tiny shops were nestled in to the community.
We had everything we could possibly need…a fully equipped kitchen, living room with balcony, dining area, 3 separate small rooms for the toilet, bath and sink/washing machine. We had not expected such a wonderful experience for $68. It gave us an insight into what is in these buildings which we ride by. We wondered how many people lived in this space when it was a private home
