We left Okinawa for Kyoto. There is no much to say about a day happened in tranports: monorail, plane, train … So here are some facts about Japan.
Okinawa is very touristy. How can you recognize a Japanese? It is the one who is not necessarilly grumpy. In our hotel, many Asian guests were in a “I do not like anything, I’m from Paris” mood. A bit like home, in fact…
The Japanese are very polite, very considerate, very thoughtful. “Sumimasen” (excuse me) is a kind of comma in the sentence. Some find it obsequious, but I think it is a question of civilization. People are “framed” in Japan: there is a person to give directions between the waklway and the bus (3 meters) and indicate how you have to sit in the bus to optimize the filling. Which in itself is far from being stupid. There are also people that indicates you how to reach reach the door of the airport off the plane. Indications are justified for safety, but it seems that they have been hired to guide a bunch of lemmings to jump off a cliff…
One of Okinawan specialties is the sweet potato… purple! It is also forbidden to export this plant. They made mashed potatoes with it, that is used to fill tarts sold as cookies, such small “barquette” of Lu, a little more sexy. Strange, but very nice.
In Kyoto, Xim made a reservation in the clone of the hotel where we were, two and a half years ago in Tokyo: Sakura Honganji. It looks nice, it’s comfortable and it is perfectly designed for the tourist in search of the Edo period, but that makes no concessions to modern comfort. Wood, tatami, the traditional futon and the do-it-yourself bed, the windows obscured by paper, but the air conditioning, the toilet block and the latest Wi-Fi on all floors.
Kyoto greeted us with a less absurd temperature than Okinawa: we exchanged 30 ° and humidity with 25 ° and humidity.
For tomorrow, as opportunities were offered to us at the last minute, we will change a little our schedule…
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