Surely after 24k steps from the day before we had to take it down a notch. The bones be feelin’ it by now!

Started our day at Kyoto Station since the plan was to head out to Arashiyama to visit the scenic Bamboo Grove. Upon our arrival at the station, we realized why this particular structure has won numerous international awards. This station is gigantic! It has a shopping mall, a hotel, a theater, a department store plus plethora of dining and shopping spots.

This is just one corner of the station

Very soon we found ourselves standing in front of an Udon/Soba cafe with hungry eyes. So this is how it works:

Step 1 – You check out what you want to order

Step 2 – You place the order and pay for it using this machine

Step 3 – You walk inside, hand over your ticket to the lady behind the counter and find a place to sit

Followed by:

This!

This!

This!

And This!

Finishing up the meal with a Japanese-style slurrrrrrp

Quite possibly one of the best dining experiences we had in Japan!

Arashiyama welcomed us with some heavy rain unfortunately…

But it did not keep me from falling in love with the Bamboo Grove. I had no reservations about getting wet while photographing this absolutely breathtaking path!

Arashiyama is a charming little town of adorable cafes and shops with the picturesque Arashiyama mountains in the backdrop. If it wasn’t raining, we would have surely spent an hour or two uncovering it.

Made our way back to Kyoto, stopped for some refreshments at a deli cafe at Kyoto Station…

Never a shortage of food in this city I tell ya!

…and now on our way to Tokyo!!!

Kyoto was truly a magical city! It’s the cultural Mecca of Japan with its 400 shrines, 1,600 Buddhist temples, tea houses, geisha districts, sakura-lined parks and serene landscape. A must-see city in Japan if you wish to get a taste of the authentic Japanese culture and experience the charming countryside. I would recommend 2 days in Kyoto, good enough!

In case you’re interested, this was our cozy VRBO lodging in Kyoto. Fairly-priced, spacious, neat and clean with all the necessary toiletries, appliances and equipment. 10-minute walk to the nearest metro. If I were to do this all over again, I would spend a little extra and stay close to Gion district. It’s the central part of town with easy access to restaurants and shopping spots. Our apartment was situated on the residential/quieter side of town with fewer entertainment options. Some may prefer the silence of the night. I, on the other hand, prefer to be where all the excitement is especially when I only have 2 days to explore a city.