Japan - part 4

So 21.1.07: Tour to NIKKO on bus, guide was Tadashi ... start after a Japanese breakfast (Nabe, eggs, tea) at 7h15 from Zushi-station (lift by Kimiko) on blue line to Shinagawa, then change to green line 2 stations to Hamatsucho, World-Trade-Center, leaving at 9 with Hato-bus to NIKKO, walking to the marvellous TOSHOGU-shrine, 5-level pagoda, passing through Nio-Mon-door, an old shrine with the three monkeys, store houses, through various doors (incl. 'white door') to the temple and all its beautiful wood scarvings, bells, paintings, roofs etc. Japanese (tempura, nabe-) lunch at a guest house in town, drive passing 20 u-turns up to the KEGON-waterfall (100m) where we enjoyed a strengthening Japanese drink: AMAZAKE (=sweet sake with rice without alcool). Then we continued 2km to the CHUZENJI-lake at 1200m above sea level, where we had a short break at the sea in the snow (quite a lot there), returning via the second, very steep drive (28 sharp u-turns) and the (Nikko- and East-North-) highways to Tokyo Shinjuku station, where we were fetched by Hiro. After a short chinese meal we turned to Zushi town via trains to Zushi and taxi. As every evening we could enjoy at the end a Japanese relaxing bath.
Summary: Say 'Japan is kekko'(=nice, alright) only after you saw NIKKO !

Mo 22.1.07 Endspurt in Japan: 'Executive' tour with Hiro to Kyoto within one day (!).
Start at 6h55 with train to Shin-Yokohama, where we joined Japans Super-Express-train NOZOMI - including a stop near Toyota-city at Nagoya - travelling 450 km to Kyoto in 2 (!!!) hours. You could feel the air pressure and speed, houses and mountains flying by, a new experience. At Kyoto a special taxi was waiting for us with a talkative friendly Japanese driver/guide, driving us to 10 stops:
1. Kiyomizu-dera (old temple) we reached walking through the oldest, steep street with a lot of shops, restaurants to the temple at the top of the hill, with a 5-level-pagoda, a stage, several temple buildings (1200 years old) on a steep slope and a nice garden.
2. Kodaiji - 600 year old 5-level-pagoda, 600 years old.
3. Chionin temple (only from the gate).
4. Heian-jingu (shrine) in red and green (large area), then we drove through an old living area with many rich men's houses (like former prime minister) to
5. Nanzenji (only from the gate, nice moss garden) then lunch at a nice restaurant in the Sunflower-hotel.
6. Imperial Palace (only from the gate, as we did not have more time)
7. Kinkaku-ji (golden temple) - marvellous view, although it started raining there, you find it on any picture series of Japan.
8. Ryoanji-temple, with nice Zen-garden and moss garden, Guenter remembered it well from when he was here 37 years ago!
9. Toji-in: old smaller temple founded by Askaga-shogun containes statues of 15 shoguns, the Paradise garden, zen garden, a special tea house (Japanese 'wabi-sabi') and a foto of pope Paul sixth, who was visiting it in 1965.
10. Higashi-Hongan-ji, a large old temple which is just being renewed, being operated by monks.
After that we were driven to the station where we left again on the Shinkanzen named 'NOZOMI' to Shin-Yokohama and, after a Japanese dinner at the station, back home to Zushi.
After that 'maraton'-like endspurt we really enjoyed the Japanese bath, which tomorrow will not wait for us in the plane... Real thanks to Hiro, who went with us - we could not have managed our way through the rushy, confusing railway network and stations, as well coping with the language problem without him, and also to Kimiko, who always took good care of us when coming 'home' to Zushi-shi.