Cycling Day 40: To Kyoto
Just a short 45km or so to Kyoto from here (if I follow the cycle path by the river rather than the direct road) in Nara. After a chat with my roommate of last night I booked myself 3 nights there rather than 2 as I'd intended - there may be more I might like to see than I thought...and if not, I could still do with some time to figure out where I'm headed next!
Greener than expected!
Thanks to the route in and out of Nara my apps have taken me on, it seems a lot more green and agricultural than I'd expected from a big, urban sprawl which I'd seen on the map on the way north!
13 May 2026 - 10:53
Tea Plantations
Yodo Castle Ruins Park
Not the best cared-for castle ruins park I've visited 🙁
Still, okay for a lunch stop. I'm a little worried by the forbidding dark clouds and thunder! It's 26degC, and did to be 28degC in the coming days.
Shelter!
I was seeing lightning, then the big raindrops started. Fortunately I was just passing a small temple with a carport I was able to take shelter under! Hopefully this won't last too long as there are lighter skies to the north...
Smart dress necessary?
Fushini Inari Shrine
Senbon Torii
Well, I knew it would be busy! I can believe there are a thousand of them too!
Senbon Torii
Senbon Torii - Mount Inari
Senbon Torii - Mount Inari
The torii gates really do go all the way up!
13 May 2026 - 15:56
Henn Na Hotel
Finally found some 'corny robots'!
These are the check-in staff at Kyoto's main station!
I didn't check in though - I have a much cheaper hostel bed booked.
Apparently some of the dinosaur check-inb staff were and replaced with hologrammatic check-in staff - I guess there less to go wrong...
Hostel
My hostel seems pretty good so far - in a lively area, food shops nearby, plenty of space for my luggage (at the moment...but if not browser arrive in the room...) and a good kitchen & common room 🙂
No bike parking, but there's a paid one nearby - getting used to that in most Japanese cities.