Konichiwa Kyoto

Sorry for missing yesterday's blog installment but I could quite muster the energy after an exhausting day.

Not wishing to dwell on work but the event went really well. The presentations ran to time, all the technology worked, the venue looked great and everyone seemed to find it interesting and enjoyable. And I've made a new friend for life in my colleague Takako who was a joy to work with throughout.

Joyce and I escaped at the end of the drinks reception to make a dash for the shops, so she could buy her daughters some presents before flying home today. I intended to just go along for the ride and to get a glimpse of Tokyo in the snow but, once in the toy shop, couldn't quite resist buying Penny and Ava a little something (sshh.. don't tell them, it's a surprise!).

So, about the snow. Well, it's been a bit British if I'm totally honest. Enough to be annoying but not enough to create a proper winter wonderland... with the exception of the beautiful garden which lies in the centre of the Sheraton Mikayo where I was staying. It has, however, made even more conspicuous the Japanese people's innate sense of style. Everyone I encountered before it snowed was beautifully turned out in stylish clothes and without a hair out of place. Now I know that they can also effortlessly carry off 'alpine chic'! I feel permanently scruffy...

Having returned from the shops, Joyce and I had dinner with Steve, our CTO, and we were just about to call it a night when another colleague - Tom, a British guy based in Shanghai - ventured into the lounge alone. It seemed unfriendly not to stay back and keep him company whilst he ate his dinner but it meant that when I finally crawled into bed I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

So, I'm going to blame Tom for the fact that when I did open them again it was 10.10 in the morning! A minor panic ensued as I realised that not only was I lot later getting going than I wanted to be but that I also had to check out by 11am! A second slightly larger panic followed when I realised that I couldn't find my extensively annotated guide books. 

By noon, the panicking was over (the guide books had been handed into reception) and I was at Shinagawa station waiting for the Shinkansen to Kyoto having been delivered there safely by a woman taxi driver who chatted to me happily the whole way in Japanese without me understanding a single word! The comeuppance for my tardiness was having to stand for nearly 2 hours of the journey but I made the most of the opportunity to watch my fellow passengers... who behaved impeccably throughout! The best bit was when we arrived at Kyoto station and people were queuing up for the bins so they could throw away the rubbish they'd brought with them off the train. I hate to think what they must think when they come to London.

My hotel in Kyoto is just perfect for my needs. Really central and very modern with everything I could need including a little kitchen area where I've just made myself a cup of green tea after my bath. I was rather proud of finding it to be honest as Kyoto Station was a little bit puzzling in places.

This afternoon I have been out exploring. My late start means that I will have to have a busy day tomorrow but I did make it to  Fushimi Inari-taisha with its thousands of Shinto shrine gates this afternoon, where I spent a wonderful couple of hours wandering around in the pouring rain. It was very peaceful and the sound of the water dripping off the trees in the surrounding woodland only added to the atmosphere.

For a complete change of pace, I then headed back into downtown Tokyo and explored the streets around Shijo Dori. I even ventured into one of the beautiful department stores but became quickly confused by how many things I wanted to buy and decided it was best to leave empty handed (for now).

Now back at my hotel and looking forward to a good night's sleep. But not so good that I miss tomorrow morning... I've got a lot to squeeze in!