Konichiwa (Hello) Kyoto & Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)

We visited Japan 3 years ago on our honeymoon and we were thrilled to be able to return so soon.  Kyoto is still our favorite city in the world and we felt like kids in a candy store running around to all of our favorite places and  to some of the sites that we had missed before.  While planning our trip, we were hopeful that we would arrive in Japan close to the blooming of the cherry blossoms.  We had no idea how perfect our timing would be.  Cherry blossoms (Sakura in Japanese) only bloom for one week out of the year and it is very difficult to predict when that will be.  It is also the most expensive time to visit Japan.  When the trees start to blossom, flights and hotel prices sky-rocket. Fortunately, we booked the trip back in November when we had no idea if the cherry blossoms would bloom while we were there.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the blooming of the Sakura in Japan!

Train from Osaka to Kyoto

Konichiwa!

Kyoto Tower

 

Our Japanese dorm room which featured bunk beds.  The bottom bunk was actually a cushion on the floor.  The top bunk looked like a bed from the children's section in Ikea.

Japan is much more expensive than any of the countries that we have visited so far on our trip (except for Australia.)  So in order to stay on budget, we ate ramen noodles most nights for dinner.  Since the ramen bowls were written in Japanese, it was always exciting to open the lid to try and decipher what flavor we had chosen.

Red fire buckets are placed in front of all the homes and businesses in Kyoto.

Everything in Japan is cute... even the construction!

Sakura

The GREAT WALL of CHINA!!!

All the tours to the Great Wall were very expensive, so we made it our mission to make it to the Great Wall on our own.  By very expensive, we mean around $40 per person. (We are on a serious budget here.)  We heard rumors of "fake" public buses that claim they are taking you to the Great Wall and then make you get off in the middle of nowhere where their taxi friends are parked.  These "fake" buses even have the same bus numbers as the legitimate buses with drivers wearing the official public transportation uniforms.  Navigating the chaos of legitimate and fake buses was the last straw for Jeff on our trip.  He hit his breaking point as he screamed expletives at a women trying to drag him to an illegitimate bus.  In the end, we thankfully found the correct bus and we were on our way to the Great Wall.    

On the legitimate bus

Making our way up the hill to the wall.

Inside a watchtower

Shelly & Shelly

Steep climb up the wall

At certain points along the wall, it was so crowded that we could barely move.  There was one watchtower that was so packed with people that it took around 20 minutes to move 20 feet. That was the point we decided to get off the wall.

The wall climbs hills and plunges down valleys as far as the eye can see.

It was a common occurrence for the Chinese people to ask to take pictures with us.  At one point, Shelly was asked to take picture with an entire family.  The mother loaded the children onto her lap while the father put his arm around her.  This was a group of young girls that asked to take a picture with us.  We decided that we should document the event as well. I think we caught them off guard when we asked to take a picture with them.

A very steep descent

A very steep ascent

Beijing- Food and the Forbidden City

 The food in China is very different from the typical Chinese food restaurant in the States.  Although very different, it was quit delicious!  The food, in Beijing especially, was very heavy with lots of oil and fats used in frying.

Warm leek pancakes

DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant- Peking Duck

Shelly-excited about Peking Duck

Xian'r Lao Man Dumpling Restaurant

Amazing homemade dumplings- an unusual favorite was the egg and carrot dumpling!

The gate to the Forbidden City

Me in Tiananmen Square

Mao

Shelly in Tiananmen Square

The peace sign is commonly displayed while taking pictures among the Chinese and Japanese.

Tiananmen Square looking towards the Forbidden City

Mao and Me

The "queue" into the Forbidden City- Chinese Style- which involves lots of pushing and shoving and what Zach calls the "fish-arm."  I took an elbow to the spine from an elderly Chinese lady.

After a lengthy battle over the bridge and through the gate, we finally made it inside the Forbidden City!

The moat surrounding the Forbidden City.