Kyoto, Otsu, & Tings

So a little update on my last couple of days (including some pictures!)...my little crew (Jaana, Wiktor & Teemu) and I decided to go exploring in Kyoto on Monday. We took the train from here which was about a 20 minute ride and got off at Kyoto station... none of us had a map so we decided to start walking around aimlessly but because it was so hot we quickly agreed that we should go eat and make a plan for the day. We headed to a big mall called Yodobashi right by the station (it had like 6+ floors!) which had a selection of different restaurants. We wandered around to check out all of our options but settled on a ramen place which to my delight had a vegetarian option made from spirulina- the noodles were green. It was interesting because the server doesn't take your order but instead you order from a machine similar to a vending machine where you press a button with your choice of meal and then you get a ticket for it. So you pay before you eat and can just leave after (apparently tipping doesn't really exist in Japan and is actually seen as an insult in many cases) Once you are seated you just give the ticket to your server and then they prepare the meal. My veggie ramen was pretty tasty, maybe a little bland but I fixed that by putting a bunch of seasoning/spices in it... & honestly, I will take the bland option any day if it means a little peace of mind while I am eating. We were lucky enough to get some veggie gyoza as well...those were super delicious! 

My veggie Ramen ;)

Lunch!

After lunch we decided to head in the direction of the river because the rest of the group had some idea where to go from there. The river was beautiful and I felt really happy as we were walking along it. It was one of my favorite times of day, late afternoon when the sun is starting to lower in the sky. It was still super hot in the sun but in the shaded areas, I couldn't have been more content.

Strollin'

Beauty by the Kamo River

We eventually reached a more central part of Kyoto, I don't know if it is considered downtown or not, but it was quite lively and there were tons of tourists/foreigners so we weren't stared at as much as we are in Otsu lol. On the way we walked through some cute little streets / almost like alleyways with restaurants and bars (most of which backed out onto the river - I'd definitely love to go back sometime). We then went and explored some more shops in 2 different malls which were sort of like covered streets with a ton of shops. Eventually we stopped for a drink and relaxed. It was a busy day with alot of walking but it was nice to see Kyoto since I hadn't yet. Getting home was somewhat of a task as the train system here is super confusing if you dont speak or understand Japanese. But we managed to make it with the help of some friendly Japanese people who assisted us in ensuring we got on the right train. By the time we finally made it home I was exhausted and basically went straight to bed :)

Shopping Mall

On Tuesday, the crew went to our favorite sushi restaurant... I am thinking it might be our spot throughout the semester haha. After we finished our delicious meal we went to a mall in Otsu. It has a grocery store on the bottom level and I was so happy because this particular store had much more variety (especially for produce) compared to the other grocery story I went to on my first day here. I was able to buy so much more. I feel like the vegetarian situation is looking up a little bit. Undoubtedly, it is going to be hard but I am feeling more optimistic and not as discouraged. I think it will just be a learning curve and take time to figure out. All part of the adventure ;)

Today will probably be a relaxing day. I am quite tired for some reason, even though I had a good night sleep last night (I slept in until 7AM yay!) I think we might just go explore the lake in Otsu (Lake Biwa, which is the biggest fresh water lake in all of Japan). I love being by water so I am excited to see it. Hopefully I will have some more pictures to post soon <3