Japan - day 5 - birthdays, kaiseki, throngs, and a beret

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear me-e, happy birthday to me. It's true, I'm a year older! Truth be told, I don't look a year older, but maybe I'm just being modest.

Before you get too excited, the karaoke didn't happen, am deferring that one until Tokyo.

Rather than risk a Hulk-incident, I decided to have breakfast at the hotel. Yes, it was expensive as all hotel breakfasts are, but what a spread! Two portions of smoked salmon and scrambled egg, two French roast, and three mini-pancakes later, I was set to go. When I say 'set to go', I mean I was ready to spend countless minutes lugging bike rack and contents to the bike and attaching it. So much for the finely-tuned machine! I needed to do some laundry so took that with me on the bike (in a bag, not hanging off me, that would just be a bit weird). Found a dry cleaner, who I tried to explain to that I needed a laundrette. In the end, google translate came through on the word 'washing machine' and she sent me packing. In a nice, friendly, Japanese way, of course. Further attempts to find a laundrette ended without success, so I gave it up as a bad job. I figure now that I must've been leaving a smell behind me all day as I rode my bike through the streets of Kyoto.

I headed up to Philosopher's Path, the number 1 place for blossoms in Kyoto. And it's not difficult to see why.

And it's not difficult to see why the title of this blog contains the word 'throngs'. The place was absolutely rammed. In any other country there would've been bumping and shoving, I'm pretty sure, but the levels of respect people have for each other here are immense. As I'm writing this blog the morning after, I can tell you that this morning I went for a run to Philosopher's Path, at about 7.30am, and the throngs had not yet formed but there was still a steady trickle of people. They went out of their way to give me room to run, and it was an absolute dream. When people treat you this way, it makes you want to be a better person. Somewhat different to the beepers and the shouters back home, who make you want to go for anger management. Or the knife, whichever is closest.

Along the path I came across the Ginkaku-ji Temple, a stunning place, but also full of people, including one gentleman... sorry, just a man... whose way I got in when he was taking a photo, so he proceeded to give me the dirtiest looks he could find, with his gormless wife waiting for the shutter to open and close. In my defiance, I stood there until I got bored. Needless to say, he was not Japanese.

I had decided that I would buy a bento box for lunch and eat it hanami style in Maruyama Park, and I'd already picked out the place I would get it from, in the Gion area of town. Could I find it? Could I heck! It was probably between 日本人は難しすぎる and 私がすいた but how would I know?! After wandering around for what felt like an eternity and ending in the same place I started, I figured I'd just get lunch at a restaurant. And in Gion, that means somewhere like this:

I chatted a little bit with the very smiley waitress who informed me about what they actually shout at customers when they leave. It's 'arigatou gozaimasu', which means 'thank you very much'. Simples. The food here was exquisite, as you would expect, and, after frequenting the lavatory, you got to wash your hands in one of those bamboo fountains. Quaint as.

Post birthday lunch I headed to Maruyama Park, which was so ridiculously busy I was pretty glad I didn't bother with hanami there. My highlight was two giggling women in face masks helping me push my bike up the stairs.

Now, no blog would be complete without mentioning the weather. Ooooh it was a cold one. I decided I needed a hat, so searched high and low for something warm, and that actually suited me, rather than made me look like a child. A tall task. So, one out of two ain't bad. You can see the beret in day 6's blog.

Upon returning to the hotel, I had a quick kip, which could've lasted a full 12 hours had I not forced myself awake, and headed out for my kaiseki reservation. Don't know what that is? Well, google it, don't be lazy! I walked in to the restaurant, named Rin, be greeted by the chef standing behind a counter with lots of Japanese people sitting round it. He introduced me to everyone (my name had been given at reservation) and he pointed me to the only empty chair by the counter. I took my coat off, put my bag down, told him I has to return to the hotel, sprinted back to the hotel, went to my room, retrieved my purse that I had left (like the blonde idiot that I am), and sprinted back. He looked a little perturbed, and asks me if I'd forgotten my camera. When I explained I had forgotten my purse, he seemed to forgive me for running off. Everyone was really friendly here, and nobody laughed (much) when I ate the food in the wrong manner.

As if today's theme, other than my birthday, was exquisite food, this place was one up on lunch. These were my courses:

And a dessert, which I appear to have neglected taking a picture of. My accompanying drink was cold sake. I was asked at the beginning of my meal if I wanted hot or cold sake, to which I replied hot, but quickly changed my mind when I saw the expression on my chef's face. The sake was, of course, absolutely gorgeous.

The chef explained in the best English he could what each of the dishes were, but when he couldn't explain, he shouted to one of the other customers (who also was his friend it appeared) who would then do his best to translate. Eventually, this friend, a lovely man by the name of Manabu, came and sat with me, and we chatted about Kyoto, and food, and cycling, and restaurants, and Indonesia, and why no Japanese people have helped me with my bike, amongst other things. Like why the beef is marbled. This I must research. Anyway, I was told to guess the ages of Manabu and the chef and, in turn, they guessed my age. When they found out it was my birthday, there was song, clapping, and Manabu even went to 7/11 to get cake!

What an absolute gentleman!! I was having so much fun, I decided to scrap the karaoke idea and stay there instead. I'm so crap though, I forgot to take photos of everyone! So, I'd like to dedicate my 38th birthday to Manabu and the chef from Rin, for making it an evening to remember.

 

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