Kyoto 2.del, Japonska

Zgodaj zjutraj sem imel vedno občutek, da imam opravka z mestom duhov. Ceste so bile prazne in pravi užitek je bilo tavati in raziskovati stari del mesta. Kakšno uro kasneje, ko se je mesto zbudilo, je dobil Kyoto čisto neko drugo dimenzijo. Najprej vrvež jutranje prometne konice, potem pa so kmalu na vrsto prišle že številčne skupine domačih turistov. In v pravi noriji, ki je nastala, smo najbolj uživali prav v opazovanju celotnega vrveža. Najprej so na sceno stopile turistične vodičke, ki so briljirale v kostimčkih, ki jih ponavadi povezujemo bolj s kakšnimi nobl urejenimi stevardesami. Sledile so domače turistke, oblečene v tradicionalna japonska oblačila, ki so dobesedno letale med znamenitostmi Kyota. Vse opremljene s fotoaparati, le nekatere tudi v spremstvu parnterjev. Lovljenje selfijev je bila stalnica. Drugi, manj razposajeni turisti, so se zadovoljili z nepozabnim shoppingom. Bolj so stvari barvite, nenavadne, bolj gredo za med. V popoldanskih urah je zaživela tudi največja tržnica Kyota – Nishiki market, ki ponuja nepozabne gurmanske dobrote. Prav šokiralo me je, kako poceni in neverjetno okusno lahko ješ tudi v mestu kot je Kyoto. In ko misliš, da bolje niti ne more biti, zvečer zaviješ še v stari del mesta imenovan Gion in upaš, da dobiš vpogled še v tisti, malo bolj skrivnosten del japonske kulture – svet geish.

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Early in the morning, I always had the feeling that I was wandering in a ghost town. The roads were empty and it was a real pleasure to wander and explore the old part of town. About an hour later, when the city woke up, Kyoto got a whole new dimension. First, the hustle and bustle of the morning rush hour, and then a number of groups of domestic tourists arrived. And in all this hustle and bustle we really enjoyed just looking at the people around us. First the tourist guides came on the scene, glittering in costumes, which are usually associated more with some chic flight attendants. They were followed by domestic tourists dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, that were literally flying around Kyoto tourists landmarks. All equipped with cameras, some also accompanied by partners. Selfie stick was a must have item. Other tourists were satisfied with the unforgettable shopping. In the afternoon, Kyoto’s largest market – the Nishiki Market – was in full bloom, offering unforgettable gourmet delicacies. And It shocked me how cheap and incredibly delicious you can eat also in a place like Kyoto. And when you think it can’t get any better, we wandered in the old part of town called Gion and witnessed also more mysterious part of Japanese culture – the  world of geishas.