Day 2 continues....

Day 2
Our next destination was Kyoto, and we had to ride the bullet train to reach there. It was a 10 minute ride, and surprisingly, we did not feel the train moving real fast when we were in the cabin. According to our tour guide, the train is very stable, thus its fast motion would not be felt by passengers. In addition, the longer the distance of your trip, the faster the train would travel. We travelled only one stop from Osaka to Kyoto, thus the train would not be cruising at its maximum speed.

Getting ready to enter the station....

Upon arrival, we headed for the Kiyomizu temple, whereby its location offers a panoramic view of Kyoto. This temple is widely revered by people, thus we were cautious not to do or say the wrong things inside the temple....of course, we prayed for the usual wishes, and may everyone's wishes come true in the near future!!

Majestic view, right??

Thereafter, we headed to a town called Awara, where there were hot springs in the resort we were staying. The guide strongly encouraged us to give the hot springs a try, as she felt that it would be a nice and refreshing experience for all, especially after 2 days of travelling on the roads.

Without much hesitation, we mustered courage ('cos u have to be naked!!) to experience the hot springs, going in groups of boys and girls. The 2 hot springs were separated by men and women. Basically, once u step in, you would need to undress, shower, before you head down for the soak. Hahaha..as it was my first time trying hot springs, I felt embarrassed, but was promptly overwhelmed by the heavenly spring water. It was such a revitalising soak after a hard day!! But do bear in mind that you should not soak for more than 10 mins, because your body might not be able to withstand the increase in your body temperature. 10 mins passed very quickly, as the few of us started chatting about the events of the trip.

After the soak, we dressed ourselves in kimonos, and indulged in sumptuous "settos" (that was what the guide told us) for dinner. What an unusual way to spend a day......

The nice settos we ate....