Getting Out of the Concrete Jungle

Feb. 27th--We wanted to see what Japan was like outside of Tokyo, so we planned to take a day bus to Kyoto.  

It was an eight hour trip, but since it was the first day of our journey, everyone was well rested and traveled easily.   

 We booked all of our bus tickets through a company called Willer Express.

 The buses turned out to be pink on the inside and out, which thrilled Audra.  She thought riding on a pink bus was the coolest thing ever.

 We made good time and stopped every two-three hours for a break.  The time went fast and we were easily entertained looking out the windows at a whole new view of Japan.  We were not in Tokyo anymore, that's for sure!

 We drove past rice fields....

 ....freaked out when we saw Mt. Fuji......

 ....enjoyed a view of the ocean since the road hugged the coastline most of the time....

 ....saw orchards, vineyards, and other agriculture growing up slopes.....

 ...got to see smaller cities and towns....

 ....and were excited to see some mountains. 

 

 Japan is expensive.  Being a large family in Japan is hard on the wallet.  When we were making plans to visit Kyoto, we were amazed at what hotels would cost us.  Hotels in Japan charge PER PERSON, not per room like in America.....that is a bit of a problem for us.  We looked outside the box and found this old dance studio that had been converted into a rental.  We worked with the owner and settled on a price of $140 USD a day.  For our family size, that is a steal in Kyoto.  It ended up being the perfect place for us to set up camp for six days.  There were plenty of beds, a small fridge and microwave, a sitting area.....

 ....and two floors for the kids to run around and play in.  We didn't have to keep telling them to be quiet and step softly like we need to when we are staying in hotels.  They had plenty of room.

It wasn't as clean as we were expecting, but it was decent enough.  We didn't need anything fancy, we just needed something big and very cheap.  This old dance studio was simply perfect.