Sweet Jebus, it’s Belinda’s Victorian ancestor. [link]
A worthy precursor!
It was actually a good thing that the Shinkansen required a short cab ride because it would've been a nightmare getting around Shimbashi station (which has lots of stairs) with Matilda's biggest suitcase and the overflow of bags she brought.
We only had to carry it up one short flight of stairs at the Tokyo Station and ask a gate agent what track we were going out on (18). The rest was on the ticket, and I could read that because I had watched a YouTube explainer video. How did I function before YouTube and Google maps?
Because we didn't want to rush we actually were at the right track, in the waiting area an hour early. Fortunately we had a place to sit and a concession stand to buy bento box and sandos and bottled coffee, so we did that.
At some point we realized there was a critical mass of little kids wandering around with toy bullet trains in their hands, all of them a distinctive yellow. Then there was a flurry of excitement and all the people on the platform filming the arrival of a rather magnificent yellow and blue train (imagine - Yellow Submarine but sleeker).
I did not know the import of this, but my friend Betty reported that we had seen the bullet train equivalent of a spirit bear or white buffalo: The Most Rare Shinkansen - Doctor Yellow. A train that is going out of service soon, so train buffs came just to see it.
It's not owls but it's pretty cool.
We got to our reserved seats and with much heave and ho, Matilda and I got her big suitcase up into the overhead rack, along with the 6 other bags of various sizes. As we settled in a young couple arrived with their toddler in his stroller.
He started to fuss as they took him out of the stroller and collapsed it and put it away, so Matilda used her Powers of Babysitting, engaged with him and got him out of his fuss. The mother, Nadia, spoke English fluently, and they were super nice and we chatted with them, and played peekaboo with the boy until he settled down for his nap. A lovely interaction.
Arrived at Kyoto station, grabbed a cab and 15 minutes later we were dropped off at our Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn instead of a hotel).
We were welcomed in, shown our rooms, and Matilda immediately put on her Yukata (robe) provided by the Ryokan, and we figured out the WiFi.
At four promptly a charming young woman named Honika came in and served us tea and and gave us a rundown of the rules, and we made our dinner and breakfast arrangements with her. She would be making us the Kaiseiki (traditional haute cuisine meal served in many small courses) dinner tonight, as well as the Japanese Breakfast (not just a band name!) tomorrow morning.
At some point I will take advantage of the traditional bath.
Matilda is currently sitting in her Yukata at the low table with her Japanese phrase book and writing down notes.
At 6:30 we'll get a knock on the door and go next door for dinner.
Tomorrow is our one day together in Kyoto where we'll be together all day, so we'll need a fun plan.
Thursday is Day 1 of her orientation and that will take most of the day but she'll come back to the Ryokan to spend one last night with me.
On Friday, she has Day 2 of her orientation and at the end of the day her host family collects her and she'll spend the weekend with them in Osaka. I'll be in Kyoto by myself through the weekend, and will be leaving on Monday, Feb 3, which is her first day of classes.
It's an adventure!