Breakfast on Koyasan & Wagyu in Kyoto

We woke up nice and early for morning prayer. We dressed only a little bit warm and as soon as we entered the main temple we wished we had put on more layers. It was freezing and there were only two little tiny heaters.

The morning prayer and fire ritual were amazing to witness. I took a video of the fire ritual which I’ll try to post after I return to Australia. I highly recommend staying at Eko-in if you ever decide to visit Koyasan.

After the two ceremonies breakfast was served in our rooms. At first we were expecting a bigger spread after the feast that was dinner. But while this meal looked smaller than our last, it was certainly satisfying and filling. Again, amazing flavours.

We spent the morning before check out exploring the temple and huddling up next to the heater in the computer room to check our emails and so the girls could post some photos to instagram. There’s a lot more to see on Koyasan but because Serena didn’t bring her boots (we left most of our luggage in a locker in Osaka) we didn’t want her feet to freeze off. Also to really see everything I think you need more time on Koyasan and we had to get to Kyoto.

After checking into our accommodation, Hokkaikan Ohanabo (http://www.yado-web.com/kinki/kyoto/egb03/egb03.html) (Which I highly recommend for anyone staying in Kyoto, it’s very clean, spacious, the owners and staff are extremely friendly, the breakfast is delicious and it’s really close to Kyoto station), we went to Pontoccho, a long paved lane way along the canal filled with bars and restaurants. It has a beautiful atmosphere at night and is of course, filled with delicious food.

We went to Kotoshi (http://r.gnavi.co.jp/c473800/lang/en/map), which I had been to before, for some irori dining (cooking over a hearth). We selected some seafood and wagyu to cook over the white charcoal. It’s a beautiful restaurant and we sat upstairs with a window facing the water. There are so many restaurants along this lane way though and I’m sure it would be difficult to pick anything wrongly.

Not far from the restaurant was a little gift shop with products that had bunnies on them. So cute! This was the little bunny dinner scene outside the shop.