Kyoto - A city, two wheels

I want to ride a bicycle! 🚲

I set off, summer clothes. 22°C, 10:00, bright sunshine, and '10cc - Dreadlock Holiday' (I don't like Reagan) in my ears. It can't get any better than this.
Today, I'm exploring Kyoto on two wheels. On my way to the bike rental, I enjoy the beautiful architecture of this city. I like this mixture of classic simplicity and modernity. I quickly hop into 7-11, go through the usual motions, and grab a tea. I looked up what I would be asked when paying. I still don't know exactly what the employees are saying, but I know what they mean. With a simple 'Iye, Arigato.' I politely decline the offer of a plastic bag.

Arriving at the bike rental, I quickly handle the handover. They advertised it as premium, but I had imagined something else. But hey, it's advertising. It works for riding, that's what matters. I start riding and enjoy the journey. Surprisingly, the oncoming trucks are quite dangerous in this weather. It's not because of their size, weight, or anything like that, nooooo. But all that chrome is so shiny that it's blinding.

Exploring the city by bike is fun. There were no problems with driving on the left side of the road in Okinawa, and it's not a big adjustment here either. It's more of a big city than the island, but Kyoto is surprisingly pedestrian and bike-friendly. 

What is hardly friendly, however, is finding a parking space for the bike. When handing over the bike, I was shown a note indicating where I cannot park. It would be easier to give me a note of where I can park. I can only park as a customer at the minimarts, as well as at other stores or restaurants. Parking is also not allowed in front of private houses or hotels, unless I'm a guest there. In general, you can only park at a few selected places. And of course, at the paid bike parking lots. Otherwise, it can be quite expensive, up to 70 euros.

One Rebirth, please! 🙇‍♂️

Along the way, I stop at a temple. Today, a spring ceremony is taking place here, and I take a little bit of it with me.
Among other things, blessing seekers squeeze through a stone hole, symbolizing a kind of rebirth, and then stick their paper to the others.

On the way there, I notice something that took almost two months: Asian women don't wear leggings. I have just seen the first Asian woman with leggings. Otherwise, it was only Western women.

Japanese Sandman 💤

I've seen quite a few sleepers. Whether in Starbucks or on the train, people sleep wherever it's possible. It's a symptom of the pressure to work here. But what I'm seeing right now while working at the 'Café of the Green Lady', that would be the perfect representation in a photo. My gremlin is eager to take a picture of it, but I resist. 📸

Two seats to the right of me, an older man, over 50, with black-dyed hair. Both in South Korea and Japan, people are very vain when it comes to their hair. There were streets in Busan where one hair transplant institute lined up after the next, supported by advertisements in Busan. And wigs were also displayed in malls.
Well, this man sits over his papers, pen in hand as if he's writing something, his head lowered. He's sleeping. He's breathing calmly, so he's still alive. And sleeping. In the meantime, he briefly wakes up, and a minute later, he falls asleep again, without a pen. After another five minutes, he's awake again. Phew... 😴

Whoop, whoop! That's the speed of the police! 🐌

It's 10:30 PM, the place is closing, and I walk along the main road towards the hotel. I hear sirens, a police car is approaching, and it takes quite a while for it to reach me under the red light. The reason for this is that the police officers slow down to about 20 km/h at every zebra crossing, look exaggeratedly to the left and right, and then speed up again. Until the next zebra crossing, 100 meters away. Zebra crossing after zebra crossing. Better safe than sorry. 🚨