Siem Reap in 3 Days - Day 2

After a good nights rest I have my tour with the Angkor Wat Photography tour company and the assigned 1:1 photography tour/course is with Regis. I'm taking advantage of this tour mainly for composition and to see if I can get any tips from Regis to further my experiences with photography whilst i travel.

Today for the photogs I am bringing my Fuji X-Pro 1 along with my 14mm f/2.8, 23mm f/1.4 and my 56mm f/1.2, with the APS-C crop factor it is essentially in the 35mm format a 21mm, 35mm and a 85mm or thereabouts. Also I am armed with my trusty Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod and my Go Pro Here 3 Black edition for time lapse. For the long exposures i have got my cable release.

To start the day for sunrise, consists of me getting up at 4:30am and since my kit is ready I'm down at the lobby around 5am with Regis waiting for me at the lobby. Off to the tuk tuk and its pitch black and with a cool but pleasant breeze. It was a good idea to get my 3 day pass as this allowed us to get a quick start since at the checkpoint there was no need to go purchase a new ticket and get a photo taken. The pass is much like a visa and your ticket shows your face and the days you have entered thus far. After a quick validation at the checkpoint we are off to Angkor Wat. There is a lot of buzz around and I can sense that there will be a fair few tourists waiting to see the sunrise. 

We get to Angkor Wat and it is pretty darn dark, we are following people who have torches. Now to go to the perfect location to take the sunrise that occurs, there are two ponds at Angkor Wat. When facing the massive temple there is one on the left and one on the right. As I was told by a tourist the day before the objective is to see the 5 towers in the reflection which is not what I had done the day before. So on the way there Regis said we will try but it really is all dependent upon how many people are there. We took the left pond like yesterday as the right pond is full of lilies, which would ruin the reflection. I do not plan to wake up again so early tomorrow so I cannot stuff this up :)

After trying to find a spot where the 5 tower reflection is seen, it was now a matter of can I plant my tripod anywhere. We were lucky the crowd was not so big at this stage and another photography tour class had a nice spot but only could utilize one of their tripods. Regis kindly asked if we could dump my tripod next to theirs and then bang, we now had a location. It was so dark I could not even see a silhouette of Angkor Wat, so I had to take a 1.5 minute exposure just to see if I was lined up correctly. After about 2 or 3 test shots I was set. Mounted my Go Pro and it was set for 5 second exposures. 

Patiently waiting for the sunrise to hit around 6:15am, around 5:45 the long exposures started capturing some remarkable sky colours with the temple as a silhouette. I was pretty much taking one minute exposures every 5-7 minutes. It was pretty awesome. Mind you the crowd also had built up over time and behind me it was at least 10 - 15 deep around the pond by about 6am.

I had a bit of a scare I moved and bumped my tripod around 6:15am and trust me if it wasn't for holding my cable release my camera would have been in the pond. Holding the cable release gave me enough time to catch the tripod from swimming along with my camera. I swear there was a big sigh from the crowd as they saw it falling :(

I will take that as a bit of good fortune :) 

Enjoy the time lapse and the pics that trail. I apologise about the names of some of the temples as I did not take note of them all.

Sunrise at the magnificent Angkor Wat. The strange thing is that after you get the bright orange and blue skies, once the sun is almost up you get a grey haze. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4 

The back entrance of Angkor Wat is not often seen, it is peaceful at this time of the day. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

We didn't wait for the fireball sun appear behind Angkor Wat as it would ruin the scheduling of the other temples. I grabbed pretty much what I wanted, so it was off to the next temple. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Next stop was Ta Prohm, this temple is famous for Angelina Jolie :) I mean the movie Tomb Raider where she plays Lara Croft. Ta Prohm like many of the temples is in the jungle and you will see many of the trees growing over the top of the temples. The trees are very interesting in that they are huge and old yet are hollow but are still alive in most cases. Ta Prohm now opens at 7:30am. So we patiently waited for about 5 minutes and we were one of the first few to be let in.

After getting through the opening gate there is about a 5 minute walk to the main entry of Ta Prohm and this is the site that hits you first up. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

This reminded me so much of Europe, the first sculpture would lead to a photo of many sculptures. There is exceptional detail with each sculpture. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Some areas are now cordoned off for safety as the stone walls are by no means structurally sound. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The famous tree that wraps around the entry of one of the door ways at Ta Prohm. Everyone gets a selfie here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Looks like one of the towers has been destroyed here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An old lady setups her good luck bands inside Ta Prohm. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

More sculptures showing how well detailed they were carved out. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The exiting gate of Ta Prohm. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Off to a smaller quieter temple, the temple again is in the jungle but there are apparently 3 gibbons within the area. I cannot quite remember the name of the small temple but it is just as mouth dropping as the larger more well known temples.

What is left of a statue at one of the entry ways of the temple. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The temple in some places is in ruins but it is remarkable how some carvings remain fully in tact. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Off to the next temple, it is all about trying to avoid harsh light as best we can. The simple idea is to get the best light possible so I can take wide angle shots of the whole temple with a nice sky in the background and when the light is harsh we go to temples with nice small detailed carvings where by the light is strong but since we are going for details it will not wash away like the sky would in harsh light.

Off on to the tuk tuk to get to Banteay Kdei (I think). This was a really huge temple. It had a lot of everything but it was one place you had to be careful with your footing.

The main gate for Banteay Kdei. You have to wonder how to get in. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

One of the first buildings you reach after entering. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Not everything is structurally sound. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8 

How awesome is this path ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Detailed sculpture. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Man who helps you pray with buddha. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The exit gate at Banteay Kdei. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

After Banteay Kdei it was about time for me to grab a bite. My guide and I decided to take a 2 hour break to recharge. I decided to check my photos, have a 30 min dip in the pool and then grab a bite and be ready at 1pm. 

It was now time to head off to Preah Khan.

Deliberately built narrow hallway ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

A combination of ruins and new structural beams to hold things in place. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

This looks like a fallen bell but it is a sculpture. Strangely now there is a crack in one of the towers surrounding it, and if you get the right angle it looks like a candle, pretty cool eh ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An old gentlemen with a book of wishes and bands for good luck. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Without Regis I would never be able to find these shrines. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Contrasting colours, The temple is covered in green and red stone. The tree stands out with its orange tinge. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

More detailed sculptures. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An awesome site, a huge old tree, with roots and all grown on top of the temple, what came first ? the temple or the tree? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Massive court yard before the main gate

We headed off to Angkor Thom, as the next stop. Another huge temple this side on the northern gate end of Angkor.

A pair of fisherman boats on the outside. The moat seems to have gone through a drought in the dry season. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An outstanding structure still looking sturdy. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Decided to leave the temples for now, we have one more to go but my guide, Regis suggests we try to see something different before heading to Bayon. The northern gate side of Angkor has many things to see.

River in the forrest, water seems cleaner here with the reflection being quite obvious. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Local fisherman trying to find a feed tonight. The fish he caught were no more than 3 inches long. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

A perspective of how large the northern gate is. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

My guide decided we should try our luck at a very small temple. People come to this temple to be blessed with good luck or fortune. 

Ot lucky here to see some kids get blessed, good luck to them. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

An old lady within the temple making some traditional medicine Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

A young monk was willing to pose for a few photos as he scrubbed himself clean Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

12 monks reside in this temple, you can see their robes hung out to be cleaned. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Next was our final stop, this was Bayon which is one of the more easily identified temples since it has the large sculptured heads. 

Close up and personal. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

When lips touch. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Framed Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Apparently in wet season the temple is surrounded by water, not so much water here today in the dry season Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Decided to stop over and walk the bridge. The bridge has two sides one side of happy faces the other side of not so happy. The river has some skinny buffalos down below grazing on the grass

For those who want to take a more adventurous path to Bayon you can ride an elephant.

That was a long but eventful day, clocking close to 16kms on tour by foot. I get dropped back off at the hotel. Try to get a foot massage but I'm starving. I grab a shower and have a quick look at my pictures from the day. Pretty impressed by the snaps I took but I think I'm more blown away by the temples that I saw more so than the pics I took. 

Decided to head out tonight near the night market. I decided to try my sister's suggestion of the Khmer Kitchen Restaurant for their Khmer curry which I must say was very nice. Much better than the buffet from the previous night.

Had a bit of a wander around town and I'd managed to close close 20kms of walking today. Not a bad effort in the heat.

Time for catching some Zzzz's now.

Siem Reap in 3 Days - Day 1

Ok, it was time to take a break from the real job and enjoy myself again. The tough choices were do I go and just relax for a week or do I go and enjoy a passion of mine and find somewhere interesting where i can test my photography skills again.

Sadly shooting Sydney does not stimulate me much and going abroad tends to get my small peanut brain to think more creatively. Well that is what I think. Sydney is great but I've lost any creative ability there at this point in time.

So the announcement of the Fuji X-Pro 2 got me all excited and I was praying for it to be released at the end of February. With my luck, which I may add is quite rotten at the moment, it is to be made available in early March. A big SIGH !!!

I make do with my trusty Fuji X-Pro 1 and head off to Siem Reap to see the famed Angkor Wat. Well that's a lie I'm trying to find Lara Croft ... I mean her alter ego Angelina Jolie. Word has it that she was here a week before ... another big SIGH !!!.

Going to Siem Reap requires a short layover in Hong Kong, so departing Sydney at 10:20pm, I get to Siem Reap the next day at 10am. There is also a 4 hour time difference, Cambodia is 4 hours behind.

One of the reasons for choosing Siem Reap was to also witness the life of people who are not as well off as Sydneysiders. My life has not been the easiest but by no means the most difficult yet the life that some of the locals live here to make ends meet and to provide shelter is something that reminded me back to some trips of India. There are less beggars here but the people here definitely do not have the same luxuries as we have here.

That said I am a bit of a snob and decided to make sure I lived in a nice clean hotel room with a nice pool. I choose the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa resort. I wish i was sponsored by them but anyone going to Siem Reap the hotel has a nice pool and it is almost tempting not to get out and see the sights and just sip on cocktails pool side.

I was pretty fortunate, the airport process was quite smooth, since I already had an e-visa made up before leaving. I had a driver for airport/hotel transfers waiting as there are really no taxis and in a foreign environment I prefer to get to the hotel safely and also I don't want to wait in the 36 degree heat. I had reached the hotel by 11:30 am and I was lucky enough to score a pool view. Before I go further the resort is filled with mature people in their 60s and older. The demographic during my stay was making me feel young.

I decided to have a swim and bite before heading out on a tuk tuk to Angkor Wat. The plan was to try and catch the sunset at Angkor Wat, as I had arranged for a photography tour the next morning to catch the sunrise.

4pm soon came around and I was ready to get a tuk tuk to Angkor Wat. The tuk tuk driver would charge 10 USD for 4 hours of his time. So that meant he would take me around and wait for me for 4 hours. It is the standard fee. In the process I had to get myself a 3 day pass to visit all the Angkor temples. A 1 day pass was 20 USD and a 3 day pass was 40 USD.

So letsget on with this tour ... oh decided to try something different and use my Go Pro Here 3 Black edition for something more than just selfies. Please enjoy the time lapses and pics.

Time lapse of Tuk Tuk to Angkor Wat 28th February 2016

The ride from the Sofitel and the detour to get my Angkor temple ticket took about 20 minutes. Note the tuk tuk driver must get your ticket validated before proceeding to any of the temples.  Apparently there are police that patrol near the ticket station / validation checkpoint.

With some luck I managed to catch a few Buddhist monks leaving the temple for the day. For reference it was a round 4:30pm.

Buddhist monk leaving Angkor Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Buddhist monk also fascinated by Angkor Wat and is prepared with his selfie stick. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Many of the monks are asked to pose for photos but also enjoy their time. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Many of the tourists are intrigued by the life styles the monks lead. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Almost reaching the famed temple, can spot 4 out of the 5 towers from here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Pass through the gate entries and cannot believe the size of the temple. Buddhist reflecting on their days prayer. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Appreciating the architecture. The attention to detail is great but many say that Angkor Wat is by no means the most prettiest temple in Siem Reap. It definitely has the size. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

People queuing late in the day to get up one of the towers of Angkor Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Me patiently waiting for sunset. I've decided to take this view, it is not perfect as a tourist had told me as I was supposed to see the 5 towers in the reflection, I only see 4.  None the less it will make do. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

I got kicked out around 6:15pm and am not pleased as the sunset was just coming out with some purple and blue hues which I was hoping would wrap around the back of Angkore Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Angkor Wat - Sun setting 28th February 2016

Some obliged some did not. I asked for the photo and I am not going to complain. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Everyone including the monks have been asked to leave the main gate, so I cannot be that disappointed by being asked to leave. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

With the little research I did prior to the trip, umm that's called TripAdvisor research LOL.  I read that some of the bigger hotels had nightly shows of the traditional Apsara dances.

I was lucky enough to have the show at the hotel I was staying in so I took advantage of it and I needed a good nights sleep for my early sunrise start tomorrow. The show started at 7:30pm and the hotel suggests if you watch it, you should have the buffet feed also for 40 USD to get the best view. If I was not interested in photos I would not be bothered with the buffet, and like what some forum people have said, you can watch the show from the balcony or the bar as the show is out doors and you are not barred from watching the dance show if you do not pay for the buffet. I got a front row table but to the side, hence the angle of my photos.

I'm not a dance person but it seemed elegant. I think that is the correct word. The show last about 1 hour. There is a story behind the show but don't ask me what it is about. To me it just looked like a man who was trying to pursue a woman.

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Anyways, that's a wrap for today. It was an exciting day but I truly am looking forward to the tomorrow's tour.

Taiwan, Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto in 8 Days - Part 2

Landed in Osaka and gee am I tired! Japan was always going to be a challenge as my itinerary was basically to do everything myself bar one day I have a guide in Kyoto. Landing in Kansai International airport was the first challenge, and prior to the trip I asked the hotel if there was any shuttle from the airport to the hotel as everyone knows Japan taxi's are not the cheapest in the world. 

Followed my instructions that were provided to me by the hotel and the first thing was to jump on the JR, which is the train system. Make sure I was heading in the right direction I ended up in Osaka Station. This took approximately 50 minutes. Just my luck I had missed the last shuttle bus from Osaka Station to the hotel, so my options were taxi or walk. The hotel concierge noted to me that the taxi ride would be around 1000 yen and lucky enough for me the 10min cab ride cost me under the 1000 yen probably because of the lack of traffic. 

Too tired to do anything I chomped on some moon cake a friend gave me in HK and crashed out hoping to get on to an early start.

Still waking up as though I'm still in Sydney and ready for work, but after re-evaluating my plans and then asking the concierge what the best plan of attack was for my day I did not get out till about 11am. The concierge was most helpful and she was pretty spot on, to get from A to B to C to D to E and then back to A. 

So first stop was Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum. For those who don't know Osamu-san was the creator of Astro Boy. A popular cartoon that I grew up watching before going to school and watching after school (obviously after home work.. not!) This was a 40min JR ride according to the information provided to me. From that point it was another 10min walk and it was getting warmer by the minute. I made it to the museum. The museum in short is not really geared to foreigners as it is all in Japanese. Apart from some labels under some drawings and the DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS for some displays. There are many drawings and a few statues of the famous characters Osamu-san created. I would say it would be for die hards only, but I would not call myself a die hard but was intrigued to see it and although I expected more I must have been satisfied as I spent well over 1.5 hours walking through the 3 levels of the museum. Each level is not very large and probably the size of no more than 100 square meters. 

The main entry to Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

What else to expect but the first thing you see when walking is Astro Boy

Astro is even on the ceiling

On my way out I could not resist but have a laugh after inspecting Dr Elephants hand, feet nose print in the ground !

After picking up a few souvenirs from Osamu Tezuka's museum it was off to the next station. Lets roll, back up to the JR station and off to see the Osaka Castle

Check out today's ride 

Getting off the JR, I had to probably walk around 10-15 minutes to find the castle. You would think the castle is easy to spot but there are trees everywhere from afar to obscure the Osaka Castle. Maybe it was just the direction I had walked in? There was a lot of things happening around the vicinity of the castle. It looked like a school festival of some sort and there were many teenage kids performing by dance and musical instruments which all created a great vibe around the area.

Cosplay must be their theme for their performance?

Finally I spot Osaka Castle from behind

The view from above Osaka Castle

Take the walk up the 8 floors and you will be up at the top before you get your elevator ride

The view from the front of Osaka Castle

Peace to you too !! She is obviously is enjoying the occassion

Time to leave Osaka Castle for my next destination. The sun's heat is getting to me and it just feels warmer and warmer every minute I walk back to the JR station

Next stop Tempozan Ferris Wheel. Hoping my timing is right for sunset and then to see the ferris wheel lit up. At one stage research indicates that this was the biggest ferris wheel in the world but it is no longer !! 

Clouds have set in after my ride around the ferris wheel, the lights are just appearing

The beautiful view overseeing the ocean during sunset before the clouds rolled in

I forgot to have a bite for lunch and within the Tempozan Harbor village there was a food court.. quick bite of ramen knowing that the clouds were rolling in I could not wait for a fully lit ferris wheel and it's time to jump on the JR again. 

Next stop Dotonbori. Living in Sydney the Coca Cola sign at Kings Cross is one of the main tourist attraction. Osaka has it's own in Dotonbori which has the Glico man. Hoping the weather is kind to me so I can walk along the canal and take pics of Mr Glico, I make my way to Dotonbori.

Made it to Dotonbori, but I do not see no Glico man

Taking a stroll down the canal allows you to absorb the atmosphere, entertainment on the canal

Found it, Glico man is running along just fine.. Don't ask about the advert on the right

The more exciting side of the canal

That's a wrap, made it through the day and got to do what I wanted. Clocked well over 25kms of walking, it was time to head back to the hotel as the restaurants I wanted to try here were full. 

Managed to grab some Wagyu beef and a quiet beer next to my hotel. Need to crash out as a big day ahead. 

Wake up early enough to get ready for my big day. Off to Tokyo with my shinkansen ticket. Shinkansen is better known as Japan's bullet train. It's about 28,500 yen to get from Shin Osaka Station to Tokyo station and back. The ride takes about 3 hours one way. Why you may ask am I going to Tokyo? Well it just happens that a Sumo tournament is on and these things don't happen every week. There are a handful of tournaments a year and I was not going to miss my chance to see Sumo. I get to Shin Osaka station nice and early. It is a different train station to Osaka, and accommodates the shinkansen. I make sure I am on the right platform and ready to catch my train. i have about 40 minutes to kill but do not want to take any risks. Once I get to Tokyo I need to then get to Ryogoku, this is where the Sumo stadium is.

My bullet train finally pulls up. These things are generally on time and mine was

Sumo's generally make their own way to the stadium, this one is getting last minute tips on the phone

I gather these two are stable mates ?

Someone needs to tell him he will standout even without the orange bag !

Just some photography info.  I figured it would be way to heavy to bring the Canon 1Dx with me to Japan. I brought my beloved Fuji X Pro 1 with me and decided to invest in the Fuji XC 50-230mm lens. This does not have an aperture ring and I shot all my shots at 1/1000@f6.0 at around the 200mm range in ISO 6400. 

Trying to get my bearings right. Actually oops I'm in the wrong seat watching this lower grade Sumo bout

I finally found my seat for my 8500 yen seat. It was on the top tier and 3 row from the front of the top tier. There are typically only two tiers in the Sumo stadiums. The first tier are where people sit on cushions in boxes that can sit four people, the rich tend to get these as they can easily be over 1000USD. Some people just buy the box and sit two people so they can have the room to stretch. 

I had to wait till 3:40pm till the top division Sumo's come out and boy do they make a grand entrance. Known as the Makuuchi division.

Each Sumo is introduced one at a time to enter the ring

Face off

Hallelujah !! 

The Yokozuna, Hakuho, who holds the top billing and number one ranking apparently has injured his knee in the lead up to the tournament. Hakuho will still participate today. Double thumbs up. He had a shock loss yesterday. What will he come up with today, will he redeem himself?

Low ranked Yoshikaze eyes off Yokozuna Hakuho in the prematch warm up ritual 

Yoshikaza manages to get Yokozuna Hakuho off balance

Gracious in defeat? I do not think so

After the shock defeat Yokozuna Hakuho retires from the tournament due a knee injury. What a shame. During his defeat it is traditional for the crowd to protest. It is quite a scene, you start seeing the expensive ticket holders on the bottom tier throw their cushions towards the ring in protest. The crowd do not get ejected which makes it more entertaining. This certainly was a highlight and I will leave you with a few more pics, of this amazing sporting event. I did learn one thing, it is not all about how big you are, or how strong you are there are a lot of tactics to use your weight or your opponents weight to win you the bout. Which makes it a very interesting spectacle.

It is tradition to throw rice in to the ring before stepping in

With so much rice being thrown in the ring gets a clean up during an interval between bouts

Slapping is not always on the agenda of the wrestlers

No ringside girls here, just men with advertisements

Get outta there!!!

The bigger they are the harder they fall

Revving up the crowd the Sumo is getting impatient with is opponents time wasting 

Who lost here ?

Who's your daddy now ?

Well that was a fun day !!! Bucket list - See Sumo Wrestling live ... CHECK !!! 

Caught up with an old friend of mine for dinner and a beer and then it's back on the shinakansen back home. I think I needed a coffee more than a beer to keep awake but I managed to do so. Got back to the hotel and freshened up and got ready for bed. Another big day ahead.

Once again I need to find my way around Japan. This time it is time to move away from my Osaka base and relocate myself to Arashiyama. Arashiyama is north of Osaka and it is back on the JR. I need to go to Kyoto then change trains for Arashiyama. This all sounds easy but you just know you are bound to fail. I feel pretty confident with myself on the JR but then I always find a stumbling block where I don't see any English and need to ask the friendly locals but usually my luck is the first person I ask does not speak English :( 

OK, so check out of my hotel from Osaka and make my way to Osaka Station via the courtesy shuttle. I make my way to Arashiyama in good time and well too good a time since check in at 4pm. I do not normally name names where I am staying but this place is just the best if you want to try staying in a traditional Ryokan. It can cost a lot but it is well worth it. You get a 13 course dinner !!! a complimentary welcoming snack which is not really a snack and a traditional Japanese breakfast is also included since you are suffering because you will need to sleep on the floor tonight. I was lucky enough to have my own private onsen that has a view out to the garden. How awesome is this ryokan. It is called Arashiyama Benkei. 

Arashiyam Benkei

Alrighty since I cannot check in to see my room, I decide to follow my original planned itinerary. First stop is Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple. I chose this temple because it had something different. It was a 40 minute walk from where my lodging was. I decided to grab some lunch before heading up and went for Udon. It was a quick bite and going through the area I noticed LOTS of tourists dressed in kimono outfits. Many of the tourists are Japanese students who are on excursion to absorb their own culture. So after walking my way up the hill I hit the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple.

Tourists in Kimono attire

Traditional house in Arashiyama

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple

There are literally a 1000 of these tiny unique statues. No statue is the same. Reminds me of Jeju

Not quite a Jedi Master

A view from above

After viewing the temple I decide to go to one of the main attractions and that is the Bamboo forrest. The forrest is a site to be seen with your own eyes if you are in the area in my opinion. The walk Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple to the forrest was about 20minutes. The stretch of the bamboo forrest is only about 750 meters, which is unfortunate.

There are many temples in Arashiyama. I popped in to this one on the way back to my lodging

Praying for black hair ?

True believers

There are lots of things to do and the food is pretty good in Arashiyama, don't forget to stop for your green tea ice cream. YUMMMMMMM !! 

Heading back to my ryokan stay I took in the lake view which is outside the ryokan. It was sunset time but unfortunately the clouds have set in. I think I've used those same words previously on this trip so far!! 

You can rent a boat and row or I am sure you can fish in the river

Since I am so impressed by this ryokan I am going to leave some photos here, just in case you are curious as to what one looks like.

Working desk on the top of tatami mats and a chair with no legs

The table more for westerners who can not fold their legs like me. The complimentary welcoming snack is on the table

Don't be fooled by the first two chairs. The big white one counts. It is an Omron massage chair :)

... and I had my own Onsen to peer out to the Japanese garden.

And that is my bed. Futon on Tatami mat

After a great nights sleep and wondering if spiders would crawl on me... just a joke, it is time to leave Arashiyama Benkei and well today I have my own private tour guide to take me around Kyoto and what a pleasant surprise I got. Instead of being picked up in a Toyota or a Nissan, I got up graded to be picked up in a BMW 7 series long wheelbase and gee did it have some major leg room at the back!

Receiving the traditional farewell. If I ever come again this is the place to stay!

My driver came early and loaded my bag in to the boot and off we went. First stop was Ryoan-ji temple. The temple hosts a garden known for its perfection, well apparently almost perfect garden. I can only remember that you are supposed to be able to count 15 rocks but most only see 14 as 15 in Japanese culture means perfection. Ryoan-ji temple was a short drive from Arashiyama. 

You will be at peace when relaxing and observing the Ryoan-ji temple Zen garden

This temple is full of peaceful views, the lotus pond view

After absorbing all the peaceful views it is time to move on to the next magical location, the world heritage listed Golden Pavilion. Take note the pavilion is not the original it was actually reconstructed because someone had burnt it down in 1950. It is probably the most well known or seen feature in Kyoto and features in pretty much every tour of Kyoto. I was a little unfortunate with the weather, grey clouds and rain but the show must go on.

Kinkaku-ji, 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion' 

A garden within the confines of the Golden Pavilion 

The crowds were large even with the rain and if my guide and I were not careful we probably would lose an eye from the umbrellas so we decided to move on. Due to the short stay my driver took me to Daitokuji, many Zen gardens and small temples are found.

One of the more known Ryogenin Zen gardens

A small sub temple in the grounds.

Decided to have a quick bite for lunch. To get to this point after a 10:30am start It was now around 1pm.

We scoffed some Ramen down and that was the choice of cuisine I chose and the driver gladly took me to a local Ramen restaurant.

Now it was off to Nijo Castle. Where shogun stayed and the unique part of the castle was teh creaky floors. This was deliberate so that ninja intruders would be heard if they decided to try and assassinate Shogun. 

Nijo Castle's main entry

This pond is impressive with it's own waterfall and these massive huge rocks standout.

I wonder if this is the side where the concubines are kept?

If you were a worker for Shogun, this is the view you have of the garden.

Off we go ... Kiyomizu temple here we come. Something new that I haven't been to before, and I was looking forward to seeing this man built structure that has a balcony that is 30 meters up from the ground and constructed with no nails just all wooden beams. 

This is the entry to Kiyomizi-dera, with the bright pagoda on the right standing out

The deva gate

The 3 tiered pagoda

A panoramic view of Kyoto

Torii of Jishu-jinja, a matchmaking shrine is within the grounds of Kiyomizu-dera. 

A young Japanese girl attempting to walk the 20 paces to make sure her wedding wish comes true. Let's just hope she is just practicing. This is found in the matching making shrine

Kiyomizu-dera. The balcony structure is pretty amazing. Trust me its not flat and it kind of leans. It is not a pleasant feeling not one for the faint hearted to stand on the edge. Japan engineering!

And again we are off but not before we had a quick walk past Ninenzaka, which has an abundance of souvenir shops but I wasn't in the mood to shop but to see more things. This time to Inari shrine, this Shinto shrine was not in the original tour but because we were on time and had some time to spare I had requested we come here. It is another place I had never been to in my first time in Kyoto and any photographer would want a photo of all those red Torii

The entry to Inari shrine

Red torii along a path at the Fushimi Inari Shrine.

That's the end of the tour, I was asking if we could go to Gion but the driver told me that the time is up, and he would drive me to my hotel for the next two nights. It has been fun, again lots of walking. MK Taxi guide was superb even though it was a little more expensive than a normal tour but my guide/driver was great and he deserved his green tea ice cream !

Well it is pretty much my last full day here in Kyoto and my last full day of my holiday as I jet out midday and won't ave much time to get out and about. The forecast from the other night indicated the weather was going to be heavy rain. My original plan was to walk around with my Leica and take pics of the local scenery and do some street photography. Waking up it was not looking pleasant. Locked myself of my hotel room was not also a good start to the day. 

Spoke to concierge to get my airport transfer organised and I was lucky as she said most companies need to have this booked two days in advance. After I managed to sneak a booking in I had asked what the best place would be to spot a Geisha. I was told the directions and headed to where the concierge had highlighted the streets. The rain was not making it easy and with a Leica pre focussing with different light as some alley ways were shaded and some were open whilst holding an umbrella was not so fun. 

I headed to Hanami-koji-dori in Gion (the section between Shijo-dori and Kennin-ji Temple). I paced myself in vain hoping to see Geisha in the rain during the middle of the day with Leica in hand. With the rain not easing I was tossing up to pay around 35USD to see a Geisha tea ceremony where they would serve tea and dance, but that just did not seem right. So I headed with my tail in between my legs and walked towards Kyoto city just to see what shops were around to kill some time. Time I killed. I walked till about 5pm, by the time I got back to the hotel it 6pm. Freshened up and did some more research and one article said you may spot Geisha in  Hanami-koji-dori around just after sunset. The sun had just set and I managed to run and make to the hotel's complimentary shuttle service,  the service beats walking down to Gion. The rain had eased as I got off the bus but it was still sprinkling. Different form of attack and I brought my Fuji X Pro 1 with one lens the 23mm f/1.4 and was shooting wide open at ISO 6400. I knew I was going to get grainy shots but  a grainy photo is better than no photo at all. 

I felt like a paparazzi, stalking alley ways looking in side taxis and just simply keeping watch on everything. So here is my little adventure in pictures and captions of 'Chasing Geisha', and not the damn tourists wearing kimonos. 

Alley ways off Hanami-koji-dori

Maybe Geisha will be in this taxi coming up ?

Looking the tea house that may have a Geisha

Losing hope in finding a Geisha in this wet evening

Found a Geisha, just left the tea house and in to the taxi, with an apprentice?

Saw this taxi drive past me, the running certainly helps

Shooting wide open at f/1.4 does not get me a sharp shot .. darn it !!

Fuji struggled, not the best pic but tells a great story

Found another Geisha on her way from one appointment to the next

Through one alley way

Not impressed that I've followed her down two alley ways

On her way to the tea house

Next time I will bring a camera to capture this scene and hopefully it will focus better. I did feel pretty treated waiting for some gangland protection men to pop out and beat me up but it didn't happen.

Happy and disappointing way to finish the trip. Saw a Geisha but the photos are disappointing !

Thanks for reading hope the above helps for anyone travelling to Taipei, Osaka and Kyoto