June 17 -Part 2 Hiroshima and getting hella lost in Kyoto. Our Machiya - old world style - modern amenities

After the ferry ride, we made our way back to Hiroshima more smoothly. remember we now know to take the tram. We were on our way to Kyoto. Unfortunately, we got on a local train and not the express, so it took us at least 3 hours to get back. This is the first time I was visibly and physically stressed in Japan. First we said we would be back before dark, it was now 9:00pm. We were not familiar with the city so had no relevant landmarks to guide us to get to our machiya. The machiya we were in is quite charming, but not a major hotel so it is hard for cab drivers to find. It is actually on a small one way street and up an alley. Oh boy.

At the connecting train station we stopped a woman who helped us as i wanted to call the machiya so they knew we were coming and not to go home. She was very friendly, turns out she studied dentistry at NYU such a small world. She was sweating profusely, it was very comical (she is my japanese version of claire). She was a godsend. And i do mean that. (Everywhere we went we were guided by an invisible force. It has been very comforting and i am convinced it is my Tutu. She is here with us and even now as i write I can feel her hug me and i am smiling.) She got a hold of the machiya and alerted them that we were on our way. She called me victoria-san, which was is a sign of respect and we thanked her profusely. Unfortunately she missed her train helping us, but I am convinced good karma is on her way.

Once in kyoto we grabbed a cab. The driver spoke no english and tried to drop us off on a random street was "close" to our home. I refused to get out of the cab until he took us to our front door/alley. He got very upset, but nothing looked familiar there was no way that i was going to put alivia and i on the street, in a strange town, no matter how safe Japan is and how pissed off the cab driver got. We made him go around, as i gestured pretending i was using a steering wheel and pointing. Finally we were completely lost and you could tell he new it too. I asked him to call, we had cards for the machiya in english and japanese, but he refused, so I flagged down someone on the street as our cab driver was trying to evict us. Another godsend he go the machiya and they told him where to go. We arrived in front of the office and there was cameron. I have never been more thankful or happy to see someone. We paid the cab driver and Cameron said it was smart we did not get out. All the streets look the same, narrow, extremely narrow like paris, and one way.

Cameron walked us over to our house and we loved it at first site. A traditional japanese house with sliding doors and a garden. He oriented us and then had me sign a rental agreement. it seems that they have to act as a real estate company as they are not a hotel, not a ryokan (which i did not want to stay in a communal setting) and are not up to fire standards, the stairs are traditional and extremely steep and the door ways are low, nothing I didn't know. They had me sign an entire agreement in Japanese. I may have signed away my first born, sorry Trace it has been a great ride. We then took a tour and he set up the wireless, the air conditioner and the mosquito repellent as we are getting into the rainy season. Just asked us to watch our head, to not turn on the hot plate as they have had accidents before (read: fire), how to use the mircowave and he left.

The house is just stunning. Japanese caligraphy lines the walls. a small, but pretty rock garden when you look at it through the sliding doors. A cedar bathroom that smelled wonderful with a big cedar bath. A toto toilet that did everything for you, including blow drying your but. (one unique thing after you flush the tank fills up by a porcelain spout that extends outside the toilet and like a faucet refills the tank.) A sunken kitchen with a fridge. the whole house is a beatiful rich dark wood. The stairs are very steep, it is almost like you are walking vertically. The best is the bedroom, with the tatami beds on the floor. they are draped, as was the hotel on the regular bed, with a large fabric sash that makes the bed look like it is gift wrapped. By then we were so exhausted so went to sleep. and all and all i can say the agony, the fear of being lost was worth this special experience of staying in a traditional style home.