Visitors, part the third

Sorry, computer was being strange, so I had to cut off that last post.

After we looked at the temple and petted the deer and walked through the museum, we wandered the downtown shopping area.  Apparently one of the things Nara is known for is crafts/calligraphy, so we browsed several shops with various handmade goods for sale.  I got a handwoven scarf, which was extra cool b/c the loom was right there in the shop and we could see the next project that the lady was working on.

Then, just as we sat down for super (okonomiyaki, yummy!), I happened to look at my facebook and notice a message from one of my friends which said in short "Awesome Irish music at Irish pub in Kyoto tonight.  Coming?"  I wasn't sure at first, since my aunt was leaving in the morning and I thought she might want to head back and get a good night's rest first, but I asked her anyway if she would want to go, and she said yes!  I did a mini happy dance.

Luckily, the music didn't start until 8:30, which gave us enough time to eat and get to Kyoto.  We caught a rapid express train on the Kintetsu Line.  It was soooo nice.  A 30 min ride and only one stop!  We had the car almost completely to ourselves, there weren't any ads plastered all over the walls, even had toilets...  It was really lovely.

So we got to Kyoto in plenty of time, stopped for coffee/hot cocoa, and got to the pub (which is called Tadg's, btw).  Then we ordered chips!  I was so excited!  I haven't had chips since, well, since I was in the UK, they were amazing!  Also, organic hummus w/ whole wheat bread!   I thought I'd died and gone to heaven  :)  My friend had a pork roast, which he claims was the best roast he's ever had.  I'm totally going back. 

The music was also quite amazing.  The group is called The Celtic Conspiracy.  They recently released an album "Songs of Loves and Murder," featuring songs such as " I Buried My Wife and Danced on Top of Her."  Need I say more?  No, I didn't think so.

We couldn't stay until the end, because we didn't want to miss the last train and be stuck in Kyoto overnight.  It was a long overcrowded ride, but the kicker was when we got of the train and decided to take a cab to the apartment.  Usually I don't take cabs, but it was about 1 am and I was tired and not feeling like walking.  So we took a cab.  Of course, we got the one taxi driver that doesn't know where my neighborhood is...  How do I know this?  Because he pulled over and asked another driver how to get there.  Then, he went a different way than I'm used to, and I didn't know where we were and he didn't know where we were going... Eventually we got to within a street of the apartment and I got him to let us off there.  Well, at least we didn't have to walk the whole way.  As my grandpa would say, "Well be-ruuuuuther!"

Moral of the story: I heart visitors, you should could visit.