While in Kyoto on the first day of wandering off the Higashiyma, we ventured into the Gion district, which is famous for Geisha wandering the streets.

We saw a poster advertising the fan dance of the Geisha and didn`t believe that it would be real Geisha. We bought tickets, for the show and the afternoon tea with the Geisha for the next day.

We discovered the next day on an organised walk, that the show is done each year, and this year is the 146th. The show is only held for one month during cherry blossom season.

If you pay for a seat and a ticket to the afternoon tea. Firstly you are waiting in in traditional Japanese garden area, then in large groups of 100+, you are ushered into a room where the Geisha is on stage preparing tea and another Geisha is serving the front row. The later rows don’t get the special treatment. Once seated you are served a traditional Japanese cake and tea. Once eaten and drank you are ushered out to wait to be seated for the next performance. There is just enough time for a few photos and you get to keep the plate the cake was served on.

Certainly an experience we hadn`t planned on!

We stayed in Kyoto for 5 nights, and slept on tatami mats with futons. They were slightly hard on the mat but very warm!

Every morning we had Japanese breakfasts. It consisted of samon, tofu (which was made by boiling in water in the metal bowl), rice with partly boiled egg (yummo), and the smaller plates of pickles. These small dishes varied each day. The food was fantastic here… I could happily have this food all the time.