I got up before 7 and showered and packed up as we were heading off since we couldn't book another night in Kyoto. I took luggage to the Kyoto Morris hostel where Clive and Frances were staying and left it there in a secure luggage area then went downstairs and had the breakfast buffet for ¥500 and started on my own. Clive and Frances soon joined me and had packed their things mostly which meant there would be less time if I wanted to use the computer for blogging which had been my plan. We decided what to do for the day and Clive wanted to use the JR pass to go around the lake so we left the luggage at the hostel and borrowed 3 bikes and rode to the train station. We parked in bike parking area which was ¥200 each for the day and inside the train station got our JR passes for the week and Clive booked us all on the Hiroshima to Tokyo train but couldn't book the lake train as it was a local train without seat reservations and we would just have to board the trains and find seats. We went to platform and got the train to Hikone but had to change to get there. There was a statue near to the railway and there were a few people heading to the castle so we went that way and paid ¥1000 for the castle, garden and gallery. There were some people dressed up for a historical enactment of troops with guns which they shot a few times and we watched them shoot and reload a few times before finally entering the castle. There was a few things in the castle and a long queue which Clive and Frances stayed in for a bit while I briefly looked around and saw that it was for the main building so I went back and queued while they had a look around. They came back from a small tower and we swapped so I went to and up tower where there was not much to see, a view and an empty place and I got text rushed back.but then got a text from Clive that he was near the front so I rushed back which wasn't so easy as there was a family in the way but I was just in time to enter. We took off our shoes and it was slow going around castle which was a wooden building with not much to see. There were a few historical items and views at the top but not so much to see as it was Hikone and not Kyoto. We went back down and out and to the gardens which had pond were quite nice. then we went to the gallery which had lots written in Japanese and quite a bit of information in English on leaflets but we had no time to read it all. We went back to train station stopping for food in a 7-11 and I got a sausage in bun and a cream bread thing, so not so healthy while the guys had something more normal like a sandwich and salad. We got the train to the end of the lake, a place called Omi_Shiotsu and there was a big statue visible out of the train windows on the way and then a nice bridge. The journey took a while and we took a different train back South around the other side of the lake, but didn't see much of the lake there. We were heading to one place but decided to carry on as it didn't look so good when we arrived but once the train left the area looked nicer with bridges over lakes but we were heading on and got off 2 stops later. We made a note of the train times to get back to Kyoto on the board on the platform as it was not so early and we had to get to our hotel near Osaka airport. We went to the lake beach there and there were people camping, playing games, eating and drinking although the day was almost done. There was a small lake nearby and we had a look but there not so much to do or see, just a few fishermen so we rushed back to catch 5.04 train. We got back to Kyoto and got back on our bikes to get back to hostel and then pick up our luggage and took the subway to Kyoto train station. We found the train to Osaka, but when we arrived the ticket desk was some help but not great and the JR info desk was closed. Frances got some food for her and Clive and we eventually decided to take airport train as I thought it would take us close to where we needed to be. We got on and took it was not too bad but we had left Kyoto later than I had expected so we arrived quite late and had a choice of going further and trying to find a train or walking 2.1km which should take about 25 minutes and that's what we did as it was a more guaranteed journey. The road was a slip road which Clive didn't like as there was no pavement so we went the other side and it was similar although a bit further along it did have a path while the other just joined the main motorway. It was late and there were few cars about but the pavement was quite bumpy. We found the Lodge Tyojirou and it was 10.20 so we had made it before the 11pm deadline if it was enforced. Our room was not great, we had a bunk bed and a shelf bed with some cupboards and not much space. Clive and Frances took the bottom bunk so I had the top which was very close to the ceiling. There were separate male and female showers and a Japanese bathroom on the ground floor that was closed now. We didn't do much and read a bit before going to sleep.
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