Hindsley in Translation: Photos: Kyoto Ryokan Yachiyo

On my last trip to Kyoto, I stayed at a nice, simple ryokan called Matsui. It was basically a bed and a bath. After that and our Fuji guesthouse experience, I was ready for something a little more upscale. So the Pres at the agency hooked me up with the travel agency they use. He suggested Ryokan Yachiyo. I booked the room for three nights with the meal option, so breakfast and dinner were included. It was absolutely the right thing to do. From the minute we stepped out of the cab (I was literally falling asleep on my feet) the staff at Yachiyo made us feel like royalty. Ryokan in general are simple, and Yachiyo was no exception. But, there was a special elegance there that had been missing in my other experiences. These people were used to dealing with foreigners so we felt a little less like zoo animals than usual. Despite their familiarity with gaijin, it was not a commercialized place. It was traditional and quiet. Best of all, we were encouraged to wear the yukata they supplied. Jo and I took that to heart and were rarely seen in anything else. One night we met a couple of other foreigners who said they hadn't worked up the nerve to wear the robes outside their room. I guess Jo and I have enough nerve for all of us.

The food was weird, wonderful, and abundant. More often than not, one of us would turn to the other and say, "Have you tried this yet? What is it?" I admit that I was hankering for Kellogg's by breakfast at day three, but I'm glad we chose the Japanese options for every meal. The ladies who serve in the restaurant and attend the rooms were so friendly and funny. Our attendant was always there to help us tie our obi and make sure we knew where we were supposed to be (mealtimes are scheduled and the timing is strictly observed!)

I fell in love with the tea cups they used at the ryokan because they have a little guy who looks like Mr. Bill attached to the side. I was feeling put out that they weren't for sale. So I spent Saturday combing the pottery shops looking for a similar set. The manager at the ryokan had drawn the kanji for the tea cup, but I still found myself pantomiming the little guy climbing up the side of the cup. I looked ridiculous, but after scouring about 700 shops, and discovering that the cost of the cups is about the cost of our hotel for the night, Joanna finally found a place that had the cups at a relatively reasonable price.