Similar to our first day with an early start, my friend Fabian and I embarked on a memorable journey. I woke up at the early hour of 3:40 am, engaging in some productive work on my blog after grabbing a cup of coffee from a vending machine. Meanwhile, Fabian discovered that he had misplaced his travel bag, prompting him to search for it unsuccessfully.

It wasn’t until we ventured outside the building to have breakfast that he checked his phone and received a notification indicating that his AirPods were located inside the bag. Thankfully, with the assistance of a helpful individual near the eastern entrance, we managed to recover the missing bag. For more detailed information, please refer to Fabian’s blog.

Finally, around 10 am, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast comprising bacon and eggs. The bread was particularly noteworthy, boasting a delightful cake-like texture.

To occupy our time, we embarked on a journey through the local area, during which I purchased some gifts for my family. Along the way, we unexpectedly stumbled upon a quaint shrine and encountered an intriguing garden as we made our way back to the hotel. We took a short break at a nearby 7/11 to quench our thirst.

Subsequently, we reconvened in the hotel lobby, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rest of our group.

I had a fascinating encounter in the lobby with an individual who happened to be a car drifter. He shared that he was currently filming a Netflix documentary on drifting and had recently met Keiichi Tsuchiya, renowned as the drift king himself. Naturally, I found this conversation quite cool, and I even started following him on Instagram. It will be interesting to watch the documentary once it becomes available.

As a group, we then embarked on the shinkansen (Bullet Train) to commence our journey to Kyoto. During the train ride, I dedicated my time to working on completing my latest blog post, although the internet connection proved to be less than ideal. Additionally, I attempted the Peridot experiment, but encountered difficulties updating the app until after we arrived at our destination. I must mention that the train ride was an exhilarating experience due to its remarkable speed, causing the images captured by any camera I used to distort from the sheer velocity. It was truly a wild experience.

Upon our arrival in Kyoto, we dropped off our belongings on the bus and proceeded to a group dinner. This particular meal overwhelmed me with pure emotion, as we were treated to a traditional Japanese 10-course feast. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to partake in such an experience, even if I were to visit this country on my own. I am immensely grateful to Stephen Jacobs, RIT, and KCG for organizing this unforgettable dining experience.

Following the dinner, we made our way back to the hotel, where I am currently writing this account. Tomorrow, on the 23rd, I plan to post this entry, as I am quite tired and in need of some restful sleep.

Submitted 3 days later…