<\/noscript>\n\n\n\n2024.05.22 – [JP] Kobe ==> Kobe (0 kms | Total: 1542 kms)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n During our complementary breakfast, we discussed the value of registering for the Toyoko Inn Club Card. Since we would likely be staying many more times at this hotel chain when we return from Italy and continue our cycling journey. The card’s registration cost ($14 cdn) would be easily offset by the 5% discount on each room reservation as well as the opportunity to check-in 1 hour earlier than usual. We left the hotel at 10am for a day of sightseeing and the late afternoon some hair studio appointments. At the nearby train station, we finally bought our IC re-loadable transit cards which can be used throughout Japan. We took the train to HarborLand – a neighborhood along the harbor front with large shopping malls and various entertainment activities for families. Later we walked to the China town neighborhood. The street food vendors were very busy servicing the lunch time patrons – mostly the school kids. As our stomachs were still full from our breakfast, we skipped sampling any food. We continued our walk to the Ikuta-jinja Shrine – Kobe’s signature shrine. After we resumed our walk again to another popular neighborhood called Kitano-ch\u00f5. The areas consisted of well-preserved homes from mostly Western trading families and diplomats who settled in Kobe during the Meiji period. We stopped at a Starbucks in the neighborhood for some refreshments. The coffee shop was housed in a beautifully preserved house from 1907. After leaving the neighborhood, we stopped at a bakery for some pastries before showing up to our 4pm hair salon appointments which Jenny had made last evening along the way to our hotel. We left the hair salon at 7pm delighted with our respective hair cuts. Jenny’s hair dye and highlights took over 3 hours to complete. The two hair stylists, who spoke English fluently, were very patient with us. I had my mind set in sampling some Kobe beef in town but a single steak meal would have cost us the price of hotel room, so we opted to skip the Kobe beef. Nonetheless, we had nice savory hamburgers at a restaurant nearby the hair salon. Later, we walked back to our hotel and covered more than 14kms throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sunflowerit.ca\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-24_18-04-27.avif\" "\\"2024-05-24_18-04-27\\"")
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