Me and Jan at Kiyomzu Temple
Some Words for The Class of '09
16 years ago
Friday, April 22, 2005
Temple Hopping
Last night I hung out in the lounge at the hostel and spoke to a few poeple who were staying here which all seemed really kool. Had a good nights sleep and went out around Kyoto with Martin and Jan both who I had met the night before. We all got a buss pass which allows you unlimted travel on the buses aroubd Kyoto for a whole day. We headed for the south east area to start with to visit Kiyomizu Temple which was so nice and the surroundings were what made it really special. We got japanese ice creams, Ｉ tried green tea and cherry which was delicious. We then walked to near by Kanninji Temple and had a look around, hopped back on the bus and headed east to Arashiyama. In arashiyama was the nonomiya temple, Tenryuji Temple which has such a beautiful zen garden. Our stomachs were rumbling so we looked for something eat eat and ended up eating in a little restaurant near the temple. I cant even remember the name of the dish I had but It was nice and filled me up.
We were going to go see the monkeys in Iwatayama but didnt want to pay so decided to jump back on the bus and head north making our way towards the golden pavillion (kinkakuji Temple). We stopped off at the Ninnanji Temple on the way but the golden pavillion closed at five so we only had a few minuted there before we got back onto a crammed bus to the Golden Pavillion. We decided to makwe this the last stop and it was such a good temple to top off our day of temple hopping. Its actually covered in real gold leaves and looks amazing, It was good to see a temple that was a bit different from the rest.
After we got back to the hostel me and martin decided we would go and check out the local Sento (public bath). I though I may as well try it out as im here so what the heck. We didnt have a clue about the procedure but kinda worked it out after a bit if debating. Basically you took your shoes off outside, went inside and got undressed (yep totally naked) and went to wash yourself before entereing the bath. The baths are thought of as a passtime rather than a method of washing and it is though of as dirty to get in before washing first. Anyway we got into this super hot bath I mean it was boiling!!! My legs were tingling and I wondered how long I would actually last, but after a few minutes it got better but still felt boiling hot. After a few minutes of pain I got in the next bath which was warm rather than hot and had bubble pumped into it kinda similar to a jacuzzi. After that was the cold bath which was totally the other extereme and was freezing. I had to gradually lower myself in but once I had sorted out my body temperature it was real nice. I kinda felt a bit dizzy I guess this was because of the drastic change to my body, and when I took a breath of air it felt like I was inhaling menthol fumes it was quite bizzare. At least I can say I have done it and it was definately an experience. Gonna spend another day in Kyoto tomorrow I reckon and see some of the temples I didnt get round to seeing today.
We were going to go see the monkeys in Iwatayama but didnt want to pay so decided to jump back on the bus and head north making our way towards the golden pavillion (kinkakuji Temple). We stopped off at the Ninnanji Temple on the way but the golden pavillion closed at five so we only had a few minuted there before we got back onto a crammed bus to the Golden Pavillion. We decided to makwe this the last stop and it was such a good temple to top off our day of temple hopping. Its actually covered in real gold leaves and looks amazing, It was good to see a temple that was a bit different from the rest.
After we got back to the hostel me and martin decided we would go and check out the local Sento (public bath). I though I may as well try it out as im here so what the heck. We didnt have a clue about the procedure but kinda worked it out after a bit if debating. Basically you took your shoes off outside, went inside and got undressed (yep totally naked) and went to wash yourself before entereing the bath. The baths are thought of as a passtime rather than a method of washing and it is though of as dirty to get in before washing first. Anyway we got into this super hot bath I mean it was boiling!!! My legs were tingling and I wondered how long I would actually last, but after a few minutes it got better but still felt boiling hot. After a few minutes of pain I got in the next bath which was warm rather than hot and had bubble pumped into it kinda similar to a jacuzzi. After that was the cold bath which was totally the other extereme and was freezing. I had to gradually lower myself in but once I had sorted out my body temperature it was real nice. I kinda felt a bit dizzy I guess this was because of the drastic change to my body, and when I took a breath of air it felt like I was inhaling menthol fumes it was quite bizzare. At least I can say I have done it and it was definately an experience. Gonna spend another day in Kyoto tomorrow I reckon and see some of the temples I didnt get round to seeing today.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Drinking with the Locals / Kyoto
After I posted my blog last night I met Thomas and we decided to go get something to eat. We couldnt be bothered to go very far so thought we would stay local. It was 10.30 so most places were shut but we evetually came across a little place that had kareoke so though we would give it a go. We walked up some stairs and came to a room which was very traditional we had to take off our shoes to enter and sat on cushions in front of really low tables. I didnt fancy much to eat as I had got something earlier so just ordered fried potatoes. When I got them they wernt really what I was expecting as I got a plate of chips! I also ordered some sake as I hadnt indulged in any yet. We ate our food and the Thomas sang some japanese song on the kareoke, ｔhere were some japanese business men on a table near by - the only other people in the place. They were pretty jolly and started to sing along with Thomas it was pretty funny. As thomas can speak japanese he started talking to them and the invited us to join them for a drink. This was really kool as we were sat round the table drinking japanese sake at their expense, unfortunately the place was shutting so we only had time for one drink otherwise I think we would have been drinking their money all night.
Today I had to check out of the Joyoh Hotel by 10 so sorted out all my stuff then went and jumped on the computer for a while. Thomas was also checking out so we decided to go get some lunch before we left. We went o this place around the corner that sold lunchboxes and I dont mean the plastic ones kids take to school. These were boxes that had a small meal in them that are very in popular in Japan. It was only 280yen and was really big certainly filled me up. I then went and got the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. This was about a 3hr journey but It passed pretty quickly and I managed to get a few shots of Mt Fuji when we passed it. Im at J-hoppers now which seems pretty nice, looks like theres three other people in the dorm though I havnt seen anyone around yet I guess they are still out in Kyoto. This place also has one of those super loos the ones that are heated and have loads of buttons on it looks awesome. Anyway Im going to go have a walk around and find something to eat!
Today I had to check out of the Joyoh Hotel by 10 so sorted out all my stuff then went and jumped on the computer for a while. Thomas was also checking out so we decided to go get some lunch before we left. We went o this place around the corner that sold lunchboxes and I dont mean the plastic ones kids take to school. These were boxes that had a small meal in them that are very in popular in Japan. It was only 280yen and was really big certainly filled me up. I then went and got the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. This was about a 3hr journey but It passed pretty quickly and I managed to get a few shots of Mt Fuji when we passed it. Im at J-hoppers now which seems pretty nice, looks like theres three other people in the dorm though I havnt seen anyone around yet I guess they are still out in Kyoto. This place also has one of those super loos the ones that are heated and have loads of buttons on it looks awesome. Anyway Im going to go have a walk around and find something to eat!
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Wet Feet In Nikko
Well I didn't quite get that early night i had planned as I was on the computer sorting out my pics and then had a few beers with Thomas in the Hotel lounge. Then two guys i had met the previuos day called Andy and Neil came back from their day out so caught up with them. By the time I knew it I was heading off to bed at 2am.
I got up about 8.30 but couldnt exchange my Japan rail pass voucher until 10.30am when the travel office at Ueno station opened. I got that sorted out and reserved a seat on the shinkansen bullet train to Utsonomiya which left at 11.30 and took about 5omins. This was the first JR station I had been to and I found it a bit confusing. I was looking out for a sign that said utsonomiya but couldnt find one anywhere and I didnt know where to stand when the train came in to get in my reserved carriage. I got pointed in the direction but then the train came in which was a double decker and i got even more confused so rushed to ask again, in the end I got on the train just in time and it was the right one phew! At utsonomiya I then had to chage on to the local nikko likne which took another 50mins.
When I arrived at nikko it was raining so I put on my coat and went to look for info as I didnt have a clue where to go. Fortunately I spoke to someone who informed me that a 2min walk up the road was an information office that had maps etc so i made my way there in the rain. I picked up the maps and started my 15min walk to the main shrines and temples. Everyone else seemed to have umbreallas but me so I decided it would be a good Idea to go get one. This took quite a while but eventually I came across a shop selling unbrellas though by this time I was pretty wet.
I didnt know before hand but there was fees to see the differnt shrines and temples which set me back about 2,000 in total but nevermind. The shrines and temples were all really nice but If youve seen one youve seen them all as the saying goes. I seemed to keep stepping in puddles and slipping which made my trainers even more wet, plus there suede material so not the best in wet weather. You had to take off your shoes to go in the temples, so I was making trails of wet footprints everywhere I went.
When I got back to the hotel I took the hair dryer to them which worked wonders and I now have dry trainers again although I think I broke the hairdryer from overusage as it just went off and wouldnt switch on again. Handed that back in promptly!
Im off to Kyoto tommorrow where I will be spending my next 5 nights. Im staying at J-hoppers in a mixed dorm, all the reviews Ive read about the place have all been good so it should be ok.
I got up about 8.30 but couldnt exchange my Japan rail pass voucher until 10.30am when the travel office at Ueno station opened. I got that sorted out and reserved a seat on the shinkansen bullet train to Utsonomiya which left at 11.30 and took about 5omins. This was the first JR station I had been to and I found it a bit confusing. I was looking out for a sign that said utsonomiya but couldnt find one anywhere and I didnt know where to stand when the train came in to get in my reserved carriage. I got pointed in the direction but then the train came in which was a double decker and i got even more confused so rushed to ask again, in the end I got on the train just in time and it was the right one phew! At utsonomiya I then had to chage on to the local nikko likne which took another 50mins.
When I arrived at nikko it was raining so I put on my coat and went to look for info as I didnt have a clue where to go. Fortunately I spoke to someone who informed me that a 2min walk up the road was an information office that had maps etc so i made my way there in the rain. I picked up the maps and started my 15min walk to the main shrines and temples. Everyone else seemed to have umbreallas but me so I decided it would be a good Idea to go get one. This took quite a while but eventually I came across a shop selling unbrellas though by this time I was pretty wet.
I didnt know before hand but there was fees to see the differnt shrines and temples which set me back about 2,000 in total but nevermind. The shrines and temples were all really nice but If youve seen one youve seen them all as the saying goes. I seemed to keep stepping in puddles and slipping which made my trainers even more wet, plus there suede material so not the best in wet weather. You had to take off your shoes to go in the temples, so I was making trails of wet footprints everywhere I went.
When I got back to the hotel I took the hair dryer to them which worked wonders and I now have dry trainers again although I think I broke the hairdryer from overusage as it just went off and wouldnt switch on again. Handed that back in promptly!
Im off to Kyoto tommorrow where I will be spending my next 5 nights. Im staying at J-hoppers in a mixed dorm, all the reviews Ive read about the place have all been good so it should be ok.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Electric City
Had another pretty action packed day again, got some breakfast from the convience store and made my way to Akihara the home of electrical products. When I got off the subway I couldnt work out which direction to head so ended up asking a japanese business guy who genrously showed me the way. I apologised for not being able to speak much english but at least he could understand me, I wouldnt have a clue if someone asked me a question in japanese! Anyway I managed to find the street they call "electric city" due to pretty much every store selling electrical products. Apparently this is the No. 1 place in Japan to go in terms of the abundance of items and info available. I had a walk along and looked at a few electiral gadgets but wasn't looking to buy anything so didnt think I would spend much longer there until at the end of the electrical shops were some comic and vinyl figure stores. These stores had 7 floors and were packed with stuff on every floor, the vinyl figure store was soo good I spent quite a while looking and taking pictures. I bought a cople of figures for 210yen each which is about a pound, In the uk they would be at least a fiver each so I was pretty happy.
I hadn't been to the Sony Center yet and was desperate to get my hands on a psp so I made that my next stop. The building had 8 floors but the ones I was most interested in were the product showrooms and the playstation floor. There were so many produts you could just play around with, some of which havnt even been released yet. I had a little play with the robot dog which was pretty kool and there was also this handheld pc I found pretty amazing and the flipout keyboard was a nice touch. Then I got to the floor with the PSPs on and jumped on ridge racer which is completely awesome. I think I will buy PSP before I leave america as there not out in the UK for ages and will probably cost loads.
After I finished at the Sony building I went for a sit down and a rest at Hibiya Park which was nice and relaxing. I had a look at my guide book and decided to check out Nijubashi Brige which is just outside the main entrance to the Imperial Palace. You wernt alowed to walk up to the main gates or even go in but I got a good picture so was pleased with that. I was feeling pretty hungry at this point so went and found a shop and grabbed some sandwiches which had chicken in but it was battered and had a strange sauce on but they didnt taste too bad.
Tokyo tower was my final destination for the day and got there about 5.30pm. Tokyo Tower is pretty much Tokyo's answer to the Eiffel Tower but it exceeds its height by 13m making it the world tallest free standing iron structure. There were different tickets available to go up to the observtion decks in the tower all of which were pretty expensive. You could either go up 150m for 850yen or 250m for about double. I decided the best thing to do would be to wait when it was dark so I got a night shot but that wouldnt be until about 7pm. In the end I got a ticket which allowed me to go into the wax museum, hologram exhibition, and trick art gallery though non of which were pretty good but it passed the time until 7 when it was dark and I went up to the 150m observation deck. The view from here was awesome, everything was lit up and you could see all the skyscrapers across Tokyo. I didn't stay up there for too long had a little look took some photos and made my way down again. I kept nodding off on the subway home but I was ok once I got back to the hotel and had a shower. Im gonna have another earlish night tonight as Im off to Nikko in the morning and is about an hours train journey away.
Iv'e sorted out my charger now so Im gonna try out some pictures up, I havnt done so far as I couldnt sort out my charger and wanted to save my precious battery time.
I hadn't been to the Sony Center yet and was desperate to get my hands on a psp so I made that my next stop. The building had 8 floors but the ones I was most interested in were the product showrooms and the playstation floor. There were so many produts you could just play around with, some of which havnt even been released yet. I had a little play with the robot dog which was pretty kool and there was also this handheld pc I found pretty amazing and the flipout keyboard was a nice touch. Then I got to the floor with the PSPs on and jumped on ridge racer which is completely awesome. I think I will buy PSP before I leave america as there not out in the UK for ages and will probably cost loads.
After I finished at the Sony building I went for a sit down and a rest at Hibiya Park which was nice and relaxing. I had a look at my guide book and decided to check out Nijubashi Brige which is just outside the main entrance to the Imperial Palace. You wernt alowed to walk up to the main gates or even go in but I got a good picture so was pleased with that. I was feeling pretty hungry at this point so went and found a shop and grabbed some sandwiches which had chicken in but it was battered and had a strange sauce on but they didnt taste too bad.
Tokyo tower was my final destination for the day and got there about 5.30pm. Tokyo Tower is pretty much Tokyo's answer to the Eiffel Tower but it exceeds its height by 13m making it the world tallest free standing iron structure. There were different tickets available to go up to the observtion decks in the tower all of which were pretty expensive. You could either go up 150m for 850yen or 250m for about double. I decided the best thing to do would be to wait when it was dark so I got a night shot but that wouldnt be until about 7pm. In the end I got a ticket which allowed me to go into the wax museum, hologram exhibition, and trick art gallery though non of which were pretty good but it passed the time until 7 when it was dark and I went up to the 150m observation deck. The view from here was awesome, everything was lit up and you could see all the skyscrapers across Tokyo. I didn't stay up there for too long had a little look took some photos and made my way down again. I kept nodding off on the subway home but I was ok once I got back to the hotel and had a shower. Im gonna have another earlish night tonight as Im off to Nikko in the morning and is about an hours train journey away.
Iv'e sorted out my charger now so Im gonna try out some pictures up, I havnt done so far as I couldnt sort out my charger and wanted to save my precious battery time.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Old Tokyo and New
After my two hours sleep I took the subway to Asakusa to go see the Sensoji Temple, when I got to Asakusa I headed to Nakamise which is a 100m street from the Kaminarimon Gate to the Hozomon Gate which is lined with about 90 stores dating back to the Edo period. The walk through Nakamise leads to Sensoji Temple, which is the biggest temp[le I have seen so far. Inside there is some kind of shrine that the japanese men and women were praying or worshipping i wasnt quite sure. Around the temple were other small shrines that were being bowed to and had candles being lit for them. After exploring the street connected to the Temple I walked towards The Sumidagawa River to catch the river bus down to Hama-riku Gardens in Shiodome. Hama-rikyu Gardens were really nice, not as pretty as the other gardens I had seen but still worth a loI ok. After I had finished wandering around the gardens I got the Subway to Shiodome and then the Yurikamome Line To Odaiba.
Odaiba is a hugh amusement zone on a man made island. I first checked out Palette Town where I entered a hugh arcade where there were loads of japanese kids with buckets of tokens pouring them into the machines it was amazing. There were also a few shops near by that I had a look at but they were nothing special and I need food so i decided to go back to Minami-senju where Im staying to get dinner.
When I got back to the Hotel I bumped into Thomas so we went to a nearby restaurant for soup and noodles, I had duck in mine which was really nice and a nice glass of japanese tea. I think i can improve on my chopstick skills and my slurping wasnt really up to scratch. Tomorrow I think in gonna check out Akihabara which is the electric products district and I also want to go up Tokyo Tower.
Odaiba is a hugh amusement zone on a man made island. I first checked out Palette Town where I entered a hugh arcade where there were loads of japanese kids with buckets of tokens pouring them into the machines it was amazing. There were also a few shops near by that I had a look at but they were nothing special and I need food so i decided to go back to Minami-senju where Im staying to get dinner.
When I got back to the Hotel I bumped into Thomas so we went to a nearby restaurant for soup and noodles, I had duck in mine which was really nice and a nice glass of japanese tea. I think i can improve on my chopstick skills and my slurping wasnt really up to scratch. Tomorrow I think in gonna check out Akihabara which is the electric products district and I also want to go up Tokyo Tower.
All-Nighter
Oh my god its been a long day!!! To start with I bought a Tokyo Metro One Day Pass which alowed me unlimted travel for a day on the Tokyo Metro Lines. I then headed off to The Imperial Palace East Gardens which is a vast green space in the heart of the city, which was once part of the emperor's private garden. This place was huge, even though it was a fraction of the whole garden. There was a small museum near the gate showing exhibits from the imperial collection before the massive foundations of the castle keep made of huge stones that for some reason looked a perfect fit for one another. Im not surprised this is a popular place for the bussinessmen on Tokyo because its the perfect getaway from hectic Tokyo City.
As it was nearby I decided to visit the National Museum of Modern Art. They had a special exhibition for some Van Gogh work but the tickets were 3 times the price of a normal ticket so I didnt bother. As it was a sunday there were so many people there, so I joined the long queue to get in. After my 45 minute wait I finally got inside to find I was in the queue for the Van Gogh Noooooooooo!!!! When I realised I just walked straight in to the normal gallery. To be honest there wasn't much stuff here and it only took me 30mins or so to walk round. Just up the road was the crafts gallery which my ticket also covered to I took a walk up and had a look. There was some nice stuff in here but it also wasn't very big and I was out again in no time.
By this point it was about 1pm so I began to head back to the subway to catch the train to Yoyogi Park. As it was a sunday this place was packed with families having picnics, playing games on the field and having a fun time. There were also street performers of all different kinds demonstarting their skills which was really good to watch. Just out of Yoyogi park next to Harajuku station was where all the teenagers hung out all dressed up in bizzare and wonderful clothing along with the the face paintings and other things attached to their bodies.
My next point of call was Meiji Shrine just next door. This was a walk into the woods and through the great Torii (gates) which are made from 1,700 year old cypress trees from taiwan. After I had seen the shrine I went for a walk in the Meiji Shrine Gardens which were really beautiful. There was a big lake and a fishing spot which was swarmed with really big carp sunning themselves - i couldnt believe how big one of these fish was.
From Harajuku I got the train to Shinjuku to go see the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings. Shinjuku station was absolutely huge, there was a constant tidal wave of people pouring through it all the time. The Government Buildings were a good walk away from the station but it was actually conected to it by the exit, you could seriously get lost in this place it was so big and it was a good 20min walk. When I got to Builing No.1 I jumped in the lift to go up to the observatory on the 45th floor. The view from there was spectacular looing across all of tokyo, you could see the futuristic looking skyscrapers, the imperial palace garden, tokyo bay and beyond it was truly immense.
I was planning to go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden afterwards but by this time it was 4pm and It shut at 4.30 so I didnt bother. Instead I decided I would have a walk to Kabukicho which was the major entertainment town in Shinjuku offering many restaurants, game arcades, and movie theaters. I had a wonder around for a while then dived into my first Sushi bar. They had the sushi on a revolving belt so you just took the plate you fancied. The plates were all different colours which indicated how much each plate cost. I ended up having four plates which were pretty nice though I think I did pick up a plate which had some kind of jelly fish on which tasted a bit odd.
I decided to call it a day and headed back to my hotel for a shower. I have decided to stay a few more night at the Joyoh Hotel as its pretty cheap and isnt as far away from Tokyo center as I had thought. I was running pretty low on cash but you would not believe how hard it is to find a cash machine in this country - you would think they are everywhere but are few and far between as everyone deals with cash and cards arn't that widely accepted. Also for a country that is so clean I couldn't believe I could not find a dustbin anywhere????
Anyway after my shower I headed downstairs to the hotel lobby to jump on the computer, but they were all in use so I sat down on the social chairs and got chating to these guys called Tony who was from Toronto Canada and Thomas who was from Denmark. They both semed pretty kool and were off out for the night in Roppongi so I decided to join them. It was Tony's last night so he really wanted to have a good send off. The Alcohol in Japan is sooooo expensive, im talking about 4 pounds for a bottle of beer!! Thomas speaks fluent Japanese so he was useful to have around and asked some of the locals where were the places to go. We got a few names and went off on our search. The first place we went to was GasPanic, this really loud club which played hardcore techno music hmmm great. After a drink we left and went in search of a place called 911, this place was much better. More people and the music was better too. We had a really good night and ended up going to another bar until 5am the next day (They were serving until 10am)!! It was hard to get round the fact that is was broad daylight when we left the club as it just didnt real right. We got on the subway to head back to the Hotel, As it was like 5.30 by this time I though I may aswell check out the Tsukiji Fish Market. Thomas just wanted his bed so me and Tony went for a look. We managed to find the place without too much difficulty as it was really busy with people setting up their stalls and carting around boxes of fish. We didnt stay there for too long as we were both really tired and Tony had a 3pm flight home so we thought it was best to head back and get some rest.
When we got back to the Hotel I just crashed out on my tatami mat, It was about 7-8am by this time so I decided I would set my alarm for 10am as not to waste too much of the day sleeping. I have got up and had a shower to prepare me for the day, im going to go to the post office as I have been tod there is an ATM which will work for my card. I think im going to check out Asakusa today and maybe get the boat down the river to the Hama Rikyu Garden.
As it was nearby I decided to visit the National Museum of Modern Art. They had a special exhibition for some Van Gogh work but the tickets were 3 times the price of a normal ticket so I didnt bother. As it was a sunday there were so many people there, so I joined the long queue to get in. After my 45 minute wait I finally got inside to find I was in the queue for the Van Gogh Noooooooooo!!!! When I realised I just walked straight in to the normal gallery. To be honest there wasn't much stuff here and it only took me 30mins or so to walk round. Just up the road was the crafts gallery which my ticket also covered to I took a walk up and had a look. There was some nice stuff in here but it also wasn't very big and I was out again in no time.
By this point it was about 1pm so I began to head back to the subway to catch the train to Yoyogi Park. As it was a sunday this place was packed with families having picnics, playing games on the field and having a fun time. There were also street performers of all different kinds demonstarting their skills which was really good to watch. Just out of Yoyogi park next to Harajuku station was where all the teenagers hung out all dressed up in bizzare and wonderful clothing along with the the face paintings and other things attached to their bodies.
My next point of call was Meiji Shrine just next door. This was a walk into the woods and through the great Torii (gates) which are made from 1,700 year old cypress trees from taiwan. After I had seen the shrine I went for a walk in the Meiji Shrine Gardens which were really beautiful. There was a big lake and a fishing spot which was swarmed with really big carp sunning themselves - i couldnt believe how big one of these fish was.
From Harajuku I got the train to Shinjuku to go see the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings. Shinjuku station was absolutely huge, there was a constant tidal wave of people pouring through it all the time. The Government Buildings were a good walk away from the station but it was actually conected to it by the exit, you could seriously get lost in this place it was so big and it was a good 20min walk. When I got to Builing No.1 I jumped in the lift to go up to the observatory on the 45th floor. The view from there was spectacular looing across all of tokyo, you could see the futuristic looking skyscrapers, the imperial palace garden, tokyo bay and beyond it was truly immense.
I was planning to go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden afterwards but by this time it was 4pm and It shut at 4.30 so I didnt bother. Instead I decided I would have a walk to Kabukicho which was the major entertainment town in Shinjuku offering many restaurants, game arcades, and movie theaters. I had a wonder around for a while then dived into my first Sushi bar. They had the sushi on a revolving belt so you just took the plate you fancied. The plates were all different colours which indicated how much each plate cost. I ended up having four plates which were pretty nice though I think I did pick up a plate which had some kind of jelly fish on which tasted a bit odd.
I decided to call it a day and headed back to my hotel for a shower. I have decided to stay a few more night at the Joyoh Hotel as its pretty cheap and isnt as far away from Tokyo center as I had thought. I was running pretty low on cash but you would not believe how hard it is to find a cash machine in this country - you would think they are everywhere but are few and far between as everyone deals with cash and cards arn't that widely accepted. Also for a country that is so clean I couldn't believe I could not find a dustbin anywhere????
Anyway after my shower I headed downstairs to the hotel lobby to jump on the computer, but they were all in use so I sat down on the social chairs and got chating to these guys called Tony who was from Toronto Canada and Thomas who was from Denmark. They both semed pretty kool and were off out for the night in Roppongi so I decided to join them. It was Tony's last night so he really wanted to have a good send off. The Alcohol in Japan is sooooo expensive, im talking about 4 pounds for a bottle of beer!! Thomas speaks fluent Japanese so he was useful to have around and asked some of the locals where were the places to go. We got a few names and went off on our search. The first place we went to was GasPanic, this really loud club which played hardcore techno music hmmm great. After a drink we left and went in search of a place called 911, this place was much better. More people and the music was better too. We had a really good night and ended up going to another bar until 5am the next day (They were serving until 10am)!! It was hard to get round the fact that is was broad daylight when we left the club as it just didnt real right. We got on the subway to head back to the Hotel, As it was like 5.30 by this time I though I may aswell check out the Tsukiji Fish Market. Thomas just wanted his bed so me and Tony went for a look. We managed to find the place without too much difficulty as it was really busy with people setting up their stalls and carting around boxes of fish. We didnt stay there for too long as we were both really tired and Tony had a 3pm flight home so we thought it was best to head back and get some rest.
When we got back to the Hotel I just crashed out on my tatami mat, It was about 7-8am by this time so I decided I would set my alarm for 10am as not to waste too much of the day sleeping. I have got up and had a shower to prepare me for the day, im going to go to the post office as I have been tod there is an ATM which will work for my card. I think im going to check out Asakusa today and maybe get the boat down the river to the Hama Rikyu Garden.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Touchdown
Im finally in Japan!!!! My flight was ok, the plane wasn't that full at all so I ended up having a whole row to myslef. There were loads more films on than it said on the website but I only ended up watching collateral and oceans 12 as I tried so many times to get some sleep. I even tried listening to bob marley but that didnt work either so I have now been up for 28hrs and feel absolutely knackered. The sick bags on Virgin are awesome, apparently there limited edition but had really kool artwork on them so I took all the ones in my row!
Anyway I was really tired when I arrived in Tokyo and to make things slightly worse after looking at my accommodation reservation I realised I was unable to check into my hotel until 4pm, so decided to spend the day in Ueno Park to pass the time until I could unload all my stuff. I had a stroll through the park looking at the cherry blossoms and street performers but had to keep stopping for a rest as my bag was feeling heavier and I couldnt hack walking with it on my back.
I thought Id add a bit of culture to the start of my trip so went and had a look in the Tokyo Museum which was pretty interesting but best of all on the way in the security guard took my bag from me and put it in the store room until I had finished so that gave my back a bit of a rest. I also had a look in the Zoo at Ueno park and couldnt believe all the animals they had, polar bears, pandas, rhinos, hippos, elephants, monkeys, basically you name it they had it!
By this time I had spent quite a few hours in Tokyo and had kept seeing loads of people with masks on (The kind that you put over your nose and mouth) and was wondering what was going on!! I got speaking to this guy jules who has been an english teacher in japan for six years and informed me it was because this time of year is when people are prone to hayfever, I thought there was some kind of epidemic!
I successfully got to my hotel anyway which is ok, havn't really seen many people around yet though. I think im going to make a trip to Yoyogi park tomorrow, but now Im going to go find myself some food before I call it a night.
Anyway I was really tired when I arrived in Tokyo and to make things slightly worse after looking at my accommodation reservation I realised I was unable to check into my hotel until 4pm, so decided to spend the day in Ueno Park to pass the time until I could unload all my stuff. I had a stroll through the park looking at the cherry blossoms and street performers but had to keep stopping for a rest as my bag was feeling heavier and I couldnt hack walking with it on my back.
I thought Id add a bit of culture to the start of my trip so went and had a look in the Tokyo Museum which was pretty interesting but best of all on the way in the security guard took my bag from me and put it in the store room until I had finished so that gave my back a bit of a rest. I also had a look in the Zoo at Ueno park and couldnt believe all the animals they had, polar bears, pandas, rhinos, hippos, elephants, monkeys, basically you name it they had it!
By this time I had spent quite a few hours in Tokyo and had kept seeing loads of people with masks on (The kind that you put over your nose and mouth) and was wondering what was going on!! I got speaking to this guy jules who has been an english teacher in japan for six years and informed me it was because this time of year is when people are prone to hayfever, I thought there was some kind of epidemic!
I successfully got to my hotel anyway which is ok, havn't really seen many people around yet though. I think im going to make a trip to Yoyogi park tomorrow, but now Im going to go find myself some food before I call it a night.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
sa-yo-na-ra
Thats "good-bye" in Japanese for all those un-equipped with a japanese phrasebook :-)
Well I've set my alarm to get up when the birds are singing tomorrow morning so I can get to the airport in time for my flight to Tokyo. Iv'e got my yen, a 70 litre backpack which is pretty much full along with my 20 litre day pack so im all set to go!
I'm flying with Virgin so im hoping the plane has a snes in the seat and also network play so I can thrash people on street fighter 2. I think Im going to watch I-robot, Oceans 12, and The Manchurian candidate on the plane as I havnt seen them and all the rest look rubbish!!
Hopefully getting up so early tomorrow will mean I get tired earlier as I really need to have a sleep on the plane, otherwise I will be totally jet-lagged seeing as Japan is 9hrs ahead and I get there at 9am.
I went on a marathon texting session tonight and text everyone in my phonebook, so I'm hoping lots of poeple are going to be checking what im up to and leaving comments on my posts!
Thanks to everyone that has wished me farewell, I look forward to hearing from you and I will see you all in 4 months time x
Well I've set my alarm to get up when the birds are singing tomorrow morning so I can get to the airport in time for my flight to Tokyo. Iv'e got my yen, a 70 litre backpack which is pretty much full along with my 20 litre day pack so im all set to go!
I'm flying with Virgin so im hoping the plane has a snes in the seat and also network play so I can thrash people on street fighter 2. I think Im going to watch I-robot, Oceans 12, and The Manchurian candidate on the plane as I havnt seen them and all the rest look rubbish!!
Hopefully getting up so early tomorrow will mean I get tired earlier as I really need to have a sleep on the plane, otherwise I will be totally jet-lagged seeing as Japan is 9hrs ahead and I get there at 9am.
I went on a marathon texting session tonight and text everyone in my phonebook, so I'm hoping lots of poeple are going to be checking what im up to and leaving comments on my posts!
Thanks to everyone that has wished me farewell, I look forward to hearing from you and I will see you all in 4 months time x
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