So the place i`m staying in Tokyo this time round is SOOO random!!! Kind of a cross between a hostel and a capsule hotel (where everyone piles into little cubbyhole type compartments 4footx4footx8foot - all lined up side by side and on top of each other - designed primarily to fit as many drunk japanese business men, who`ve missed the train home, in as possible!!!) Anyway... this place doesn`t have any drunk japanese business men - but there are 9 floors - and 28 cubbyhole style beds in my dorm alone!!! I chose a hostel near Shinjuku this time round (again, an area recommended in the brief notes provided by Sarah Jane`s husband as an area with decent bars and restaurants and a lively vibe!!!) I figured if its close enough for a walk home... it saves the 12 or 5 dilema!!!
I`ve met a nice girl from Argentina who i`m going out drinking with tonight. My initial thought was yea - a chance to practice my Spanish!!! Until I realised that I`d be completely stuck after the first three lines of conversation... my memory is going a little - time to get the Learn Spanish CD I downloaded onto my Ipod going I think!!! (Or Bolivia is going to be seriously hard work!!!) Therefore, I`m conducting all conversations in English tonight!!!
Anyway... spent today out of Tokyo in Hakone national park, close to the base of Mount Fuji... I`d left what to do when I got there to the weather - it was between spending the day relaxing in hot springs, or more sightseeing of the area!!! It was sunny so... the hot springs will have to wait!!!
The Hakone area is a little over done on the tourist front - I suppose because it`s the area of `Fuji San` accessible on a day trip out of Tokyo... there was a very obvious route, consisting of a little train which snakes up into the mountains, a funnicular, a cable car, a boat trip and finally a bus back to the starting point!!! (Not too over organised then!!!) The highlight of the trip, other than the views of Mount Fuji behind the one cloud in the sky(!!), were some geysers based at Owakudani Gorge (Great Boiling Valley). The air full of sulphurous gas, water bubbling through cracks in the rocks, it was great... I was however a little confused by the "tradition of the black egg" - they sold black eggs by the geyser, and apparently eating one adds 7years of longetivity to your life!!! I`ve never been particularly keen on eggs, having only just come round to their role as a hangover cure after years of not eating them, so hard boiled black eggs really didn`t appeal...!!! Never one to be left out though, I consumed the egg along with all the Japanese tourists... all I can say is that it`d better be a good 7 years!!!
Anyways I`m off out but hopefully i`ll find some time to finish this final entry from Japan in the airport lounge tomorrow night... first... a night out in Shinjuku!!!
So... a night out in Shinjuku... wow!!! Was out with Laura, the Argentinian, and Derek an American guy currently working in Bombay!!! Shinjuku is crazy... a mix of huge amusement arcades full of Japanese guys in suits playing on pinball machines (which Derek decided there is absolutely no technique to other than feeding money in... and never seeing it again!!!) next to bars, restaurants, strip clubs, massage parlours, and karaoke bars. We found a little area called the `Golden Gate`... it consisted of a few little narrow streets of ramshackle two storey buildings and had been recommended to Laura by a friend of a friend. There were possibly a hundred or so tiny bars - most only big enough to seat 6 or 7 people, some named, other just closed wooden doors behind which you could hear the faint noise of music and Japanese voices... We decided we had safety in numbers, and ventured into an unnamed place though a slightly adjar door... Although suprised to see tourists, they pulled up an extra chair and welcolmed us in - finding delight in the fact that there was an Argentinian amongst us, the one guy who spoke English had to translate for the others who all wanted to comment on recent performances of `Bocca Juniors`!!!
Following a taste or two of Japanese beer... we proceded to find other less touristy places to drink and snack, before at 3am - were forced with the decision - Karaoke or home?!? Laura was keen on the singing, and although noone should ever have to hear my lack of musical tallent, another drink would probably have persuaded me otherwise!!! Luckily for Tokyo, Derek decided karaoke was not a good plan... and we headed home after an awesome night of fun and good conversation... On the route home we got stopped by 5 Japanese policemen who showed displeasure at us `jay walking` a red night (no cars visible for miles!!!)... luckily we resisted the VERY STRONG urge to laugh (otherwise i`d probably be finishing this entry from a police cell!!!) and after a confusing few minutes of us appologising in English, the policemen talking sternly to us in Japanese, mixed with the occasional uttering of `red light` in English... we bowed our heads and backed away... trying to supress the giggles until out of ear shot!!!
So my final day in Tokyo was spent absorbing the atmosphere in Shibuya and Harajuku... trying to avoid blowing any more of my budget by shopping!!! Harajuku is crazy - parts of it upmarket, cool clothes stores, and the other part a `teen fashion hub` with young Japanese punk / rock style shops and shoppers... Its fascinating to see!!!
Anyway, I have a flight to catch, but I`ll be sad to leave Japan - once you work out how the basics work its pretty easy going!!! But more adventures lie ahead... Laura was ammused at the thought of me finding Veggie food in South America (if I thought Japan was hard!!!) but advised me that in Buenos Aires the steaks(!!!) are amazing... but as is apparently all the Italian food (Ahhh... one South American city I`ll be eating in then!!!) And now at least I have someone to show myself and Emma the highlights of the Argentinian night life... oh, and Emma... if you`re reading this - be prepared, apparently the BA club scene doesn`t even get started til 4am!!! Can`t wait....!!!
