Konichiwa everyone, my apologies. My Tokyo hostel's internet (single PC) was broken and I've been so busy in Kyoto that today, whilst waiting for my 23.45 bus has been my first chance to update my goings-on. Such a lot has happened that I will endeavour to do a bit about Tokyo now and then follow that straight up with Kyoto only moments after. No pictures yet - I'll faff with that kind of thing in Auckland when I have 3 spare seconds.
Anyway, Day 1...
Plane landed an hour late as we had sat merrily on the tarmac for an hour at Heathrow waiting for the elusive third pilot. Apparently they need three to fly to Tokyo, which incidentally has the world's most irritating keyboards. Half of the punctuation is in teh wrong place and then just when you:re getting comfy, it decides to type in kanji for a bit to see if you're paying attention (I wasn't, I was concentrating on getting the right punctuation marks) This is an example of something which changes when you come to Japan which is not so good... most things, in my short time here, have been an improvement so this is only a minor irritation.
Having arrived, the first thing that struck me was the heat. The second was how inappropriate my entire, tiny wardrobe was for 5 days in the weather. The third was that I didn't have sunhat...or sunglasses that are any use as they have non prescription lenses and this makes the world look like I've had too much wine. As I queued in the terribly polite Japanese way to meet the terribly polite Japanese passport lady, it struck me finally that I just didn't have a clue what I was doing in Japan. It had only ever really been a side trip, an add-on that cost me 50 quid (a sign of how unimproant our country is - there's no pound sign on this keyboard!)... I thought this could be somewhat of an adventure.
The inauspicious start continued - I made the Narita Express by the skin of my teeth, having been deterimed to try and book my own ticket on the funny machine with its bad English rather than being sensible and asking the nice lady first time. Then I wound up in Tokyo station and wandered around looking lost trying to find somewhere to put my bag. I did, eventually, in the least asscessible and most incoveniently placed set of lockers it was possible to find, as I later ds\iscovered. I then proceeded to buy the wrong type of day pass for the subway (it was for the rail line instead, which confusing also run through the city but are owned by a different company to both the metro and the Teio...great) and then gave up and went to sit in a park. It was quite a nice park but I was hot and very hungry. I managed to find a bottle of water hungry. I managed to find a bottle of water but there was no food available that presented itself using either English or some kind of push button process which required me to speak little to no Japanese ( at this stage I sort of knew one word - the one I started with). In short, it was a bit of a disaster. I sat and sulked with kindle for a while before giving up, going to retrieve my backpack and heading for my hostel.
That's when the fun really started...the directions I was given were from exit B2b. That was fine. If you could FIND exit B2b, instead of A5 which was in a completely seperate building! Metros, it turns out, often claim to intersect and share stations but sometimes, they're lying to you so that you wander around a Japanese neighbourhood with a large backpack, looking like a confused and rather hot snail. That part was fun. Finally, I found exit B2b..but it took me another 10 minutes to realise that the Youth Hostel was on the 18th floor of the building that I was meandering aimlessly around. So when I reached the top, I was really quite hacked off. Nevertheless, I checked in, found my little cubby hole aand made the bed and went for a walk. Not a lot happened after that so I:ll skip to...
Day 2 (Tokyo)
The early bird ctaches the worm, right? So up I was at 7,30 having slept quite well and out the door at 8am. I felt great! Today was going to be a really good day, I could feel it!
It slowly dawned on me that whilst there were lots of people rushing around, none of the shops were open. Hmm...I found a supermarket that was and bought some breakfast, then sat down to munch and think a bit. Turns out, nothing in Japan opens til 10 or 11...rubbish. I headed off on the metro instead (right ticket this time!) and set about trying to instead (right ticket this time!) and set about trying to find Tourist Information, located in Government Building Number 1 in the Shijinku region. Shinjinku station is one of the busiest in the world,but Japanese people are so polite that it doesn't feel like the rugby scrum of the tube at rush hour.
I found tourist information. I was minding my own business, browsing some English leaflets when a very nice old Japanese man approached me and said he was a volunteer guide and would I like a tour of the building? He had a girl a few years older than me as his padawan learner and he asked so politely that I couln't find a way to say no politely...so I went on a tour of Government Building No 1. It was interesting actually, though my guide's English wasn't the best, but he told me some things about Japanese culture and how the Tokyo government is managed. We then went up to the 45th floor, which has some great views. Actually, whilst the tour was a bit dry, I learnt my first lesson of travel (which I'm sure you already knew) lesson of travel (which I'm sure you already knew) - ask the locals what's good. I did, and my day's plans changed quite rapidly based on their suggestions. I had a gerat day! I still did some on their suggestions. I had a gerat day! I still did some of the things I'd planned on, but to be honest their suggestions were better - they know their city!
I started in Harsjuku, looking at some of the crazy Japanese clothes. Not a lot to see at midday on a Tuesday but you could see the hints of bnokers that crept into some of the hair and accessories. Next door is the Meji shrine, which is where the souls of one of the Emporer's and his wife dwell as deities. Its in the middle of a beautiful artifical forest (planted 90 years ago) right in the centre of Tokyo. It was beautiful and serene and made me feel so calm that I decided I needed more shrinage (rather than the rest of Shimbuya as planned) and promptly metro-ed across Tokyo to Senso-ji and its Thunder Gate. The walk from the station is through a lane full of tiny souveneir shops, which are fun to look at. The temple itself is very busy and wasn't quite as calming as the Meji forest but it was beautiful none the less and it had a pagoda!
I was not yet done - a quick trip to the Edo-Tokyo museumm which was just about closing but had a VERY amusing sign asking visitors not to frolic as this would be bothersome to the other patrons. Last hurray for the day was at the Tokyo Tower, where I watched the sunset and the lights rise to show Tokyo in its neon glory.
I liked Tokyo, but honestly I didn't love it. It was too fast, too day glow and in your face. It had some great things (warmed toilet seats, street maps on every corner and geuinely helpful people who would always stop and ask if the silly english girls [my words not theirs] could use a hand) but I stood at the top of the tower and realised I could see Tokyo in every direction as far as the eye can see. I know London is like that, but London is short - Tokyo is TALL and it feels likes a giant that's going to squish you.
I went to sleep hopeful that Kyoto (an anagram! How delightful!) would be a bit more me...
