All Over

After three years, I have now returned to the UK and so will not be adding any more posts here. Thank you all for reading

これからもよろしくお願いします!

Until the day I return to Japan-land...

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Day 1 Trip North

Having packed the night before, I awake to bright sunshine and after drinking a nice cup of tea, turning off my loo-seat heater, I head briskly out the door and into the morning. Use my JR pass for the first time, arrive in Hakata where the Shinkansen awaits me. Ticket bought, waiting in line-

Shit.

I forgot my wallet.

...

Get my wallet. A VERY nice affair sent by post as a Christmas pressie from Aunty Greta. ARIGATO GOZAIMAS!

This time board the Shinkansen no trouble. Slinky Shink. Is it possible to be sexually attracted to a mode of public transport?



Arrive late (er) in Tokyo! Capital city! Meet Oliver and French girl, whose name sounds like Lawrence of Arabia, but I'm too embarassed to keep getting her to repeat it.

Tokyo is rain. Pouring, pouring, pouring rain. Tops of sky-scrapers are obscured in misty drench.

Anyway hole up in a Ropongi Jazz bar and are crooned at by a geriatric Peggy Lee.

Emerge into the Tokyo night, which is still being bucketed with water... I forgot to mention I also didn't book any accommodation. The original idea was about freedom, and being led at the spur of the moment, and liking the idea of a capsule hotel that Japanese business men flock too having missed the last train. Anyway, now that the sky is being ripped by lightning, and hotels (capsular or not) seem far and few between, this approach to travel has lost some of its lustre.

Finally having purchased extra rain-protective gear at a local combini I find a Japanese style internet cafe in Shinjuku. Now quite wet and despondent, its neon sign glows with the hope of a christmas tree, home fires and the star over Bethlehem all rolled into one. I hurry in, collect slippers and blanket, choose the full-flato option, and burrow into my cyber hole for the night.

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