JAPAN

Wow. All I can say is wow. Japan was absolutely amazing, but in a different way than China, or Korea, or other places I've been... wow.

I guess I can just give a quick summary (which will probably end up being long...). Here goes.

Saturday I woke up (after an hour's sleep), went to the airport and got on a plane. On our way to Japan we drank some beer. It was an international flight, so the beer was free. By the end of the flight (2 hours), the stewardess politely informed us that we had drunk all the beer on the plane, and that the plane had no more beer to give us.

We got to Tokyo, signed into our hostel (which was BEAUTIFUL), and went back to Tokyo station. From there, we went to the Imperial Palace which was really pretty. We layed on the grass and admired the scenery for a while, then continued on our adventures. We ended up meeting a random Belgian guy who was nicer than Ghandi - I'm not even joking. He gave up 2 of his days to help us around Tokyo, and show us around to all the touristy things. He was sooooo nice, and really helpful. He wants to come to Korea, so I told him to visit and I'd repay the favour by showing him all the cultural things here, too.

That night we ended up sitting on the street in a circle listening to a Japanese hippy play the Beatles on his guitar. We took pictures, and were merry. We were also in a store that was SO busy to look at, colours, flashing things everywhere, shelves and shelves of random things to buy, 7 floors tall, with escalators, elevators, but no more than 1 foot between the aisles of flourescent Japanese crazy things. I couldn't get out because every floor looked the same, and eventually I just had to ask where the door was.

The whole time of course, I know only how to say 2 things in Japanese - Hello (Konichiwa), and thank-you (Aragato).

The next day, we went to Harajuku which was SO cool. The harajuku girls were really cool, and I took a bunch of pictures with them (although some of them didn't appreciate that very much! lol) The station was SO busy, we had to wait to go up the stairs, they had security guards ushering people through with these people-sized shoe horn things. I took a picture once I got out and looked down onto the station.

After Harajuku, we went to Tokyo Tower which was fun, but very busy and high. I don't like heights, so I basically wished never to be there. However, I figured, if i'm in Tokyo, I have to go up the tower.

Anyway, that was the end of that night. (It was an early night because all of us had been running on no sleep, and robust amounts of beer the night before.)

The day after that, we went to Asakusa, which is really famous for shopping, and a nice temple. The place was really busy, but the temple was pretty.

There, we saw a monkey on stilts doing back flips, and a McDonalds that sells McHotdogs for breakfast.

That afternoon, we went on a futuristic train that ran about 5 storeys above the city, winding through skyscrapers and along side the river. We ended up at a Panasonic centre that had futuristic inventions and energy saving appliances and stuff, which was interesting to see.

More interesting, they had a HUGE nintendo section, which I instantly fell in love with. I wanted to live there, but I don't think the Japanese people would have appreciated it.

When we left the panasonic centre, we walked by a park that was FILLED with people in really crazy outfits, like halloween, but Japanese, and MUCH cooler. I took pictures.

That night we spent at Sakuya which was crazier than Times Square in New York. It was SO bright, I'm suprised my retinas are still working. We went to a dance club there called Gaspanic.

I had a beer there, and when I was finished, a bar tender came up and asked if I wanted a re-fill. I said, "No thanks, I'm fine for now". Apparently that's not acceptable at this place because he responded with "Actually, if you're not drinking, we usually don't let you stay here"! Then I looked at the signs which were in every language saying just that. "Guests must always be drinking". Oh, Tokyo.

We finished off the night by going back to our hostel, had a bath, and went to bed.

The bath was probably the most relaxing part of my vacation. It was in a natural hot spring, in a place surrounded by japanese looking trees, paper lanterns and silence (a rare commodity in Tokyo). The water was perfectly clear, except for the steam that was slowly rolling across the surface. I could have stayed there forever. It was probably the most relaxed I've ever been. It was just amazing. I can't explain it.

Today we went to Omori station (a relatively small one), and ended up walking around it. We found a small shrine which was really peaceful. Luckily, we had called David (the Belgian), and he (having lived in Japan for 7 months now) explained what to do, and the symbolism of everything. We washed our hands with purified water, approached the gate and followed the rituals: ring this big bell rope thing, toss a coin into a big wooden box, bow 3 times (the third a bit smaller than the rest), clap twice and pray for whatever you wish. It was really neat.

From one extreme to the other, we went from a peaceful Buddhist shrine to a raging arcade. It was INTENSE. It was sooooo loud, and I didn't really know how to play any of the games. Luckily the Japanese people are the nicest people on the planet and they helped me out.

All in all, the trip was a GREAT success. I couldn't have asked for a better one. If I ever have that kind of experience again I will count myself the most fortunate person I know. It was just an amazing, uplifting, culturally astounding 4 days. I'll miss it very much. If I ever have the opportunity to go back, I'll be there in a hearbeat.

This post was kind of random, but so was the trip. I wasn't as organised as my China trip (I didn't keep a log of events), but the trip didn't allow for such organisation. It was purely a trip of chance. A wonderful one.

Tomorrow I will post the pictures. It's 2 in the morning now and I have to go to bed. I work overtime tomorrow and I think I will collapse, so I need all the sleep I can get!

I have the pictures organised, I just have to edit them and crop them and what not. Anyway, thought I would update now that I just got home. I'll talk to you all later.

Ian