Tokyo day ONE

Tokyo is an imtimidating huge city and you sense the size and the pulse the second you arrive. We had a long journey from Kyoto behind us as we arived at Shinogawa station in the middle (I think!) of Tokyo.

From there we transferred to the metro system and took the green line to Shinjuke station, which is close to our hotel. We planned to take the last 800m by taxa, as we simply did not know which direction to go and that turned out to be a wise decision, as not even the taxa driver knew the location of the hotel.

The hotel was a new Best Western hotel and the room were tiny. I think Sarah will survive, but being 2 adults in this room is the limit. The area is a fun area, where you come to eat and drink and enjoy yourself. Lots of high buildings naturally and all covered with signs in loud colors. Quite a change from Kyoto.

For dinner we decided at random and ended up in a steak house, where the middle of the table had a grill that you used  to prepare your own meat. We had a selection of different types and also a special selection of 5 types og Kobe meat. All was fantastic, but the Kobe beef was out of this world.

After dinner we decided for a short stroll around the block and ran into the coffee shoh Edingburg that mhat my friend Mikael from Singapore had recomendded so highly. Naturally we dropped in, and I fully agree with Mikael, that this place of all placess, where I had a cup of coffeee, probably have the best coffeee. It was perfect - but surely also expensive.

This morning we had the oppertunity to check out the restaurent of the hotel, and it was typical Japanese, with many dishes I do not know at all, but Wen really enjoyed. I think her breakfast today was bigger, than all the other breakfast she had in Japan so far all together. We was truely happy :-)

After this celebration of strange food in the morning, we took off to see Tokyo, first stop was imperail Palace. The metro transfer was easy, and people there are very helpfull to point oout the right platform to go to. You just need to ask.

The Palace itself was a bit of a dissapointment, as it was all closed. We asked the guard there if it was closed today, and he asked it is always closed!?! Why people talk to highly of this place is a mystery to me.

On our way to Ueno park to see the cherry trees and the Panda bears in the Zoo, we had the luck to read up on the facts in the book Mikael had borrowed me, and it told us, that the Panda is not on display Fridays...so we diverted into Shibuya which is shopping heaven for teeagers. Sarah enjoyed shopping for 3 hours here while Wen and I felt like grandma and grand father among all the weird Japanese teenagers.

This night we had dinner a real traditionl Japanese sushi bar near the hotel. It was very good, and we really had much fish in our stomach once we decided to stop and head back to the hotel.