I am also sending this a day late because I have not been able to get my app blogpress to use my videos. So frustrating. It asks to use your YouTube account and I put in my information and it doesn't work. Finally worked after the 20th try. But then I could not get my blog to post... Wow it has tested my patience.
Side note, this blog is for myself and my family and close friends mainly so I don't expect anyone to read this entire entry. But for me I wanted to document it and my blog has become my journal pretty much. I cant write all this again in my journal, I really don't have it in me. It took me 2 hours to do this entry from my phone, don't expect this often mom and dad haha. I do feel grateful those girls started this blog for me in Foothill Ranch Cali. If you do decide to read this I think you will be entertained and understand international travel pretty well and the ups and downs that accompany it, and how overwhelming it can be, especially alone. Honestly though, I feel more fulfilled than I have in a long time. Reminds me of my mission and this feeling is why I am doing this trip!
Ok folks, day 1 in the biggest city in the world and stop 1 of my trip around the world!
So my flight into Tokyo was actually awesome. Malaysia Airlines is really nice and they had two great meals and I watched 3 movies. Luckily the seat next to me was open so I could stretch out a lot. So i left LAX at 4:45pm local time and arrived in Tokyo at 7:45 pm local time, a 10 hour flight. Bizarre that I left and arrived at almost the exact same time local time wise. I tried my best not to sleep so when I got here I could sleep. Here is a picture of one of my meals, I loved the Japanese noodles.
Here I am about to land in Japan.
Arriving in Tokyo I soon learned pretty much no one speaks English. I also quickly learned about 1-2 out of every 10 people are wearing a face mask as they walk around, I started thinking, "is there some kind of disease or virus out I don't know about? Or has that toxic accident in Japan affected Tokyo?
Getting my train ticket to the Tokyo station was not easy cause no speaka English.
The train ride was dark but I could see 10-30 story buildings everywhere. Literally hundreds and hundreds of them from Narita airport to Tokyo. All apartment complexes and it hit me how so many people live here. It never made sense how SO MANY people could be in one place. On the train I kept dozing off but did not want to so I didn't miss my stop and get lost. I am happy to report things are written out in Japanese and English in many places!
When I got to Tokyo I literally could not find my way out of the train station. No exit signs at all! Stores and people literally everywhere! Note by this time I'm beyond exhausted and I have about a 15 minute walk to my hotel, but I cannot get out of the stupid train station!! My bag is getting heavy too. How am I going to get around if I cannot even hit ground outside? Doubts and stress were pretty high and my phone had about 5% left. I can see my hotel on my map on my phone but I still could not get out of the station. This went on for 45 minutes about. Through much effort I finally got out and I found my hotel with a thread of power left in the phone. it was a little chilly around 50 degrees and surprisingly felt a little humid.
I checked in at about 10:30pm local time to my capsule hotel. Yep, I am staying in a capsule. After not understanding my hotel desk guy I go to my capsule and it hits me. Yeah capsules are interesting but why the heck did you book this place?!?!
I will post pics of my capsule later. It's dark now and many a Japanese men are asleep and snoring do no light I snap some pictures. Here is one though, here is me right now:
After such a long day and no sleep except dozing off a few times, I updated the OC part of my blog and sent some emails back and forth with my dad and hit the sack. I woke up at 3:30am with wide open eyes. 3:30am here is 12:30pm in Utah. My body is going to take time to adjust I guess. I was a little upset I was so tired but only slept about 4 hours or so.
I decided now would probably be a good time to go to the Tsukiji fish market since the famous tuna auction takes place at 5:00am. I get out of bed about 4:25am and it takes me a while to get situated to go. Again, the capsule does not make organizing easy as I cannot even stand up! there is no room for anything! I'm grateful my bag fits in the locker though so I can take only my day pack around.
I go to the subway station to go to Tsujiki but I forgot I have no yen! So I run back up to the road from the subway station, get lost for a half hour and finally find the 7-11 the train station dude told me to go to in extremely broken English. Got some yogurt and banana and some Japanese bread for breakfast. And i get some all powerful yen! Conversion is $1 = 82 yen. I take the subway to the fish market and after getting lost again finally find the office to get in. What do they say? It is closed because it is a fixed holiday, whatever that is.
After the Tokyo train station fiasco, the capsule reality and so little sleep, the no yen and getting lost I realize, I'm off to an awful start. I decide it is time to go to the Tokyo LDS Temple for refuge and hopefully some local help that speaks some English, cause not one person I have talked to speaks English. On that note, Japanese people are interesting because when you speak to them they will give a bunch of mini head bows and say aye, aye, aye which is yes in Japanese. When they do this you are convinced they understand. when waiting for a reply they soon smile and shake their head signaling they do not understand lol. I get fooled every time!! It took me 10 minutes from my hotel guy to get info on how to get to the fish market. In frustration I pull out my translation app and show him in Japanese what I am asking. He didn't even understand that!
I soon realize I do not know how to get to the temple because the area is not on my subway map. So I type in the bus search on iphone maps app and go looking for a bus. I go where it tells me and there are no buses anywhere for about a half hour. I go down to the train and subway station but find nothing. Now I'm really fired up, the fish market closed, wanting to go to the temple but no knowledge of how to get there! What have I got myself into? I felt stuck to say the least.
Here are some pics and a video along the way:
Cool looking building
I think they call this a fully loaded McDonald's toilet. That remote has music options, butt squirting options, ... The works!
I feel so stupid saying this, but after an hour I realize my phone had been giving me the route to take the subway. I have been above the exact subway station for An hour looking for a freaking bus! I had gone down to the actual subway station twice! Wow...
I take the subway to the temple area and here are some cool subway pictures. I learned on this subway ride that EVERYONE takes the subway everywhere and that this is my ticket around. So i buy a day pass for the subway. There were tons of cute kids in their school uniforms going to school on the subways. So different from the carpool in suburbia. The other thing I noticed besides the face masks is all the men where a suit and tie. Pretty much all of them! Young single adults too! Not sure why.
The pictures now.
All the kids have these uniforms and all have hats and these cool box shaped backpacks. These kids were adorable.
Subway in rush hour now.
When I got to the temple it was closed. Is anything open!?!? Can you believe it was only 8:00am local time? My day has seemed so long already. I buzz a senior missionary in the building next to the temple and he tells me to go in the annex where the church is. He was an Australian man on a mission at the temple. FINALLY SOME ENGLISH!!! But he says the temple does not open until 8:30 with first session at 10:00. So I ask where some good cherry blossom trees are close by. For those who don't know cherry blossom trees are awesome and are in bloom for 2 weeks out of the year. That happens to be now in April! The Australian had no clue. By then a new guy Tokido had joined the conversation and he tells me to go to Meguro on the subway. I take the subway there and realize I do not see a tree anywhere. Just a busy city area. After a 30 minute walk around I give up and head back for an endowment session via the subway. Again though I am pretty frustrated cause nothing is working out at all.
The temple was amazing! Just what i needed. My session was a great change of pace. Tokyo is even busier than New York City. Believe me! Everyone is flying everywhere. Everyone walks so fast! If someone drops something they are in danger of being stampeded. The subway in rush hour morning was soooooo crazy! So the temple was perfect for me right now. Actually quite a bit of temple workers and patrons for a Wednesday at 10:00am. Im impressed. Here are some pics of the temple:
First view of it as I go around a corner.
There is a beautiful park next tithe temple here are some pics of it:
See angel Moroni in the back?
After my session I decided to just walk around the temple. Somehow I get snagged in for some sealings and notice there is a young adult girl there who looks American! I decide to leave the sealing session early because I'm starving! I got lunch in the cafeteria in the temple. The special was pork with onions and ginger, rice, salad and miso soup. It was all delicious! While eating the American girl from the sealings asks me how we order there which was not your usual step up and put the order in food joint. You purchase through a vending machine and hand the cook your ticket. After helping her I invite her to eat with me. Her name is Darcy Whetten and she is really cute. Born in San Diego, bounced around the US, went to BYU, parents live in Atlanta. She has been living in Korea for 2 years teaching and is doing a 3 month tour of Asia, alone! See girls, some girls do travel solo too! Darcy really impressed me. She is here in Tokyo for 2-3 days and then going to Taipei Taiwan for a little bit then going to Nepal for 2 months to volunteer. We hit it off as friends quickly and decide to go around together today. I was SO happy to have some company and someone who has live in Asia for 2 years.
We plan our day after lunch and first head to the Imperial Palace which was sooooooo beautiful! It is inside a mote and there is a huge garden in it too. Pics!
The palace itself, you cannot get to it or inside it, they forbid it for whatever reason.
Other pics of the area, this first one on the corner of the mote is my favorite:
The mote walls are so cool. Huge stones stacked.
On top of the fort in the palace area.
Cherry Blossom tree.
Picture of me and my new friend Darcy. Not sure what im doig with my ankle to be honest. Oh and a video.
This little area was mine and Darcy's favorite area in the palace area:
It is peaceful and serene here. One big discussion Darcy and I had among others, was how interesting it is that it is actually really quiet in Tokyo. Not a lot of horns honking and loud noises. It is extremely fast paced, but quiet. Even in the temple when I would try to talk to someone, they were very quiet and let me lead the conversation. Inside this palace area was soooooo quiet, it's right in the heart of Tokyo. Even the subways! Everyone is reading, sleeping or on there phone, even when traveling with someone.
There is definitely something that draws me to Japanese people. They are so respectful and humble. Darcy and I both felt a peace in this palace area that was pretty special.
What a turnaround from this morning!
After the palace we take the subway to this amazing place known as Asakusa! I wish I would have stayed here as far as hotel/hostel goes. Such a fun area. The senso-ji temple is there and the shops are so cool.
Long row of shops leading to Senso-Ji. The shops are so much fun! My sisters would love this!
The gate!
Pogoda with cool lamps.
Senso-Ji Temple! I want to slide down that roof!
Side shot of the temple, really detailed and symbolism all over. And how cool are these doors?
I'm gifted in cool picture taking.
Awesome shot!
Asakusa! The restaurant we had dinner is one of these on the right.
Pagoda at night in the rain. Got drenched with Darcy!
On our way to Asakusa and Senso-Ji this guy started talking to us on the subway. His name is Pete and he is from England. This guy sold his house and quit his job to travel the world! He is flying home tomorrow to Bath England. One of the coolest dudes I have ever met. He joined us in Asakusa and Senso-Ji. Pete started in Canada and then went to the US. Actually went to Zion's and Bryce Canyon, Utah in the hizouse! He went to Fiji and all through Australia and New Zealand. All of Asia and southeast Asia. For 11 months and 1 week he has literally traveled the world! All but a month of it on his own. Although he said he has never quite been alone or felt alone. He has planned it as he has gone along. He is completely out of money haha. His favorite place? Vietnam! On my itinerary really soon! Close 2nd is Cambodia. Pete had also traveled to Tanzania and Africa previous to his trip. Darcy has also traveled to Cambodia, Italy, Guam and has spent the last two years in Korea. As you can imagine dinner at a cheap little local place in Asakusa lasted about 2 hours and had much in travel discussion. I got so many questions answered and heard some incredible stories. Traveling is so amazing! Pete said he is done traveling and excited to go home but says the last 11 months were worth the sacrifice without a doubt. He said the experience was way more worthwhile than continuing to work at home would have been. Here is a secret pic I snapped of Pete and Darcy on the subway to Asakusa.
Wow! What a first day! A little of everything it seems. At about 7:30pm talking over rice bowls with pork in it I crashed. Started dozing off talking with Darcy and Pete. So we headed out. Darcy walked me to the train station and we gave a big hug goodbye. I wont lie, I was sad and didn't want to say goodbye. What's great is she is going to Hong Kong between Taiwan and Nepal for a few days the exact days I will be there! We are going to meet up and hang out the the 2 days I'll be there. So excited for that! After Nepal and one more week in Korea she is moving back to Provo. So we will probably be friends for some time. Pete told me to hit him up in England for cup of tea (in that cool british accent) and a place to stay. Gosh traveling is fun! I got home to the Capsule and gave myself a bath with one of my bath wipes my mom got me.
Seriously! What an incredible day! I love Japan and Tokyo and the experience of being here. I feel very safe here. I think I took 14 different subways today, so I'm an expert now.
Tune in for more soon! I think I just got an upstairs neighbor in the capsule bed, I'm off to eat some breakfast and see more stuff. I'm also meeting up with my friend I met on the tour in Houston who lives here for sushi today :)
Peace I'm out!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Tokyo Japan
Wow!!! Loving the blog Trav. Consider me a faithful follower. Only Teej would make friends with two random people in the middle of a foreign land!
ReplyDeleteTravis you are my hero. I would love to do what you are doing. It is like the Amazing Race but you get to chose whatever you want to do and you never get eliminated.
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