Tokyo in Brief

---

I arrived in Kyoto this lunchtime, so can write up Tokyo in full.

I stayed at Khaosan Tokyo Original hostel. It was cheap, clean, and very conveniently located. It was a bit cramped, the shower was annoying (stopped every two seconds) and I got eaten alive by midges that came in off the river. Would I stay there again? Maybe.

I managed to wander around a fair amount of the city thanks to a friendly German called Mika, who helped me sort myself out on my first, extremely jet lagged and tired, day, and a girl called Chris from Hong Kong, who I got chatting to later in the week.

I went to Shibuya (the famously busy crossing), which also has some amazinfg shops. I met up with Ailsa in Akihabara, and bought a laptop (ahem, yes, I know, travel savings . . . but it's useful!!!). I went all the way to Shinjuku for noodles, experienced a small festival in Asakusa (where I was staying) and wandered round Ueno park and the National Museum.

I also began, slowly, teaching myself Hiragana (one of the three scripts), tried sushi and fish tempura (I'm sorry, but I just don't like fish . . . I'm really trying to change my tastes!)

The weather is incredibly hot and humid. It really is tiring, and of course living out of a heavy rucksack isn't making it any better. I can't wait to get moved into my long-term accommodation tomorrow and get properly unpacked, and never have to lift that bag again!

Costs:
I found Tokyo suprisingly inexpensive. I think I spent approx. £200 total for 5 nights, including accommodation, though not including the train ticket to leave. I ate a lot of Japanese food, though only had one restaurant meal (the rest were delicious Japanese fast food). The biggest expense was probably the metro. I only paid one entry fee (the museum) as there's so much to do for free. That said, I would recommend the museum.

Tips:
Get a suica card (available at any train station). You load money onto it, and thereafter simply swipe it as you enter and exit the metro system. It comes with a clear english-language hot-to guide. According to the guide, it can be used in Kansai (including Kyoto and Osaka) as well, though I've yet to test this. It makes life a whole lot easier.
Eat fast food: filling, tastey, easy to order, and still local food (we're not talking Macdonalds here)

Some Photos:

---