"Lost in Translation" but not lost for words!

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We've finally arrived in the bustling, crazy, busy, fantastic, exciting city of Tokyo albeit a tad jet-lagged as we left Heathrow at 1.30pm, arriving at Narita airport just before 9am the next morning (Japan being 8 hours ahead of the UK) having hardly slept at all.

We didn't meet up with Ross until he called into our hotel after he left work. Fantastic to see our darling boy once again!!! After kisses, cuddles and some lolling around on our hotel bed it was out for dinner together and some planning for what to do over the weekend.

Meeting at Shinagowa station we organised tickets on the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to take us to Mt Fuji where we hired a car to drive up to Japan's most famous mountain, 3766 metres above sea level. On the way up we visited the Mt Fuji shrine and Gushing Jewels Pond (crystal clear) then the Shiraito Falls and Lake Tanuki. We then drove up as far as we could to the Nishusuzuka parking lot (huge!) where we caught the bus up to Fujnomiya 5th station, one of the places from where the climb to the top starts. Unfortunately Mt Fuji was covered in cloud,hence no photos. This was despite the fact that it was a clear sunny day everywhere else! Ah well, you can't have everything. There were however many people attempting the climb, or just back from doing it and looking quite exhausted. One man I spoke to said it took him five hours up and down; all very hard. Back in Tokyo we disembarked from the Shinkansen at Shinagowa station where we ate a beautiful noodle meal at one of the noodle bars nearby; not only was it delicious it was reasonably priced. I can report that it was a great Saturday all day long!

Sunday was also a fantastic day too, both weather wise and event wise. Deciding to go to Yoyogi Park we met Ross at the bridge close to Harajuku station. One of the largest parks in Tokyo it has a history going back to 1910 when it was the site of the first successful aircraft flight in Japan, later becoming part of the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Genki Festival was going on while we were there, organised to cheer people up after the earthquake. Everyone there looked very cheerful to me; the show was just brilliant empomessing old and young people. For me it really showed off the Japanese culture and we spent quite a few hours there. Then it was off to see where Ross lives. While it's a small apartment it was bigger than I'd expected it would be and it was certainly in a nice part of Toyko called Sangen-Jaya.

Later we met up with Ross's friend Miyuki who joined us for dinner at a local restaurant. Miyuki arrived with a present each for Kev & I which was so sweet of her. Unfortunately by that time my camera was out of battery due to taking so many photos at Yoyogi Park so I can't include a picture of Mikuki but take it from me, she is gorgeous! Great weekend; work for Ross tomorrow so we'll have to wait until the evening to meet up again.

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Comments

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Mt Fuji
Michelle we had planned to do the trip to Mt Fuji last year, but as you know the earthquake disrupted our plans. It is lovely to look at your photos instead. I must say Japan looks so neat and clean in comparison to China.