Memoirs of an alisha

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I'm predispossed to dislike Tokyo, not for any good reason, just that I'm weary. It's 6 am, it's cold and raining everything is in the wrong language, it's rush hour, I've no idea where I'm going and the shower gel in my bag has burst and I've got an acompanying sickly sweet strawberry smell following me everywhere I go. 
Ok so non of them are good reasons to dislike a city, sitting back on the bulletesque train I'm I can see paddy fields, these small sunked squares are surrounded by small raised banks, they instantly remind me of Ghibli and I'm expecting bikes and people to be running along the edges. 
When I get to Tokyo central it takes my breath away, so many people, moving in all directions without incident, flowing except for me a rock in the stream. People are bouncing of me like a rubber ball, I'm not prepared for this. 
When I get my connection it's not so busy, I get to look around, there are men and women in strict business black suits, women in full geisha, with wooden shoes and folded belts, girls in knee high socks and pleated mini skirts. About 20% wear face masks although I can work out no pattern, the old, the young and all in between. I can't say I'm surprised there is coughing and sneezing all round me. 
I get to my hotel but I can't check in till 3, I just need to sleep! But I drop my bag off and set out to the Edo Tokyo museum, makes sense out of the rain and get some culture. It's really good, Edo is the name of the era and the 18th centuary name for Tokyo. It is the last era before culture was overwhelmed by western idologies and Edo became modern Tokyo. 
There are houses and rickshaws to play with, and words like shogun and daimyo tell me I'm not in Kansas anymore. In my travel addled state I don't really take any of it in and soon coins are merging into printing blocks and childrens toys, I need a cup of tea, that will perk me up. 
At the cafe I get a quick lesson in tea drinking and as my brain is lacking functionality I take it far too seriously,  I pour my half a cup, with no drips into my bowl, then pit the pot back onto the tray and top up with boiling water, then I pick up my bowl in two hands and drink my green tea, then repeat. This was all explained without a word of English. The tea is good but still doesn't wake me from my haze. I go back in, I make it to the opening of trade routes with America before my brain shuts down, and I blitz through the world wars and rebuilding which is only a small section as it's not really Edo. 
My mood is still influencing this great city, and I'm not aware of anything that is not directly in front of me. There is a sumo stable next door to the museum and I head there next but it is so busy, so many people that I just can't face it so I wonder the streets in a daze. Maybe some food will help, I make it back to the stop near my hotel and look for something, still in my malaise everything is in Japanese, obviously, but I just need things to be simple. I pass macdonalds and it looks appealing, a sure sign as to how far gone I am, but I'm determined I will eat Japanese as I'm here Most of the restaurants have plastic models of the food they offer in the windows or pictures on the menu so ordering is quite simple. I pick one randomly and jab a finger at an appealing picture. I'm delivered a salad and prawn risotto, not quiet Japanese but never mind I'm cosmopolitan. I eat slowly enjoying my surrounding and other guests, I did need food and the iced tea, that just keeps coming, helps take away that aircraft airconditioned dry mouth. 
By the time I'm done the magical 3 o'clock has arrived and I go for some much needed sleep. I plan for a couple of hour, out again by 7 to take in some neon, but it's not to be when I next open my eyes it's ten past 6 in morning, day 1 in Tokyo down. 

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Comments

[Greg]

Pick up
I'm knackered just reading this at the airport. Maybe the drive down the M4 hasn't helped...