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Published: September 20th 2010
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"What are you doing awake?" said Katie still in the grips her slumber. "I don't know" I replied. I really didn't. Last time I left off with all of you, it was about 10pm and I was considering calling it an early night and checking out the Tsukiji Fish Market in the morning. However, after I finished the last blog, I went down to the front counter and was informed that the Market was closed today........bummer. I then continued to talk to some of the fellow travelers in the hostel, then messed around on the computer until about 1am local time. The short exchange you just read between Katie and I occurred at about 4am. That's right, 4am. That puts my sleep counter at about 3 hours. Either way, I was wide awake and had tons of energy.
We hung out until about 8am, watching videos, listening to music, etc while I planned the days events. We then set off for another patented Gio and Katie adventure. Up until this point of the journey, I tended to show Katie some of the better known sites. This time, however, I decided to start the day off with a lesser known trail
Ralph Waldo Emerson style. I figured we'd just walk in small neighborhoods that are completely away from any of the main attractions. I LOVE doing things like this, because it's these neighborhoods that allow you to feel the real pulse of a city. Sure, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer, and Notre Dame, but it wouldn't REALLY be the Eiffel Tower unless you had neigborhoods in the northwestern part of Paris where you can get lost and experience locals hosting a wine fests (refer to my Paris blog if you don't know what I'm talking about). We decided to skip taking the Ginza line west for 3 exits in order to explore some of these neighborhoods. We came across several small temples, a tomb, shrines, and homeless guys on a drunken bender from the night before......... ah, Tokyo at it's finest.
After reaching Ueno station, we grabbed the JR Yamanote Line to Shinjuku. I'm a sucker for awesome views from tall buildings. Something about the birds eye view of a city that just fascinates me. I heard it was going to rain later in the week, so figured today was the day to go to the Metropolitan Government
Building to snap some photos of Tokyo. The average tourist goes to the Tokyo Tower, pays $15-20 bucks and goes up. The researched traveler, however, goes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, goes up higher (if I'm not mistaken), and pays nothing to do so. As you can see, I snapped quite a few pics hehe. I'm glad things worked out because the area seemed to be somewhat desolate as we were walking up. I remember a couple of gentleman at LAX saying today was a holiday in Japan, so I wasn't sure if the building would be open. Figured it was worth a shot. Luckily, the observation decks were open and we didn't have to deal with the hordes of Tokyo-ites trying to conduct business in the area.
After wandering around the observation decks of the TMG, we walked back to Shinjuku station and headed to Akabanebashi. From here we headed towards the famous (aka tourist trap) Tokyo Tower. It was on the way to our next destination, so I figured we might as well check it out. We also checked out some quaint shrines along the way. As we walked up to the tower, I got slight
flashbacks of Paris, but I still think it's a totally overrated attraction. Word also has it that a taller structure is being built in Asakusa in 2011, so I think the days of fame for the Tokyo Tower are numbered. Oh, I must add...... at the foot of the Tokyo Tower, Katie and I had the most amazing crepes. They were 2nd only to the authentic Parisian ones. We also spoke to some people that were trying to promote some city/spa 12 miles west of Tokyo. They had a stage setup with some sort of spa setup. We basically sat down and soaked our feet in some mineral water for 5-10 minutes while we people watched. I can't lie, it really did help my feet relax. They were a bit tired from walking so much, but they felt like a million bucks afterward.
After the Tokyo Tower, Katie and I headed East. I saw a court yard that seemed pretty interesting, so we decided to check it out. We stumbled upon the Zojo-ji Temple. The guide book somewhat downplayed Zojo-ji. I, however, think it had the most beautiful interior decor of any of the temples we've seen so far.
If you're wondering which one it is in the pics, it's the one that seems full of gold in the inside. Before the trip, Katie mentioned that one of the main things she was looking forward to, was going to a temple that had the "fortunes". Refer to the picture of her tying a piece of paper to a wire if you need further explanation.
Katie and I then wandered around for a bit and found a pub. I know what you're saying..... "you're in Tokyo and you go to a pub?!?!?!" Well, it was the nearest spot that had beer, so take that! haha. The place was called 82 ale house. The pints were cold, the appetizers were hot, the AC was blasting, and there was baseball on TV. It also provided a nice respite for our feet.
After a couple pints, some chicken, and some edimame, we headed towards the Imperial Palace. Unfortunately, the grounds of the palace are closed (except for 2 days a year), but Katie and I still enjoyed checking the outside out. We did, however, get to go to the Imperial Gardens.
By this time, our feet were pounding, so we
took the JR and metro back to the hostel. We relaxed, had some rum & cokes, then went to our favorite spot for chicken skewers, rice, and beer. On the way back, I found out about a pub crawl that is going down this weekend so I'm pretty stoked. Some of my fondest Europe memories started or occurred during pub crawls! Now, I'm waiting for Katie to wake up from a nap to possibly head out to Roppongi. Essentially, it's the party capital of the city. There's a multitude of bars, clubs, etc. However, I might save that for when we get back from Kyoto. We leave pretty damn early tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. Until next time!!!!
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