I had meant to write this post yesterday while still in Tokyo instead of on a bullet train to Kanazawa, but I fell asleep on the floor at 8pm and didn't wake up until midnight so now will just have to do. (And thus this post lacks a creative title.)Yesterday Zoey and I had a full day of exploration in Tokyo--so the fact that we each woke up naturally around 6:30am didn't hurt in the slightest. We ended up grabbing breakfast at a nearby coffee shop where I had something called an "egg suratto" which, according to the menu, originated in Los Angeles. Go figure.
It's a poached egg over mashed potatoes with some sort of beef gravy. It was actually delicious...it's hard to beat egg yolk and potato, really.
Then Zoey and I successfully navigated the confusing Tokyo train system to make our way to the Tokyo Sky Tree (it involved several transfers from the Tokyo Metro train system to the JR train system and then some).
It was cloudy, unfortunately, but the Sky Tree is still very impressive: a stark white grid just jutting up into the sky. Apparently it's the third anniversary of the Sky Tree, so there were lots of festive art installations with the signature mascot, Sorakara-chan (the weird star-head girl in the photo). The line was...intense...but eventually we were able to purchase tickets and take this ridiculously fast elevators to the 350th floor. Despite the fact that the sky was grey and you couldn't see Mt. Fuji, the views were amazing:
From the Sky Tree (and from lunch, which was takoyaki--octopus in balls of dough with this magical delicious sauce), we made our way to Harajuku and Shimokitazawa, just to wander around and take in the sights (and maybe do a little shopping). It had started to rain so we were treated to this semi-classic image of Japan:
It's amazing how crowded the city is and how many people just swarm the streets and train stations, but it has its own flow and harmony. We definitely messed up that harmony this morning as we attempted to make our way from the apartment to Tokyo Station lugging our suitcases and backpacks--when the trains are already crowded extra baggage isn't really appreciated. Nevertheless we persevered and are successfully seated on a bullet train and expect to arrive in Kanazawa around 2pm. It's amazing that a six hour car ride (if not longer!) can be condensed into a very comfortable three hour train ride.
It's a poached egg over mashed potatoes with some sort of beef gravy. It was actually delicious...it's hard to beat egg yolk and potato, really.
Then Zoey and I successfully navigated the confusing Tokyo train system to make our way to the Tokyo Sky Tree (it involved several transfers from the Tokyo Metro train system to the JR train system and then some).
It was cloudy, unfortunately, but the Sky Tree is still very impressive: a stark white grid just jutting up into the sky. Apparently it's the third anniversary of the Sky Tree, so there were lots of festive art installations with the signature mascot, Sorakara-chan (the weird star-head girl in the photo). The line was...intense...but eventually we were able to purchase tickets and take this ridiculously fast elevators to the 350th floor. Despite the fact that the sky was grey and you couldn't see Mt. Fuji, the views were amazing:
From the Sky Tree (and from lunch, which was takoyaki--octopus in balls of dough with this magical delicious sauce), we made our way to Harajuku and Shimokitazawa, just to wander around and take in the sights (and maybe do a little shopping). It had started to rain so we were treated to this semi-classic image of Japan:
It's amazing how crowded the city is and how many people just swarm the streets and train stations, but it has its own flow and harmony. We definitely messed up that harmony this morning as we attempted to make our way from the apartment to Tokyo Station lugging our suitcases and backpacks--when the trains are already crowded extra baggage isn't really appreciated. Nevertheless we persevered and are successfully seated on a bullet train and expect to arrive in Kanazawa around 2pm. It's amazing that a six hour car ride (if not longer!) can be condensed into a very comfortable three hour train ride.
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