Day 5:Woke up at about 11. We're waking up later and later for some reason. Left the hotel around 12:00 for breakfast, then on to Ueno for some sightseeing.
We figured we'd go to Johnathan's again, but when we got there it was packed so we went to Mos Burger instead, which was also packed. The burgers are always delicious so the wait is worth it.
We left MB at about 1 for the train station. At Ueno, we found a zoo right away and decided to go. Inside we saw a lot of animals. We got ice cream inside for 300¥, and it was delicious. While getting the ice cream, we heard an announcement overhead and suddenly people started gathering on a walkway behind us. So we decided to see what that was all about, and it turned out that the zookeepers were going to walk the king penguins around the zoo. So awesome.
We left the zoo at about 4, walked by a few museums and then decided to go home. We stayed at the hotel just catching our breaths for a while and read more of the travel book. We left for dinner around 8.
Couple more episodes of Survivor, then sleepies at 12 again.
Day 6 - Merry Christmas!I woke up up alone at 10. I'm ready by 11, Kevin is playing Pokemon and John is playing WoW. Le sigh. Meanwhile I'm starving and I'll probably have to go alone if I want food anytime soon.
We left the hotel at 11:50 for Johnathan's. I had some delicious pizza, they had pasta, which they both liked.
Now off to Ueno at 12:45, for more museums. We started at the Museum of Science and Nature, which unfortunately had a lot of information but not much we could really do since it was almost all in Japanese. There was a pretty cool exhibit on mechanics that we looked over pretty extensively. We stopped by the shop and picked up some souvenirs, and then headed back to the hotel to drop them off at 4:15.
From then to 7, we did... nothing. Then out to eat at the noodle place we ate at last night. Komoro Soba.
Afterwards, we watched the rest of the season of Survivor, until 2:40am.
Day 7:Housekeeping comes around 11 because today from 1-6pm there will be no power for routine maintenance of something. I can't sleep, so now at 11:45 I'm getting up. Thinking about buying a sandwich from am/pm for breakfast/lunch. So hungry...
We ended up leaving the hotel at about 1. The power was out, so we took the stairs. They don't have emergency lighting, so we had to use our cell phones for light. At about floor 4 we started finding things o the stairwell. Music stands, speakers, cleaning supplies, all sorts of random things. Luckily we found our way out anyhow. We headed to Mos Burger and from there, not sure what's next.
We left to Akihabara, played for an hour or two and shopped a little. Back to Hamamatsucho for more Udon at the regular place then to the hotel for some Survivor.
It's now 9 o'clock. I kind of feel like walking around by myself aimlessly. But... Kinda don't. Heh. Hmm.
11. Hungry... I go to sleep.
Day 8:I've been waking up and going back to sleep for at least three hours now. It's 11:45. Time to get up.
We're all showered and ready now, it's 12:50. Time to get lunch at Johnathan's I guess.
After lunch I said I wanted to see the ocean. So, we headed east. First we found a small pier and watched a big boat dock. Then we looked at a map and decided to head farther south to the Rainbow Bridge, cross that to the other side of the bay and then play it by ear.
We found a park on the other side of the bridge, explored around that a little bit, then over to VenusFort, a big mall. Inside we watched a guy do some crazy acrobatic stunts, swallow fire, and juggle swords on top of a ladder. Then we walked around the mall a bit, John played at the arcade at the bottom floor and won some dolls at the crane games. Then we walked around a bit more, they bought some stuff... On the way out we bought some crepes from Crepe Oji-san. Then back to the subway and then the monorail to our home stop at Hamamatsucho. it's now 6:30, and we're not sure if we should go out to get some soba or not.
They left to get some and I stayed to upload a ton of videos since I wasn't that hungry. When they came back they told me that Komoro Soba was closed at like 5 today. Must be because it's Sunday. So they went to Johnathan's.
I went out to buy a sandwich from am/pm and ended up making a video of the trip to the station. Came back, ate the sandwich I bought. Watched some South Park, read some more, and now calling it a night at 1:00am.
Day 9:Woke up at about 11:30, I'm set to do whatever at about 12. Hungry but nobody else is ready.
We go for lunch at Komoro Soba at about 1:00. They are busy, so we sit at a table.
1:45pm. Now to Harajuku, to explore.
3:00, we have somehow walked our way so far north that we're in Shinjuku. We decide to find the clubs and all the stuff we intended to find the fist time we were here.
We walked around until 6 when we decided to go home, no luck finding a bar. Well, we found plenty of bars, just that they all were either really expensive, or the menu was entirely in Japanese so we wouldn't be able to order anything there. We did find a store that sold alcohol, and I bought a few beers. It took us a long time to find the way back to the train station, but we finally did. Back in Hamamatsucho, we grab dinner at Mos Burger at about 6:30, then it's over to Lawson Station to grab some ice cream before heading to the hotel. This is where I see some random looking people whacking two sticks together and chanting before coming to a stop in a tent just on the other side of the street from us.
Back at the hotel, we watch some Survivor and then I read while John plays WoW and Kevin plays Pokemon.
I went to bed at about 10:30.
I just woke up at 2am, neither of them are here... They took the room key, so that's good. It's now 4:00am, and I'm tired. I suppose I'll have to ask them tomorrow morning where they went, although I have a feeling I'll be up long before them.
Day 10:They came back at 5 am, but wouldn't tell me where they went or why. They did say they left right after I crashed, so about 10:30. Hopefully they'll tell me today.
It's now 12:45, and I'm awake. Time to take a shower and see what's what afterwards. Probably Johnathan's for lunch.
I left to go to that grocery store at about 1:15. Walking by, it looked closed, and it didn't seem that they had cereal either (it's a very small place) so I decided to just walk back to Johnathan's. On the way back I was waiting for a light to change when I saw an iPhone on the floor. Luckily I was literally across the street from the police box, so I just turned it in there. Unfortunately, the officer didn't speak any English, so when he was trying to explain to me that I had the right to keep the phone if nobody claimed it in a few months I couldn't understand him. He called another officer that could speak English and that man explained it to me, told me to write my name down on a line on the form that the officer had already pulled out. So I did that and he said thanks and I left. Pretty cool.
Now it's about 1:30 and I'm ordering food at Johnathan's. Not sure what to do afterwords. They'll probably still be asleep...
It just occurred to me that I only have 3 more days in Tokyo. Crap! Need to find gifts for some people.
It's 2:45 and Kevin and John are going to Komoro Soba for lunch, finally awake. They said they'll be in Akihabara, so after I'm finished reading this chapter in my book I'll head that way and try to find some more gifts before meeting them at the Sega Arcade.
3:30, leaving the hotel.
5:30 now, and I've been back and forth across the three different arcades here in Akihabara, no sign of them. I played a few games of Border Break, but on game 2 I ranked up, so in game 3 I was fighting people who don't suck and it totally ruined the game for me, because now I need to buy upgrades to my mechs to stay competitive, but I don't know which stuff to pick because I can't read the tradeoffs.
I'm going to head back to the hotel I guess for now, maybe they'll be there. Kinda sucks being lied to. Although I guess even if they were here it wouldn't have changed much. And they still didn't tell me what they did last night. Makes me wonder if whatever they did last night is what they're doing now.
6:00 and I'm back at the hotel, they're not here though. If they're even in Hamamatsucho, I imagine they're eating.
7:30. Kinda hungry, they're still not here. I can't imagine they're at Komoro Soba, since they supposedly had that for lunch. I am kind of curious where they've been off to though, to keep them out this late. I'm running low on money, and I have no doubt in my mind that even if I stay away from Akihabara, I'll run out before we leave. 7-11s have been fairly rare, as well. I've heard the ATMs there can withdraw money from my account, but the question is how much money will I need, and I don't want to pull too little out and need to draw more later, but I don't want to draw too much and have to exchange it again later. Maybe 10,000¥ will be enough. It should be. Hmm.
For now the question is, do I go out and get dinner, or do I wait for them to come back and see if they've eaten yet? I would like to try a new place to eat. Hmm.
It's about 8, and I'm not hungry but I think I'll walk around and see if I can work up an appetite. I suppose I'll start with exploring a bit more around Hamamatsucho, since I'm not really feeling like spending another $6 on train tickets.
After I walked towards the shrine not far from the hotel and looked at Tokyo Tower a little more, I heard the trains pass by wayy behind me and decided I'd follow them to see where I'd end up before I got hungry. I followed the train tracks north for a long time before I came across a giant camera store that had awesome toys in the basement floor I contemplated buying for a little while while warming up before heading back out to the cold. In Shimbashi I found a big train that I guess was to be a Christmas decoration since Santa was in the conductor's seat.
It's now 10:20 and I've walked my way to Akihabara. Woo woo!
Well. They're not here. Oh well. Time for some Border Break to reward myself for walking this far. Still not hungry though.
11:30. Time to head home I guess.
12:00am. I grabbed some ice cream from the am/pm before going home. They're here. It seems I somehow missed them earlier today, as apparently they were in Akihabara from about 3:30 to 9:30. I must have crossed them a bunch of times. Oh well. [turns out there was a set of Shining Force Cross machines I didn't know about that they were playing at.]
3:00am. No plans for tomorrow either as of yet. Perhaps Akihabra again. For now, sleep.
Day 11:It's 1:30, I'm awake and ready. Nobody else is awake. I forsee this being another day like yesterday.
We left for lunch at about three to Soba. After that, straight to Akihabara.
We walked around until about 6:30 trying to find a specific body pillow that John was looking for with no luck. So when we passed Club Sega, we ducked in to play. Unfortunately, there was only one machine of Border Break open, the game that Kevin and I play. So I sat down expecting another to open soon. Next thing I know it's 7:30 and they're not around.
Trying to track them down. Not much luck yet. I saw them from across the street enter a store but by the time I got there I couldn't find them. [they apparently left out of a side door, went down an alley and found a small arcade that actually had the pillow John wanted in a crane game that he finally won.]
9:15 I decide to go home. I get there at about 9:45 and find out I just missed them when I followed them into that store, and that they had only been home for about 15 minutes.
10:30. I go eat at dinner at Mos Burger. On the way there I notice that there's a 7-11 three buildings over. Woo, time to take out some money. Hopefully.
11:00. I go to check out the ATM in the 7-111. Wish me luck!
Well. There was an old lady there that told me the ATMs just closed. Which would explain why they didn't take my card. So I guess I have to come back tomorrow. Back to the hotel for now.
Watched Survivor til 3:30, now we're getting ready for bed. Rooms kinda messy. Hopefully we can get out of it in time for room service to still clean the place up and get us some new towels...
Day 12:We got up at about 2:30. Not enough time for room service. Le sigh.
Went to Johnathan's at 3, forgoing showers. After Johnathan's we headed towards Tokyo Tower to see what, if anything, was going on for New Years. On the way is a big shrine, and there were countdown clocks and food vendors setting up, as well as people setting up speakers and lights. It seems like that will be the place to go tonight.
After we walked around the shrine we headed back to the hotel to warm up and add a efw layers of clothes, since the weather seems colder and windier today than it has been.
6:30, we're still at the hotel.
9:30, we're still at the hotel.
10:45, we leave to go to the shrine near the hotel that we passed earlier today. It's already starting to get packed when we get tehre. We quickly buy some hot dogs from a vendor to the side of the main path, and then make our way around once before finding a great spot to sit towards the front. Then we relinquished our spots to go get these... pancake like things. The oba-san that was cooking them was pretty good. It began on a skillet with what looked like pancake batter, then she sprinkled some lettuce, onion, shrimp, and then cracked an egg on it before flipping it over. After that she cooked it about 8 minutes a side and fipped before putting two in a nice plastic container and topping it with some BBQ sauce and very thinly sliced ham. It was pretty tasty while it was warm. :)
Happy 2010!
Back at the hotel, we watched a marathon of anime on TV, notibly Nodame Cantabile. I'll have to try and track it down at home. [easily found it]
Sleep at about 5am. Today is the last full day in Japan this trip :( I would like to come back in the near future, but for a shorter stay and somewhere else besides Tokyo, maybe Hokkaido..? Plenty of time to plan that out.
Day 13:Last full day here, sadface.
We woke up at about 3:30. Fuuuu. This morning went by without me even knowing. Usually I at least wake up a couple times, but honestly I've been getting better and better sleep as the days here have gone by, unlike the other two who have been getting worse and worse sleep. [rock hard mattresses]
We left for Akihabara at about 5, grabbed some Mos Burger and then shopped a bit, played a few crane games and then went home. We have to get up at about 7 am to make the plane back, so unfortunately our short day got cut shorter.
I'm trying to figure out how much money exactly that I can spend. I've already packed everything I have back up so I'm ready to go as soon as we have to leave. Sad to have to go :(
It's now 3:45, I plan on trying to stay awake until we have to go, I think. Just drank a coffee, and I'm fairly sure that I only have about 600¥ more to spend on breakfast if I want to be able to afford the train ticket to the airport, which kind of sucks... Right now the trains are closed, and since I don't know if that includes lights off, I'll wait til about 4:30 before going out potentially by myself to check the price of the ticket to know exactly how much money I do have to spend. I'd like to buy one of the FF13 drinks if I can afford it, and they're 200¥. Don't think I'll be able to. We'll probably eat breakfast at Johnathan's for the first time since probably day two of being up early enough to get breakfast :P Time will tell.
Day 14:Well, I didn't go out by myself to check the prices of the train tickets, because John told me that if worst came to worst, they could pay for whatever was left of the train ticket if I couldn't.
We stayed up all night, and went to Johnathan's for breakfast at about 6am. We were totally surprised at how amazingly cheap breakfast was, compared to the other meals there as well. It left me with 210¥ after the train ticket, near perfect.
We got on the Yamanote train back to the airport at about 7:00am. After switching trains 3 times (something we didn't have to do last time, which makes me wonder how we could have avoided that) we made it to the airport at about 10, a little before they started to allow check-in.
Pretty uneventful after that. Managed to spend the last of my money on a hot apple pie at McDonalds, and John paid the last 30 yen of a coke for me. Awfully kind. We tried to get on Kevin's flight that left to Houston at 1, but unfortunately the flight and the junction flight to Chicago after landing were both full. So no luck tehre, although we suspect the lady didn't check if there was space on our flight for Kevin to get on our flight instead.
After waiting what feels like forever in the airport we finally board the plane. It doesn't take off for another 20 minutes past schedule. Bleh. At least there are new movies. So far I've watched Bandslam, The Informant, and a Japanese movie called Ballad.
Landed at 3:36, a little late. Should be home soon!
