Japan 2016 Part 1

Ohayo Gozaimasu!! Our flight over was uneventful - just the way we like it - and we arrived in

Loved Mr Gold and White Adidas - sharp!

Tokyo just as the sun was setting. We were amazed to see so many fields below us, so close to such a large capital city! After being fingerprinted at immigration, we cleared customs and were met by a Bunka representative, who helped us buy our tickets for the bus to Shiunjuku, thank goodness! Our first taste of Japan - the staff bow as the bus arrives and departs!! After about an hour we hit Tokyo, passing many buildings with workers still there, and wound our way through on the expressway - quite a good introduction to the city! By the time we got to the hotel, just like in New York,  I was ready to call it a night, so settled in with a Berocca and a muesli bar whilst others ventured out for some noms. Tokyo could wait! And it did, dawning a beautiful sunny day. Up at 6:30 am, I headed off toward Shinjuku, eventually finding an International ATM and a Starbucks side by side. Yes! I enjoyed a walk around, and through the lovely park opposite our hotel. After meeting up with the group, we headed back into the park to check out the fleamarket, before heading down to be welcomed at Bunka. We went as a group to Piss Alley, full of little bars, where Bec and I ended up spending the afternoon, with a couple of Australian guys, a drunk Doctor, and a very drunk man! The Doctor had great English, so it was a really good chance to communicate,

'Piss Alley'

Yosuke, Chris, me and 'Old Mate'!

relax, and have some fun! He was so impressed that we had decided not to go into all the department stores, but to live a little local life! We all split, then Bec and I tried another bar, this time a few levels up, where it seemed to be a collection of different bars all operating side by side. We each chose a different drink, but they tasted the same - whisky and soda - a 'highball'. We raced back to

meet the others then proceeded to go back almost to where we were, where the group was enticed up to a restaurant four floors up. I enjoyed some grilled prawns - even eating the charcoaly shell with them as it added a nice flavour and crunch, and a lychee sour - lychee, soda and sake. After this I would have liked to go out, but it had been a long day, so after a wander around the bright lights, a call to Matt "I'm wandering around Tokyo at night by myself!!" just to freak him out, I returned and settled in, watching a little of what looked like a Japanese Home and Away. For once, I didn't mute the ads, as they were extremely entertaining! My roomate Brodie returned with many goodies, including this little gem from a vending machine- sushi cat!! WANT!