Tokyo (1)

We're sitting in an internet caf in Tokyo airport with 5 hours to kill before delayed flight to Melbourne so we are going to spend our time boring you with our antics so far (we can't download photos from here so you will do it when we get to Oz)

The flight over here was great, just chilling watching films and giggling at James trying to get out his seat with his headphones still on :-)

There is one word to describe Tokyo and that is 'Wow'... The hotel was brilliant (thanks to Sue and Mike), we were on the 23rd floor and it had a cocktail bar on the 45F with floor to ceiling windows looking over the neon lights on Tokyo - jaw dropping!

My first highlight was the toilets which seem to get better and better as the days passed. Most toilets have little buttons you press which jet water at you depending on what part of you needs cleaned ;-) like a little mini bidet. Then I found some that had computer consoles on the wall that had heated seats, a button for drying  and a button that lifted the lid up and down and also a button to play music to 'muffle toilet noises'......!!!

The food was amazing after we got over the embarrassment of not having a clue what we were ordering or indeed what do with it once it arrived.  The first night we had tempura in a little restaurant down side street in Shinjuku where we sampled some eel for the first time. The second night we found a sushi/sashimi bar in the middle of the beautiful winding shopping streets in Harajuku where we overdosed on raw fish and chatted to the chefs who giggled at our Western eating skills. I think we even spoke to them about Liverpool and the Beatles.

Instead of pictures of food, there are countless restaurants with plastic food moulded into the shape of each meal - not particularly appetising....

We tried the culture bit by going to the Meiji-Jingo shrine at twilight....all a bit eery. We managed to spot a wedding procession with all the traditional dress - beautiful . We also hung a plaque up at the divine tree and wished you all health and happiness and of course success for Celtic and Liverpool in Europe....

Shibuya was the fashion/youth district with millions of funnky Japanese milling about like ants amongst the massive buildings littered with massive plasma screens and neon lights. Think Times Square and Picadilly Circus and multiply by 10! We had some more drinks in a really funky bar in the 4th floor in amongst all the rabble after being rescued by the barman who spotted us trying to get up a fire escape....

The place is full of fashionable people, there are tribes of teenage girls dressed crazily that flock around Shibuya every weekend.....

The shops in Harajuku are out of this world - Tokyo beats Paris, Milan, London and New York put together - we have never seen anything like it and everytime we turned a corner we were speechless!

The more traditional side of Japan is just off Shinjuku in Golden Gei which is a labyrinth of tiny bars that only fits 6 people max - full of locals.

All in all, an amazing place - totally recommend it !!

Will write again from Melbourne..

Love Kirst and James xxx

Pic 1: Kirsten in Shinjuku

Pic 2: Shinjuku

Pic 3: Shibuya (millions of people)

Pic 4: James in 'Bon's' in Golden Gei

PIc 5: Wedding Procession