I made it through the longest airplane journey I’ve ever taken!
This troubled writer with the eyes of a raccoon or a puffer fish, depending on the angle of light, had but little sleep in the last 48 hours before the arrival. Yet, dear Reader, few have been happier to have their fingerprints digitised and their photo taken at such an importune moment by a customs’ officer. I was reminded not to smile, and it was like those blooper reels, I fancy. The result was a semifreddo, and it kept its shape, though the queue was long, and so was the day before me.
ATM visited, luggage not forwarded (due to scheduling conflicts), I hopped on the Tokyo Monorail then the JR line to get to Central Tokyo.
Tokyo Monorail is like the DLR, but better, one of the reasons being that this is a holiday, and I never had to ride the DLR for leisure purposes. The trip from Haneda inwards is a delight. High above the ground, you see the large blue body of water interrupting the sea of buildings here an there, with spots of green and what looks like a very neat cityscape. It was sunny and warm, and I was overdressed for the weather.
The staff at the hotel was immensely polite, and I got to try two phrases before rearranging the letters in the ‘thank you’. That’s how you know your brain is playing bingo. I left my luggage, which upon my return was waiting for me in the room (heart melted), and decided to catch up with my to-view list.
“The world is vast, daughter, and because we run out of time, we say we have little room.”
09:00 Hotel drop-off
You can always send your luggage to your hotel from the airport (Yamato counter available at the airport) but in my case I needed it done on the same day.
09:30 Tokyo Station
Massive square, massive station. One word for everything: Vast. Needed to purchase my Green Suica Card (10years duration vs the Welcome Suica, which lasts only 28days)
11:00 Imperial Palace East Gardens
Made friends with a dragonfly, saw butterflies and carp, found my green spirit
12:00 Tokyo Museum of Modern Art
Interesting exhibition on Haniwa figurines, but alas, too tired to go upstairs to the rest of the collection. Must come back!
13:10 Jimbocho
This is a lovely little array of stalls on the sidewalk and the little alleys, dressed in shelves full of used books and old books. Prints available from 1100Y-3300Y and more!
13:50 Idemitsu Museum of Arts
Closed. Must come back end of November for the special exhibition.
14:20 Tokyo Ramen Street
Got lost several times before finding my ramen shop.
15:30 Hotel
This was the end. An earlier check-in than I anticipated, but a necessary one
Akihabara
Some other day manga and anime heaven.
And that was all for the landing day. Tomorrow awaits.
I love the tolling timeline. (I do)
Will your dragonfly be my pen-friend?
You should try the DLR as a tourist.
You, know, I actually think this is true. I think the dragonfly strikes me as the kind who will keep all your letters in a paulownia wood box, and they’ll be discovered post-mortem by a relative who’s come to tidy up the property and sell it to the next inhabitant. They may, or may not be given to a museum.
Yes, to the DLR as a tourist. I should stop at every stop and take the surroundings in, in costume.