A Room With a View

We're on the twelfth floor. Jilly's coped despite her lift phobia. The room's quite cool. Quite a shock to step outside into 30 degrees C of heat. Today's plan has been thwarted. All the art galleries are closed on Mondays. Tonight a sushi restaurant and jazz at a nearby bar.

Picture Problems

I'm still trying to upload pix so for now just reporting: Love Tokyo. Today we ate melon pan and iced coffee for breakfast. No melon involved. Japanese equivalent of a croissant I guess. Will ask Laurent to get the recipe. We need melon pan in Loches. Tomorrow morning we will have the same but will remember to ask for the coffee to be hot!

Walked through Sensoji Temple park and caught the train to Yoyogi Park. Loved the Rockabilly dancers - pictures to follow soon. Wondered what bird or other creature was making a strange buzzy chirp so asked a man who looked like he might know. He did and explained in accented English that this was a large insect with fast... he flapped his arms and we provided 'wings'. We were very pleased. "I thought you looked like a man who would know," I told him. "Yes," he said, "I'm a biology teacher!"

Hoppy Warning.

Day one. We had lunch in the sunshine at a café. I thought I had ordered a beer called Hoppy. Hoppy IS a beer, a very weak one, about 1.8%. However it is served in quite an unusual way. Imagine my surprise when the waitress presented me with a large, litre-sized jug half full of ice and neat alcohol. Then tipped the beer into it. It did taste very nice, but to be honest, I don't remember much of what happened after that. It's a sort of fuzzy blur.

Bathroom Surprise!

We are in our hotel room. It's quite a nice surprise sitting down on a warm, heated toilet seat. There's a control panel next to you with several interesting options, one of which is a spray of water directed upwards at your bottom. I tried this but I had the setting too high. It felt like I was being prodded from down below. I jumped up and the spout of water shot between my legs giving me an unexpected face wash. Jill tried it and reported that she found it quite pleasant.

Colombo Airport and Beyond.

 Here we are then at Colombo Airport, Sri Lanka. The first leg took about 10 hours, overnight. Jill slept but I was mainly awake. Sri Lankan Airlines is recommended by us. Some good films. I watched the first Captain America.

Then a seven hour wait at the airport. 2 points if you can spot how I managed to photograph the aerial view. Nowhere to buy books or magazines in the airport. But lots of touristy gift shops. And a very nice, cheap restaurant with a view of the planes. Lots of curry-style dishes. Also a stall of Buddha-related merchandise. Then onwards to Japan. Another ten hour flight. Again, unlike Jill, I couldn't sleep.

 I watched the second Captain America film. Narita airport was pretty straightforward and quick. We are only carrying hand luggage so no waiting at the baggage carousel.

Then picked up our week-long rail pass and caught the train into the city. We are in the Asakusa area. This involved a three stop journey on the metro from Tokyo station. The metro is very similar to the tube, with
the same schematic map design. But could we find where we were supposed to go? No. Well, yes - eventually. It was very busy and confusing. Maybe it was the heat, nearly 30 degrees C, or the Japanese writing everywhere. Outside the station a very friendly rickshaw driver explained how to find our hotel. And here we are.

And we're off...

Bit of a dodgy start though. The National Express coach was delayed for an hour and a half due to accident on M23/25 junction. So we caught the taxi - train - tube and just made it. Right now in transit at Colombo Airport, Shri Lanka. Blessed by Buddha as we arrived. Shri Lankan Airlines is very good. Stewardess' in trad-style uniform. Lovely peacock blue seats. Good service. Even the food was okay. And we left on the dot and arrived on time. It was a short day. 9.30 pm to Midday in just ten hours. Next stop Tokyo.

Packing almost done. Last bits and pieces to do. Ooooh.... exciting.