Crazy Times!

The weather was pretty grizzy all Monday, then Monday night the weather just went off for a few hours, huge gusts of wind and absolutley bucketing down.
Then all of a sudden in the middle of the night, while I was already in bed, it just stopped!

It was strange but I thought nothing of it till the next morning on my way into work. The roads were covered in mud and I drove past at least 4 abandoned cars just left by the side of the road. It was eery.

Then when I got into work the workshop had been flooded and the mechanics wouldn't be doing any work all day.
Later, on the news, I learned neighbouring town (about 4 hours drive away) had been hit by a mini tornado...... TORNADO??? In this country, bizare!

So work was weird today as I only had one single follow up call to do.

Then when I went off I headed to Dan Murphy's to see if I could find an obsure liquor I had just heard about, there was none, but it wasn't a total waste I got all patriotic to the homeland (nearby to the home land anyways) and bought this bottle of Kirsberry. I have yet to try it but it sounds great. 100% natural and made with just cherries.

I did manage to get a Rose as well. Bird in Hand Pinot Rose. Will try that tonight after dinner.

Had to do the shopping this arvo but Woolies didn't have any veggies, stupid flooding cut off the food supply again (getting use to that but wish I wasn't ) so instead of the usual chunky veggie and chicken soup we normally have on wednesdays we will be having Sri Lanken Chicken Curry, as there seems to be no shortage of meat still.

Nihon - Day 17

Day 17 - Staying Local

Today is miserable again, but will be my last full day in tokyo so I decide to set out anyway.

I headed to the river again today but turned left, as I noticed last time I came out this way that there was a park near by, and into Hama-Rikyu-Teien (detached palace garden) This garden use to only be for the Shogans.

I wandered past a european style garden, very small, and between two large buildings with the most gorgeous statues in it.

At the gate I was keenly offered a device that looked much like an iphone and would be my electronic guide to the garden. The lady set it up so I could wander and the guide would pick up on the sites and start automatically when I was in range of the site to tell me the significance. All the sites were numbered and I was given a map so I could follow where I was going.

After my auto-tour I headed back to the hotel via the Pokemon Centre, which I stumbled across on my way to the garden. This place is simular to the tamagochi place in Harajuku but much larger and busier.
I found my pokemon, despite not knowing its name and it being one of the older original creatures, I even found a squirtle for my bro. This place is a must for any pokemon fan.

Lunch was via Family Mart and was a yummy mushroom pasta dish. I then headed out again.

I headed to Tokyo tower via the garden on the other side of Zojoji Temple, and the cemetary.
The first attraction I went to was on the ground floor and was about extinct and endangered animals (I think). It was filled with cute statues of these animals. There was information all over the place but the only english was the name of the animals. The last room had school childrens colour in on the walls and a box for donation. I put some coins in and a man gave me a sticker sheet to thank me for the donation.

Next I headed to the 3rd floor for the wax museum, having picked up a discount coupon in Aqua City. The whole thing was kinda creepy with its low lights and this life size displays looking at you. Not realistic enough for you to think that they are the real person but creepy enough to totally come alive in a horror movie and kill you.
The first room had people from movies, then in the next room historical figures and great artists and inventors, old leaders (including Ho Chi Minh) and Jesus and his diciples even madam Tussaud was there. The final room held legends of Rock N Roll.

I headed back to the room to sort my stuff and make sure I had everything before leaving tomorrow .

Nihon - day 15

Day 15 - Accidently Odaiba

Had a minor panic attack about having so few days left in Tokyo, despite the really bad cold weather I headed out anyway.

The plan was Daimon station but I just kept walking, wanting to see what was ahead in this neighbourhood. I saw on a map that the bay was close by, so I kept walking.
I came apon the ocean. Though it was raining madly and cold as hell it still looked nice. I walked around the bay noticing a train station and wondering where it went. I saw the rainbow bridge ahead and wondered if I could get there, the guide book says you can walk across it to get to Odaiba.

I walked to the bridge and noticed you could not get on it from here, but then there was another train station. What is the harm in getting on and seeing where it goes? Turns out it was the un-manned train to Odaiba. Goody! The guide says you had to catch it from Shimbashi, which turns out is the last stop on the mainland, but there are heaps of other stops.

Still the weather is horrible and all my photos end up dark. Seems the statue of Gundum was taken down some time ago, but I found the statue of Liberty. I walked from one end to the other and made it to Aqua City! A shopping centre and went in search of food.
When I came across a steak place playing Dropkick Murphy's I knew this was meant to be!
Sizzling steak with garlic sauce and I even managed to order a plate of rice in Japanese. YAY!

I bought a few things for the etsy shop at the 100 Yen store and had a look around Fuji TV then with the cold seeping into my skin chilling me to the bones headed back on the un-manned train to the hotel.

Ramen is on the cards for dinner tonight, a lovely big bowl of broth and noodles, oishi!

Nihon - Day 12

Day 12 - Doll Burning Ceremony

I headed out on a cold and windy day and took the subway to Ueno Park. The stop was not far away from the park at all.

Walking around the massive park, I took many photos and found Kiyomizu Kannon-do admist all the temples and shrines that call the park home. The monks were busy in preperation for the ceremony to be conducted later that day, but it was still early so i headed to the Ueno Park Zoo.

The zoo entrance has a machine to purchase your ticket from. Awsome! Just put your money in Y1000 and press the button relating to the ticket you want to purchase. Then the lady at the gate stamps your ticket as you enter. EASY!
As soon as you enter the zoo there is displays holding maps of the zoo in many different languages. I grabbed an english one.
The giant pandas weren't available but I did see some gorgeous little red pandas instead. Some of the cages seemed a little disproportioned.

I wandered out of the zoo and back to the park. I had a quick look at a brilliant water feature before I realised the time and headed back to Kiyomizu Kannon-do.

I got there shortley after the ceremony had started and the monks were sitting around the table chanting and blessing the dolls. Two other men prepared the vessel the dolls would be burnt in. After about 20 minutes or so the monks then got up and led a procession to a table in front of the vessel. The monk in the middle lit some incense and prayed to the goddess Senju Kannon (of mercy). the dolls were placed in the vessel and a rag on a stick was douced in kerosine and placed inside with the dolls. The rag was then lit and the flames soon grew. The other monks lit incense and offered their own prays then moved off from the table. As the flames ingulfed the dolls more people came to the table and gave the two men their dolls to be placed in the flames, then grabbed a pinch of the incense and lifted in to their forheads before placing it in the already burning incense lit by the monks. They then moved out of the area to let more people in.

It was actually a moving ceremony and I hope those people offering their dolls for fertility get waht they are praying for.

For dinner I was going to try Yakatori but decided to buy something at the Family mart and sit in my room instead. All that smoke made me very tired. I bought a lovely pasta chicken and chilli dish that the man heated for me and two beers, only cost me Y602. Sweet!

Nihon - Day 8

Day 8 - Wear Kimono around Asakusa experience.

Today started in a mad rush as I had spent too long on the internet and was now going to be late for the tour.

The tour was amazing! I can not say enough about how worth it is really was. The tour is run by 3 people, the camera man, the kimono dresser and the dance teacher. All were so wonerfully nice. The camera man was waiting for me at the Kaminarimon gate, when i arrived he took me to the dance school (not far from the gate). Here I met the two ladies. They had 4 kimonos for me to choose from, of course I chose the purple one. I then chose an obi from the selection and they did the rest.
First the kimono dresser took me into the change room where i changed from my clothes to the under parts of the kimono. I then sat down and let the dance instructor (Ms Yoko Namishima) do my hair. She put it up in a japanese bun then added a hair piece and some beautiful hair decorations. Then they both dressed me in the kimono and the obi. Then I was ready!
We walked out to the temple and walked around taking many photos. Then the dance instructor and I walked around and window shopped while the camera man took the photos back to be developed. She showed me all the places she got her dancing supplies from and a beautiful paper shop.
Many people stopped us for photos. Photos of just me, of just her and of both of us in our kimonos. It was a bit silly, but nice to be the centre of attention (in a good way).
WE then headed back to the dance school and she did a performance of one of her traditional japanese dances as a gift for me, and showed me how to twirl the fan. They then helped me undress, and I got back into my clothes.
The camera man came back and gave me 2 photos and a cd with all my photos on it. YAY! I gave them each a koala clip toy and they also gave me a beautiful kimono bag.

I headed back to the temple afterwards and had a look around, bought a few things. I bought these silly little candies that look like sushi, and two more Duramon dolls.

I then headed back on the subway.
I went back to the hotel to look through my photos and sort my souveniers then headed out to the tokyo tower as it was getting dark. I went up to the first observation tower. Besides the Tokyo haze it was a beautiful site, specially during the sunset.

I then headed to the ramen joint for more yummy ramen, then back to the hotel for an early night.

No idea what I will do tomorrow

Nihon - Day 7

Day 7 - Ghibli Museum

Finding the museum was easy enough. The JR lines are a little difficult to navigate as there is almost no english and I don't have the numbers for the stations.

The outside suburbs of tokyo look a little more like the rest of asia, but Mitaka is beautiful with its expansive greenary.

The museum itself is amazing, a true gem of arcitechture. It looks like its been half eaten by the forest, with the over grown garden on the roof and the creepers across the walls.

The line up was very long and i waited with many others in excitement for what was to come. The people at the front checked to make sure everyone had tickets and let a few in to the counters to exchange their passes at a time. The ticket you recieve in exchange for your pass is a little marvel, 3 frames of footage from actual movie reels set in a beautiful laid out cardboard housing.
I wondered over the museum which has no structure in how you can visit the displays. Each room filled with a little more wonder than the next. The catbus room made me envious of all those under 12 who could climb all over him. The baby cat bus room was also cute, where you could wear a baby catbus over your head and wonder around the room.
Then up stairs in the garden you find the robot gardian from laputa watching over the museum.
I headed back down to the ground floor to check into the cinema to watch the short film being shown. Your ticket is stamped (only 1 viewing per person) and you line up ready to go in. The doors open and the little cinema in the ground fills up. Just before the movie starts the little windows close and the moon in the ceiling lights up. The movie Mei and the Baby Cat Bus was a sweet little film about a girl who befriends a baby cat bus by giving it carmels and is taken on a journey to see all the different cat bus's.
After the movie I headed to the strawhat cafe, but the line up was too long and the sitting room at a minimum. So i decided to walk back to the station and head back to the hotel.

In a last minute decision I decided to get of at Shinjuku and catch the connecting subway to Ikebukuro.

The backstreets here are laided with gaming rooms. I didn't end up locating the aquarium but had fun checking out all the different places that make this the geek-girl central. I had lunch at a cute little place, no one spoke english, and ate my fill of chicken stir-fry, broth and rice.

I am so tired by the end of this day that I never had dinner.

Nihon - Day 6

Day 6 - Harajuku Part 2!

Harajuku again today, with loads of money.
And spend i did! Finding Takeshita Dori again was so easy, no idea how i got lost last time and I can't believe how close the bridge was....... no harajuku fashion though.
I went to McDonalds for lunch and had a salt and lemon burger.
There were so many westerners here today, groups and couples and kids tours (maybe).
I totally blew my budget too, oops!
Kiddyland was insanely busy, so hard to get around the 3 story toy shop, much busier than the toy park at Ginza. It was also hotter than it was outside.
I saw tokyostreetfashiom.com photographers and an Alice from wonderland. I found 6% Dokidoki down a narrow street and discovered Angry and Hangry, two total gothic kitties.
I found it much easier to find my way around this second visit and oriental bizzare was open today, so I went in and got all my souverneirs for the family.
Got home and realised I got a freebie from kiddyland, some rice craker stick.
After my PM internet session I headed out to get some dinner.
There is a wonderful ramen place nearby.
You put your Y1000 in the machine and select what you want from whats pictured, it then spits out a ticket with your order on it. The lady takes this ticket from you and seats you, then reads the order to the ramen cook. You then sit down and wait for your ramen. I was seated next to a german guy who entred just before me and we chatted and enjoyed our ramen.

I tried my card at the Family Mart but it was rejected, will have to find a 7-eleven or citibank soon.

Tomorrow - GHIBLI MUSEUM!!!