Today was supposed to be a free day, while we waited for our flights back home. But our fights were all from 5 PM onwards, so that was a lot of free time to fill. A couple of the guys asked Ben if he could organise a bullet train ride for us to help fill in the time, He came back with an itinerary.
This was great for him (obviously) as we each paid $75, but it was also great for us, as we got to see things that we would not have seen otherwise, with the benefit of having transportation as well.
Ben has been a terrific guide.
We went 2 stops to Tokyo. It was so quiet and sleek.
I was sitting next to this girl who was very busily working on her nails.
It reminded me of the young mother with the jewellery on her teeth, remember?
Our next stop was to see the Lady Liberty statue. As we were waiting for people to finish their toilet stop, I saw this couple dancing to music from a boom box they’d brought. It was like something out of a movie.
Who needs to go to New York? I’ve seen her in Paris on the river Seine and now here in Tokyo.
Then we walked to see this robot.
“Your poses are very interesting….” said Ben.
More cherry blossom! I booked this trip a week before the cherry blossom season to save $600. Honestly, I don’t care about cherry blossom, but it’s nice to see it.
Our next stop was Chinatown, where we had a couple of hours to wander around, get lunch and get rid of any Japanese cash.
I bought a hat. It turns out that it fits perfectly in the top section of my bag, where I can slip my phone into it to protect it from getting scratched. Plus it’s there waiting, right on hand, if I get cold. This might come in handy for Africa next week.
A willow form of cherry blossom. So beautiful.
Goodbye Japan.
I wasn’t particularly drawn to you, but so many people told me I’d love you.
They were correct. My god, I’ll miss your toilets.
I’m half joking, but only people who’ve been to Japan will know what I mean.
I think I gave Japan a pretty good shake. Obviously, there are places up north I could go, but for now, I’m happy with the ground I covered with this tour.
And the ecstatic welcome from Miss Scout was wonderful.
She’s ging to be mightily pissed off when I bring the carryon out again on Tuesday for my Africa trip…
Dad Joke of the Day:
What a great travelogue! Your inspiring posts have convinced me to pull the trigger on a (very expensive) biking trip to Ireland this summer as well as to consider Japan in the future. What in the world am I saving it for anyway? I certainly agree that seeing Lady Liberty in a country that actually embodies the spirit is preferable to the US right now, I am sorry to admit. I’m looking forward to the Africa postings!
So am I. I visited South Africa for 5 days back in 2014 and it was dazzling. I knew that one day I’d be back.
Loving your travel experiences. I would love to start doing some tours overseas but overwhelmed by all the information. Would you please write an article on tips, ideas and recommendations of tour companies? When you have spare time, of course. Lol. Thank you for the inspiration.
Ok. Not sure when I’ll do it, but that’s a good idea for a post.