Residence Hotel Will Shinjuku

... this is already the rainy season so i doubt we will see it at all. we saw tokyo tower, and tomorrow tim and i are going there duringour free time. it looks like a red eiffel tower. it was designed by the same guy that did the eiffel tower. it is taller, but not by a lot, than the eiffel tower. it is 50 years old and they are building a new tower. this one is over 250 meters, (you do the conversion-i think like 700-800 feet) tall and the new one ...

... found this to be displeasing, Sean`s camera promptly ran out of batteries at the next street corner after we fled the scene (but not really).

Sinner.

By then we were hungry, but I ran Sean in circles in the clothing shop called Uniqlo anyway (literally) and we also went to a couple of outlets. We ended up eating at McDonalds because I was afraid to order anyplace else, we were consumed by the hunger, and we had ...

... Not elegant dining but a bit up from the local McDonalds and well worth the price jump. After breakfast, I just strolled around downtown Tokyo. Hoping on and off the public transportation depending on how much my feet hurt. Just as I thought I had it all figured out, off go the bells, buzzers when I went through the exit. Not as bad as a panchinko parlor but in this society of ...

... happy. It was not bad, but no better than any of the other splashdown style rides, such as Wild West ride at Movieworld on the Gold Coast (which is actually a bigger drop and a better ride). Time for a quick bite to eat. We found a restaurant which sold "Meat Pies" for 300yen ($3). Being Australian, I *had* to try this, to see how the Japanese would interpret a meat pie. It turns out I could have asked for my money back for false advertising ...

... dancers and displays everywhere. Ok so now its off to take another bus ride. We got off at....station and decided to eat at a typical Japanese family restaurant. It was more of a steak house. The price of my dinner was $14 and that included grilled chicken with a salad bar and rice. Plenty. Emi had hamburger with cheese and tomato sauce and rice and Honoka had the kids meals (plural). For all three it cost only $36. We then hopped on another bus and ...

... a third with a rope round its neck performing on a bicycle in the town below. The most informative walks we took were in Kyoto and Nara. The first was with Johnny Hillwalker and he took us to places a bit more off the tourist trail. Shrines and temples of course but also a fan maker, a porcelain painter and a pastry maker. He was very interesting and very proud of his native city, especially the traditional crafts. He also clarified for me the whole shintoism ...

... dinner hours, there are a few seats, there are also several tables for stand-up only eating. Get your noodles, slurp 'em down and hit the road. Think of it as fast food to the second power. But it makes sense. Japan is crowded. Do what you gotta do, and then let others do the same. Restaurants and cafes keep this concept evident by not typically offering refills for most drinks. This cuts down on people staying for a long, long time. After all, there are usually plenty of people ...

... i knew 2 people just coz its pricy, but definitely a city/county, worth checking out completely different then Korea, I'm really looking forward to my time here, even if it is gonna be a bit more pricy then i had planed, The nice thing is once i get to Thailand its all super cheap and will be a nice break after 2.5 weeks in japan. Taros here in Tokyo to for tonight and perhaps tomorrow night depending i think hes gotta work Saturday morning ...

... our particular favourite was the Dior vest being sported by a rather overweight pouch called "Pudding". For all sport lovers the latest must have doggie outfit is the Japan Football strip. We did think about buying James one for letting us stay in his apartment for 2 weeks, but as they were 35 quid - the cost of a brand new City shirt, we decided against it. Besides, James already has more clothes than Phil and I ...

... fish. After our walk Risa's 6 year old sister, Sarah, and her two little cousins arrived. Her cousins were two young boys, ages 5 and 3, that had enough energy to keep us occupied for hours. Risa and I spent the next half hour or so playing Bingo with the kids. It was a lot of fun... especially since I won! After our game finished Risa's father arrived. Her father greeted me and welcomed me into their home. He followed his greeting by handing me his business card; he ...