Sayonara!

Sadly my trip to Tokyo was only two days and two nights long.  However, my friend and I managed to get a good amount of activity in during that time.

On Saturday, after milling about Tsukiji for a while longer, we walked to Ginza, Tokyo's upscale fashion shopping district.  I recognize it by the numerous store and shop signs that line the buildings of the street. On weekends, the street is closed to cars to allow for better flow of foot traffic.

After that, we enjoyed a bit of the countryside by taking a train to Kawagoe.  The trains are very efficient and clean ( THIS (train) and THIS (subway) comprises a true public transportation system, people!) and go practically everywhere.  Every platform has electronic screens in English and Japanese reporting the next two trains and when they next arrive.  The only thing is, there may be a lot of transferring because of how extensive the train and subway networks are.  Certain lines are also very very deep, so you find yourself riding a lot of escalators in and out.

Once in Kawagoe, we bussed to a small temple that was clean, charming and quaint.  We were lucky to witness a wedding occurring inside the temple.

Water for purification upon entry

Where people toss coins and pray

The special trees

Charms decorated with people's blessings and prayers

There is a funny story behind the special trees:  apparently if you walk around them in a figure eight (in a particular direction) then pick up a stone near the trees, you will resolve your love issues.  And once the issues are resolved, you are supposed to return to the site to return the love stone.  Despite happily being in a relationship, and despite my very heavy dose of skepticism, I decided to walk the figure eight and pocket a stone.  Because, I guess, you never know.  Plus it's a good story.

We then went to the festival held in a large field at the outskirts of Kawagoe - there were fireworks galore, and we stuffed our faces with typical Japanese street food: draft Asahi beer, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yaki soba, "hormones" (a.k.a. cow intestines), buttery roasted potatoes, caramel and custard crepes and choco-bananas.

Finally, on Sunday, my friend and I decided to take. it. easy. We went to an onsen, or baths filled with hot springs.  The location was interesting - the onsen was located in the Tokyo Dome, which is a huge complex that contains a mall, food courts, and... an amusement park.  The roller coaster was actually kind of intimidating - I was surprised by how high some parts of it stretched.  Next to it is a minimalist ferris wheel, with no spokes or center, which is (affectionately? slyly?) dubbed "The Big O".  Sadly, I did not have a chance to ride it this time.

We had to be fully naked in the spa area of the onsen so picture-taking was clearly taboo.  It was the perfect end to my trip - we took turns plunging into lukewarm, hot, super hot, and icy pools of water.  I particularly liked the almost-too hot mineral baths, and the sensation of going from super hot to icy was the most peculiar I'd ever experienced: tiny pinpricks of ice working its way slowly up my numb limbs - and my lungs feeling almost shriveled from the cold.  I felt like I was turning into ice, and my breath felt like menthol.  We also took advantage of a thoroughly enjoyable 20 minute massage, the steam room and sauna facilities.  By the time we finally took a shower and scrubbed ourselves clean, I felt thoroughly relaxed but yet also energized.  By the time I was on the bus heading to the airport, I was so relaxed I succumbed to the inevitable, and allowed sleep to blanket me.

P.S.  check out this amazing touch screen vending machine...