Kyoto

This is our last day in Kyoto. Tomorrow we leave for Narita and fly back to NYC. Kyoto has been great. Ross and I rented bikes yesterday and biked around what seemed like the entire city. We went to shrines and botanical gardens as well as a few restaurants. There are built in locks on the bikes, which is nice. Its amazing how honest people are here in Japan. You have to pay different subway fares depending on how far you are going and people actually pay the appropriate fare! (So if you were in NY and going from Bleecker to 81st it would be more than going to 42nd.) They don`t check - people just do it. Amazing!!!
What is also pretty incredible is the bullet train. It took us from Tokyo to Kyoto (about 250 miles) in just over 2 hours.
Once we got here we took a cab to our Ryokan - a traditional Japanese Inn. We stayed in the exact same room where Kurosawa used to stay while in Kyoto. You sleep on mats on the floor and eat rice and miso soup for breakfast. It is the Japanese equivalent of a bed and breakfast. Unfortunately I am not a good B&B person. We stayed there for two night and are now at a hotel, which oddly is less expensive.
Will post pics tonight...

Last hour in Tokyo

Ross and I are getting ready to leave Tokyo and go to Kyoto. Yesterday was a weird day. We went to Shinjuku, where to our surprise, all the Americans hang out. We went to the New York Grill at the Hilton Hotel, which Lonely Planet recommended for the view. It was nice and expensive but not worth the trip. We then went to Bic Camera - basically a B&H, but incredibly better if you can believe it. Then we met up with Avijit, Mayu and Yumi and went to a Korean restaurant for dinner. A lot of sake later we came back to our new hotel room (had to switch hotels yesterday) and went to bed. Now we are watching CNN and learning a lot about Joe Biden and eating breakfast. At 11 we are off to Kyoto! 

Hato Tour

Yesterday I also went on a bus tour. Since Ross was working I went by myself. It wasn't much of a tour since my tour guide barely said anything about the city. Despite my mute tour guide I was happy to get to see the sites in the city including: Tokyo Tower, The Imperial Palace and Senso-ji Temple. After the 4 hour tour I met Ross at Gonpachi - a restaurant with great food!

The Subway

 Normally genius is not a word that I would use to describe myself but yesterday that all changed when I took the Tokyo subway by myself! Who knows how I did it but I did. Not only did I do it but I got where I needed to go - the AT office. After buying my subway ticket (an accomplishment on its own) I stood starring at the subway map and I realized that this was not the train that I took on Wednesday with Yumi, my guide. So I asked the "information officer" how to get to  get to Ebisu. Unfortunately he spoke as much English as I speak Japanese, which means none but he did point up. So I left the subway station and came across what looked like the train Yumi and I had taken the day before. So I bought another ticket, managed to find the right track (I guessed) and got to Ebisu on the JR line - another train. I know it doesn't sound like an incredible accomplishment but it was! This is no NY subway system - this thing is a monster!!!

Sake

After exploring yesterday I came back to the hotel and slept. Poor Ross had 4 more  hours of interviews to do at that point! After my nap I met him, Avijit and the people that brought us over here from a company called AT. We had what seemed like a 12 course dinner and  A LOT of sake, which I think is why my head is pounding right now. 

Here are some pics!

(Also there is a weird pic of a bunch of different buttons on a wall. This is for a toilet. Here in Japan they are very green. No need for toilet paper - this contraption does all the work!!!  I have to admit - I love it!)

Meiji Jingu

3 things I like about Tokyo

Just back from my first day out in Tokyo. The Meiji Jingu shrine (not temple-my mistake) is gorgeous. So is the park it's surrounded by - Yoyogi Park. After a quick prayer at the shrine I walked down Omotesando Road, which is the equivalent of Rodeo Drive or 5th Avenue. The only thing I could afford was some sushi, which my "guide" Yumi bought me. (I've never had so much raw fish in one sitting!) and a haircut at some mall. Unfortunately for Ross he is doing interviews all day while I explore. On Friday, when he is free, I plan on bringing him to my favorite places.

Here are three things that I really love about this city.

1.) Taxi doors open and close automatically for passengers.

2.) After I got my hair cut, two people blew it dry!

3.) The subway (at least the line we are on) comes every three minutes.

Ross and Addie in Japan

Ross and I are on yet another journey together. This time we are in Tokyo!!!! We slept most of the way over with the help of red wine and xanex. 

We arrived, went to bed at 4pm Tokyo time (3am EST), woke up at 11pm and ordered room service, which was very good. We went back to bed until 5:30. Luckily we are right near a Starbucks so after an interesting breakfast, we went across the street - I was the only blonde in a 5 mile radius - and got a latte. Even though we did read two etiquette books, I think we screwed up with the latte by drinking it on the street in public. I didn't see anyone else on the streets drinking coffee although they were smoking heavily.

Off to Meiji Jingu temple now.

p.s. - This is my first blog. Not sure how I feel about blogs in general but I thought sharing this trip was worth it!