1-18-07 day 2

Thursday…so the day started off with more missed sleep. Got about 3 hours worth and couldn’t sleep any more so I watched TV until it was time to talk to Cristina. After that I was out, camera in hand. I used a map that the hotel gives out that is incredibly useful. First stop was to the post office for some money at the ATM. The next picture is just normal side street.

If you look between the red brick buildings on the left side of the previous picture this is where this next picture of a temple comes from. There are temples/mausoleums everywhere, all of which had their gates locked, otherwise I would have burnt them down and called them heathens.

Another temple. You can’t really tell from here but sometimes houses are right on top of the temples.

Now I had read a bit about how vending machines are everywhere, and it’s true, yet I was still unprepared for how common they are. Since the economy is supposedly picking up again they are getting celebs from the US to do ads again. Here’s Tommy Lee Jones selling Boss Coffee out of a vending machine.

Next sets are all from a Sumida park down by Sumida river. For winter the park was in amazing condition.

No clue what this says, but I’m sure it’s something like ‘this tree has been here for hundreds of years and has bestowed blessings on all those who seek it’s shelter’ except for the bums who sleep under it.

Next set is from a Shrine by the water.

This shrine was open so I could have burned it down, but the cats scarred me off. They had a structure set up to hang little wooden medallions outside of the shrine which were wishes for world peace.

Next 2 pics are pretty cool. It was a street that they re-claimed and turned into a fountain, which is split into 2 pieces because of a cross street. First pic is at the bottom of it all, second pic is at the bottom of the first part. It’s winter so there was no water.

Another shrine with a house built into it.

Side street

A main street (Yoshino-dori)

Then it was lunch time and I got some cheap sushi from the super market. After that I packed my bags for training and met up with Rob where we went to Akihabara, also known as electric town.

I’ve never seen so many damn electronics stores. That’s all there is for blocks. I’m talking Costco floor sized department stores except that they have 8 floors.

After getting tired of looking at things I can’t buy we went to a toy store where I saw these two gems.

I saw this and had to buy it. It's an american cartoon for the early 20’s, Mr. Sambo himself.

It was a little amazing to see something as blantant as this, so I had to get it. I figure there aren’t to many stores selling these kinds of trinkets back home…in the north anyway.

Last 3 pics are of the are in between the Tokyo Dome (which is the MSG of Tokyo) and the amusement park next to it. They don’t really do it any justice for how cool it looks.

After that we went Ochanomizu for the gym (WK), where I rolled until I threw up…which didn’t take long. I did well and was asked to come back. Got back to the hotel at around 10:30, which means the showers are closed, and there were no showers at the gym. So I grabbed a sock and a bar of soap and went to work at a sink, finishing off with some anti-bacterial wet wipes to make sure I was clean. This isn’t gonna cut it so Friday I’ll be looking for an apartment. Hopefully I find something. Now I’m just waiting around until Cristina wakes up so I can speak to her.