Great Tokyo Tour - August 1st

After sleeping in, it was off to Tokyo one last time on this trip. I met Bryan at the Yokosuka Chuo station at 9:57 and we were off. The first stop was Akihabara, so after arriving at Shinagawa we transferred to the Yamanote line. We noticed that there were a lot of school age children riding the line. At each station they have a Pocket Monster (Pokimon) stamp for a book that they hand out for free. This is an interesting way to drum up business, as you have to get out at each station to collect each stamp. To travel from one stop to the next it is around $1.50 and there are around 20 stops on the Yamanote line.

At Akihabara we tried to get into the Gundam cafe but There looked to be a 45 minute to a hour wait to get inside. It was off to Yodabashi for another Black-Out doughnut from Doughnut Plant. This time we stopped by the camera section which is on the third floor. It can be a place that one could be separated from money quickly. The nice thing is that they have almost every camera currently on the market, so you can try it out for yourself.

From Akihabara it was off to Shibuya, which happens to be 28 minutes on the Yamanote line. A benefit of being on the opposite side of Tokyo. On the way to Tokyu hands I noted that there was a store called "Three Coins" or a 300 Yen store. After Tokyu hands we went back to the UT store. The T-Shirts were still on sale for 990 Yen. During that walk we saw a Perrier Stretch Hummer Limo twice. From there it was off to Roppongi, but it was getting rather warm. I lead the way to the nearest metro station. After two transfers in air conditioned tunnels we arrived at Roppongi.

The sole purpose of this stop was to get lunch at the Hard Rock. I had chicken and steak fajitas, the tortillas were branded with the Tokyo Hard Rock logo. After lunch it was time for some coffee, as I am only able to savor the Dark Mocha Chip Frappacino for a few more days that was my selection. After this refreshing beverage it was off to Yokohama.

One of the oldest tricks that I employ every time coming back from Tokyo is to get on the Asakusa Toei line. This subway line turns into the KeiKyu line at Shinagawa. This results is being able to set for the train ride back. When we got to Yokohama we switched to the JR line and went to Sakuragicho (Cherry Tree Town) station. It was packed, there was a big fireworks display held tonight in Yokohama and everyone was out. It was the only time I had seen security directing traffic inside of a train station. After walking to World Porter's it was time for another trip to Montbell and then through the Nissan building back to Yokohama station.

Everyone must have been in Yokohama because we were able to sit down on the way back to Yokosuka. This is the first time I have ever been able to get a seat right away at Yokohama. After we got back I headed on base for a little bit and then met up with Jean for dinner at Nirvana, always good.

Overall physical condition I am doing pretty well. I have a few blisters on my hands and feet. Other than every stair feeling terrible things are going well. It was interesting going into some of the outdoor shops today and seeing people gear up for Fuji.

Great Tokyo Tour August 1st