Results tagged “food” from little lost tokyo :: travel blog
Getting up at 3.30am I left the hotel to catch the first train along with Sam and Claire. Luckily the fish market was easy to get to on the subway since we didn't have to change lines - just straight there on the Hibiya Line.
Arriving there we headed inside. At first we weren't sure if we were allow in through that entrance as it was just tradesmen and vehicles rushing in and out, but seeing a few people in Bermuda shorts that looked decidedly touristy, we figured we'd try going in. The place was already quite hectic with fish being thrown about while underneath some real artists carved up the huge tuna with amazing speed.
We were pushed around, after all these people had work to do, and silly tourists would just stand dumbfound in the aisles slowing them up. It was a great to see it all going on and although we were too late to see the tuna auctions (you'd have to walk or find a taxi to get there early enough for that) I did get to see them finishing up and grabbed some photos from about two metres outside the auction room.
After the fish market we wandered around the outer market which housed a variety of tools and supplies for restaurants as well as a parade of food stalls serving fresh seafood meals. The sushi was great although a bento box I bought was a bit more miss than it was hit.
Arriving there we headed inside. At first we weren't sure if we were allow in through that entrance as it was just tradesmen and vehicles rushing in and out, but seeing a few people in Bermuda shorts that looked decidedly touristy, we figured we'd try going in. The place was already quite hectic with fish being thrown about while underneath some real artists carved up the huge tuna with amazing speed.We were pushed around, after all these people had work to do, and silly tourists would just stand dumbfound in the aisles slowing them up. It was a great to see it all going on and although we were too late to see the tuna auctions (you'd have to walk or find a taxi to get there early enough for that) I did get to see them finishing up and grabbed some photos from about two metres outside the auction room.After the fish market we wandered around the outer market which housed a variety of tools and supplies for restaurants as well as a parade of food stalls serving fresh seafood meals. The sushi was great although a bento box I bought was a bit more miss than it was hit.It's been a few days and no new photos? What's gone wrong! Well it's just what happens when I don't have wifi internet, but on the plus side the computer at the guesthouse I'm now at is well equiped for everything I need to do bar resize the photos so they're not gigantic.
Since I've set up house in Osaka instead of Kyoto I've been commuting to get there; three trains, 50 minutes. Awide arc on the Osaka Loop Line to Osaka Station, then a one stop stint on the Kyoto Line to Shin-Osaka station and then a 15 minute bullet into Kyoto.
I've a few photos here from Kiyamizu, a temple up in the mountains to the east of Kyoto, with some fabulous views across the city and of the temple itself too. Strolling back I went through Kyoto Imperial Palace's public gardens where some of the sakura and other plants have begun to bloom making for a beautiful view.
I was out at a pub last night, or a bar take your pick, and met this swedish guy named Fredrick and his workmate Nanaka who work for a company in Osaka (duh!). We chatted and played a few games of darts, it was fun.
I can't believe it took this long but I had udon for the first time today after visiting the Osaka Aquarium, it was cooked with some roasted veggies and went down a treat!
Well, I'm here. But like the title suggests I almost didn't - I'll get to that later.
First of all, that trepidation I was mentioning in my previous posts and to some people back home fluttered far away as soon as I sat down on the, admittedly 1 hour late, bus.
The bus ride was pretty uneventful once it got underway and I tried to catch as much shut-eye as I could. Getting to Heathrow was a breeze as was going through security and finding the terminal and gate.
I was going to do a post from there to let everyone know but I couldn't find a free wifi point or one I could get free with a cup of tea or something. It doesn't really matter that much as there wouldn't have been anyhing of real substance to talk about.
Anyway, on with the story...
Flight was fine after the computer problems that delayed it an hour as well (making departure 2pm) and I watched a number of films and episodes of Red Dwarf and Family Guy on the entertainment system in the back of each chair. I got to see some of Siberia from the window before the clouds set in - I didn't get around to getting the camera out so I'm afraid I don't have pictures of that. Still it was nice to see what I was missing out on after changing my plans.
As we came in on approach to Tokyo Narita International the scenery was fantastic as erupting mountains gave way to the perpendicular thatch-work of rice field streams, which in turn became more industrialised and built up as we neared the airport. Again everything went smooth; down the stairs, along the corridors and then we hit Immigration. Guess who was blacklisted when they entered my details? o_O
I thought I'd just filled out the form incorrectly when I was asked into the office. Anyway, after looking at my tickets and passport and tapping away on his computer the immigration guy let me go on my way. I still don't know exactly why, he never said.
After that I picked up my bags and got on the 1 hour express journey into Tokyo. Using the trains and subway was as easy as pie, no trouble at all, I just flash my Japan Rail Pass to the man in the ticket booth and I'm off. The subway's a little more in depth as I do have to pay for it but once you can read an underground map you're sorted.
On the way to Tokyo from Narita Airport.
...My first sighting of McDonalds!
The architecture in Japan is very space economical and the chaos of wires hanging from the lamp posts is quite beautiful in an eccentric kind of way. Something that could only be pulled off in Japan though.
Since I had some time to spare on my way to the hotel I had a quick walk around Ueno Park, which also seems to have a number of big museums. I've taken a few pictures below as I was walking around But I haven't been inside the museums or indeed the zoo, so I'll be going back at some point. As it stands There's one of the National Museum of Nature and Science (that's the one with the giant blue whale tail on the left of the picture) other than that little tit-bit you'll have to wait until I go back and have a proper look around.
Oh, some of you may be a little disappointed but after walking around for a day without anything to eat but the tiny breakfast I got on the plane about 2 and a half hours before landing I felt like my stomach was going to shrivel up and die. So I caught a subway to Akihabara and had my first official Japanese meal: McDonalds' Large Fries and Coke ^_^
I've eyed up a few places while I was there though so I'll eat properly tomorrow. Promise.
First of all, that trepidation I was mentioning in my previous posts and to some people back home fluttered far away as soon as I sat down on the, admittedly 1 hour late, bus.
The bus ride was pretty uneventful once it got underway and I tried to catch as much shut-eye as I could. Getting to Heathrow was a breeze as was going through security and finding the terminal and gate.
I was going to do a post from there to let everyone know but I couldn't find a free wifi point or one I could get free with a cup of tea or something. It doesn't really matter that much as there wouldn't have been anyhing of real substance to talk about.
Anyway, on with the story...
Flight was fine after the computer problems that delayed it an hour as well (making departure 2pm) and I watched a number of films and episodes of Red Dwarf and Family Guy on the entertainment system in the back of each chair. I got to see some of Siberia from the window before the clouds set in - I didn't get around to getting the camera out so I'm afraid I don't have pictures of that. Still it was nice to see what I was missing out on after changing my plans.
As we came in on approach to Tokyo Narita International the scenery was fantastic as erupting mountains gave way to the perpendicular thatch-work of rice field streams, which in turn became more industrialised and built up as we neared the airport. Again everything went smooth; down the stairs, along the corridors and then we hit Immigration. Guess who was blacklisted when they entered my details? o_O
I thought I'd just filled out the form incorrectly when I was asked into the office. Anyway, after looking at my tickets and passport and tapping away on his computer the immigration guy let me go on my way. I still don't know exactly why, he never said.
After that I picked up my bags and got on the 1 hour express journey into Tokyo. Using the trains and subway was as easy as pie, no trouble at all, I just flash my Japan Rail Pass to the man in the ticket booth and I'm off. The subway's a little more in depth as I do have to pay for it but once you can read an underground map you're sorted.
On the way to Tokyo from Narita Airport....My first sighting of McDonalds!The architecture in Japan is very space economical and the chaos of wires hanging from the lamp posts is quite beautiful in an eccentric kind of way. Something that could only be pulled off in Japan though.Since I had some time to spare on my way to the hotel I had a quick walk around Ueno Park, which also seems to have a number of big museums. I've taken a few pictures below as I was walking around But I haven't been inside the museums or indeed the zoo, so I'll be going back at some point. As it stands There's one of the National Museum of Nature and Science (that's the one with the giant blue whale tail on the left of the picture) other than that little tit-bit you'll have to wait until I go back and have a proper look around.
Oh, some of you may be a little disappointed but after walking around for a day without anything to eat but the tiny breakfast I got on the plane about 2 and a half hours before landing I felt like my stomach was going to shrivel up and die. So I caught a subway to Akihabara and had my first official Japanese meal: McDonalds' Large Fries and Coke ^_^I've eyed up a few places while I was there though so I'll eat properly tomorrow. Promise.
