Not another travel Blog

Ok it's been a while since writing in this thing, I've had 4 days in Tokyo and leave for nikko in the morning. It's the first place I really wish I had an extra day at. It's just been soo busy I really haven't stopped. I decided that tonight I'd have a bit of time just relaxing, catch up on washing (clothes washing not 'me' washing) and fill in this entry.
Right so let's start at day one. After arriving on time and somehow figuring the tube system to Asakusa, I was left with the simple job of finding the hostel. Because my flight had been brought forward a day, I'd be staying somewhere for one night and then another for the following 3. I followed this little map to the letter and yet 25 minutes in i hadn't found squat. I asked a few people and they tried to help as much as they could but kept implying that I was quite a way away. I was sure I was in the right area and they just weren't sure where I was asking. I carried on, and asked the next cute girl where I was. She didn't speak a word of English but sort of implied she knew where I meant and that she could help. She then walked for the next 20 minutes, past where i'd started (seems I'd taken the first corner wrong), until I was at the door to my hostel. She smiled, laughed, bowed then left. I wasn't sure whether I'd just asked the right person at the right time. But it's really not, everyone here is like than. Everyone.

I needed to sit by this point, I hadn't the energy to leave the place so i concentrated on the basics, shower, relax, update blog, food, beer... I thought if I got the blog up to date, then I was free to relax for the night. Finally since setting off, the book was at the same point as the blog and even better news is I'd met two Americans to share a beer with, the night was done and I was ready for a first proper day.

At 4 my alarm went (off subject, I love the iPod touch, but why the hell can't you use songs for the alarm tone rather than 'strum' or 'chime' or something else equally annoying?) I was getting up for a visit to the fish Market, that place is insanely busy, I'm surprised it's even allowed. It'd be like letting people freely walk around a working cotton mill and assuming no one would get injured. There's knives everywhere and trolleys and trucks flying around with complete disregard for anything in their path. I mean these people are grafting away to make a living and here I was taking photos thinking it's all great. They must think we're mental.
After the fish Market I darted off to the imperial palace and gardens which, although a little disappointing you can't get very close (the pictures I got really are as close as possible) it was a nice way of spending the afternoon. I got back to the hostel to find this guy giving a 10 minute shiatsu massage experience to anyone willing to give it a go. And although I wasn't envious of him having to touch my soaking wet back I wasn't one to miss out on something free.





I hadn't plans for the night so when some girl came into the room wearing a kimono talking about a festival. I couldn't help but to investigate and wrangle an invite, she's the one in the pictures who looks like Mariah Carey did when she was nice, and less mental. She can also speak 3 languages and is in the process of becoming a doctor.
'Azabu-juban' festival I think it was called, Japanese have festivals seemingly daily. Have a look through the pictures, but it was nice to be around so may people all just enjoying themselves eating and drinking everywhere in sight.

Crap, I forgot to mention i visited the Asakusa temples, they were only 2 mins from our hostel and to say it didn't have too much page space in lonely planet they were stunning. I tied a prayer onto the temples ropes along with the thousands of others and strolled around for quite a while.