Asakusa & Odaiba

After our horrible package tour experience in Shanghai some 7 months back, we've sworn it off for good! So yes I rather get lost in a city than being lugged around in a bus by some bitchy queer with a microphone. You end up having no recollection of the wonderful city (I have to go back someday) other than the jewelry and medicine factories they forced you to go to.  Which btw, don't ever buy anything from those because they're all so expensive and FAKES!! 

So we're on our own in Tokyo.  Really great as we manage our own schedule, or the non-schedule.  We can stay up late and wake up later!  Seriously, I've witnessed bajillions of sunsets, but only heard about glorious sunrise.  I faintly remember 'breakfast' from my elementary school days when my mother had to haul us out of bed and fed us. :)

Today began as we set foot outside in search for place to lunch.  Funny that when we're abroad, the day is always highlighted with where to have our next meal.  My sister being the local there, planned to take us to this place where they served the best ramen of some sort, unfortunately the place was packed when we got there so we had to settle for a sushi place next door.  It wasn't bad but it's normal.  We set foot again, walk around Ikebukuro a bit and found a quaint coffee house that serves Key Coffee and so we went in, sit, smoke, and chat with the old man who run the place.  We strolled around the block and see some of the many previously-owned-signature-bags stores that are scattered all around Tokyo.   We're liking this schedule very much, hehe.  But we do have an itinerary, sort of.  We're going to Asakusa and Odaiba that day.  And it's commencing very soon, as soon as Chikara-san arrives.

Tokyo has one of the most impressive and effective train system, I believe, in the world.  Because we don't understand Japanese at all, we were blindly being led by Pincky and Chikasa.  We're able to confirmed very early on this trip that everything in Tokyo is indeed expensive, especially transportation fare. We would have 10 thousands of yen in our wallet but dissing very very rapidly.

ASAKUSA KANNON TEMPLE

We finally arrived Asakusat via fast train.  Before approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of the Sensoji and symbol of Asakusa.  A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon.  Besides typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area are sold along the Nakamise. It was an interesting walk that took us longer than admiring the actual temple.  Beyond the Hozomon main gate stands the temple's main building and a five storied pagoda.