One layover, two jumbo sized suitcases and fifteen hours later, finally arrived on Japanese soil. Though, to my dismay, I would have to add another four hours on top of that. From Narita to Kanagawa was quite some road trip… That’s like half the time needed from Toronto to New York! So all in all, despite arriving in Japan at around 2:30pm, I didn’t really get to Japan till around 6:45pm.
No journey of mine comes without a little challenge. Kanagawa brought me rain (and so did Arakawa, North West Tokyo, as I’ll explain later). Tugging on two suitcases and a hand-carry bag in the rain for the fifteen minutes felt like eternity. Though luckily I was not alone, or that would’ve been…. Nah, I would’ve just hailed a taxi. I don’t quite know why we didn’t. But anyways, made it that much more memorable. Really goes to show how much I do in the name of travelling, really exerts my closet man-skills that my dad had apparently equipped me with whilst growing up. Considering it was between, my mom, my older sister, or me, when he needed help… I guess it gave me some stamina perhaps. Lol.
Anyways. the best part of going through all that, is the feeling you get from finally stepping indoors, taking off those layers of sogginess, taking a shower, drinking hot tea, and most of all… snuggling under a kotatsu whilst watching Shabekuri 007! And then passing out fifteen minutes in. That’s the good stuff.
Thus, concluding my day one.
Day two! Off into the city. Revisiting some old gems. Went to Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City Namja Town. On the way passing by the Gigantic Takoyaki Ball store (as featured in shabekuri). The crepe store next door was doing really well, had a daily special, only 70yen for a piece of crepe! Too bad, can’t do much of a review on that since I was busy with my Mentaiko Kimchi Cheese Takoyaki. Yeah~
We split this thing three-ways and it was just about right. Don’t think it’s really meant for a solo devour, though I’m sure there are some people who could eat this as a meal… or a snack. Perhaps, it was just all the bloated-ness from long flights that pulled my appetite down. But anyhow, they are really worth a try, I wasn’t really sure what I was picking up and eating (what with three chopsticks making a move on it) but it was really good. Nice and hot. I’m originally not exceptionally a takoyaki fan, but if you are you’d appreciate it’s “bakudan” bomb version. They also have quite the array of different toppings to choose from.
Diagonally across from this stand is Tokyu Hands. Took the opportunity to head up and grab myself one of those five year diaries, was contemplating getting a ten year one, like the one they featured in the drama Magerarenai Onna, but decided five years was the safer way to go for now. Can’t wait to start using it commencing 2011 new years. Hope I’ll be able to keep it up… for five years. :)
