So we got to Kyoto station, bought our tickets for the bullet train, and then went to get breakfast. We ate at a little french restaurant inside the station, it was actually pretty good.
Since this is a travel day for us, not too many pictures or videos because we were hauling luggage around. By now, our luggage has gotten a lot heavier, and we were carrying additional pieces as we were loading up on souvenirs.
I will say though, Kyoto station is one of the most beautiful train stations I have ever been in. The architecture is amazing, and the building itself is massive. There are multiple floors, multiple entry ways, there are multiple train lines running through, and it is so beautiful. The top floor is an observation deck, we stopped there for a bit to relax since we had time to kill before our next train.
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| Kyoto Station |
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| Kyoto Station |
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| Kyoto tower in the distance, from the Kyoto Station Observation Deck |
While we were waiting on the platform for our train, I remember getting a little teary eyed. It was Sunday so lots of folks were beginning to head back to work and school. One thing I did see was a family on the platform all talking to one kid, who was dressed up. The were talking and hugging and taking photos.
A train arrived and the kid, who was probably a college kid, but he did look very young, gave a big hug and a bow to everyone. He grabbed his bag and got on the train, and he went to the window. His family was waving and wiping tears from their eyes and soon the train was off (trains in Japan typically only stay at each station for less than 30 seconds, that's another topic!).
As they family watched the train disappear after the curve they start walking back to the stairs. Even though I didn't understand, I knew a good bye when I saw one. It was a big nostalgic and made me a little home sick. The train was bound for Tokyo and guessing how he was dressed, he was going to school or to work for a big company.
Saying good bye is always hard. Even after several years of living away from home, it still is hard to say good bye. Having the whole family out - parents, siblings, grand parents, and probably even cousins, looked like they were all very proud of their loved one who was off to do fun things in Tokyo.
Our train pulled up next and it was our turn to get to Tokyo. We got a special train, this one was an express training that had only two stops before getting to Tokyo. I was really excited to see how fast this one could go.
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| While it looks confusing, it's actually easy to read. |
No pictures or videos of this train, again we had a lot of luggage and only about 30 seconds to hop on the train.
When we arrived in Tokyo, we were in the infamous Tokyo station. This building is huge and a major transit hub in Japan. So many rail lines, subway, metro, and other train stations stop there. There are bus terminals, and a lot of cabs on the surface. It is a major place to be.
Fortunately, we had one other stopped after we got to Tokyo. We were staying in Akihabara - or electric town. This part of Tokyo used to be where folks could go and buy just about every electric part possible. It is now a massive center dedicated to manga, anime, and geek culture.
It's essentially geek capital.
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| Akihabara Tokyo |
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| This was a cool building - just an electronics store though! |
We were staying in the Dormy Inn. A Japanese style hotel with an outdoor, rooftop onsen. It also had free breakfast in the morning. While I didn't get any pictures of the Inn, you can check it out in the following link: https://www.hotespa.net/hotels/akihabara/
The rooftop Onsen was the best, especially after a long day of walking.
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| From the above website, not my photo. |
So after we check in, and drop off our stuff. We go exploring to find a place to eat. Well, we happen to come across a British Pub. We figured it'd be a good place, after a long day of travel. It was here we met some fellow westerners and started a night on the town.
After some food and pints, we all decided we had to do karaoke. After all, we were in Japan! So off we were - two Latinos, a Norwegian guy, an Australian guy, and an Irish guy off to sing some songs.
After our two hours of Karaoke, we went to finish our drinking in Roppongi. Roppongi is a part of Tokyo were many westerners stay. It's definitely more for foreigners, with signs in English and popular American chains present - TGI Fridays, Hooters, Carl's Jr. Our friends were excited, Josh and I felt indifferent. We could eat all of those in America.
Anyways, we ended up having some beer in TGI Friday's because it was still open, when typically other bars were closing for a Sunday night. It was time to say farewell, we went off our separate ways but I'll always remember that great time we all had together.
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| Tokyo Tower at night - preview for our next day. |
We got back to the Dormy Inn and fell asleep - the next day was a big day - we were going to Tokyo Tower!
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