A Long Monday!

Yesterday (Monday) was about 36 hours long for me, and I spent 24 of it trying to get home!

Alan, Yuka, and Kent came to my hotel for the buffet breakfast and to help take my suitcase back to their apartment.  We went back to Midtown Park one more time.  They are still having the festival, and they had some ukuleles for people to try.  Of course, Kent had to try one!

Around 2 pm, we all took the train to Tokyo Station where we said our goodbyes.  The train ride to the airport is an express of 45 minutes.  For the first 35-40 minutes it goes by dense housing with high-rise apartments.  It's amazing how many people live in the area! The last few minutes go by rice paddies.

I had a couple of hours to spend in the American lounge and get a snack.  When I got to the plane, I had the same seat that I had coming, and a flight attendant asked if I hadn't arrived with them a week ago!  This time I was able to sleep for about 5 hours...in pieces...which is all the sleep I got in 36 hours.

Immigration and customs were so much better than last year in Chicago!  I used the Mobile Passport phone app, which let me go through the short line for immigration.  (I have applied for Global Entry, but it's been six weeks, and they haven't even yet reviewed my application.)  I picked up my bag and no one looked at it before I got to the place to re-check it.

My connection to RDU was almost 5 hours, and there were a few earlier flights, but was told there were only standby seats, so I just waited.  Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for over an hour, so I didn't get to RDU until after 1 am!

Eating breakfast with Grandma

Hotel buffet. We ate later so it was almost empty 

Going back through the big fish

Riding the train to Tokyo Station

Admirals Club in Narita Airport

Food bar in the lounge

Fancy stores in the airport

Appetizer for dinner

Dallas Airport

Finally leaving Dallas

More later!

I didn't write up yesterday in Tokyo..but that is really still today!  The power outlets in the aircraft cabin weren't working and I didn't have enough battery to use my computer much.  Right now I'm at my layover in Dallas, and am too tired to write anything coherent, so check back after I get home!

American Club & Takeshita Street

We had two outings on my last full day in Tokyo.  First, we took a taxi to the Tokyo American Club, which has really nice facilities for its members.  There is a full-sized pool and also a kiddie area where Kent played.

We ate lunch at one of their favorite places.  Then, after naps, we took the train to Takeshita Street, which is a tourist attraction/young people shopping area near one of the train stations.  The street is pedestrian only, and is so crowded it's hard to walk through.  I wanted to spend more time in the Daiso (100 Yen) store and there is one there.  The store is also so crowded that it's hard to get around, but it has lots of good stuff and I wanted to spend time looking around.  There are a few things that cost more than 100 yen, but it's like a Dollar Tree on steroids!

I bought (among other things!) a set of "trainer chopsticks".  They are too short for my hands, but they have rubber rings and I put those onto a full-sized set, and I plan on practicing with them!

Entrance to the American Club

View of Tokyo from the top of the American Club

Fun in the water!

Really good lunch

This is the street that Takeshita Street comes off of.
There are mobs of people waiting at the crosswalk.

Entrance to Takeshita Street

My favorite store!

There are four levels of "stuff"!

Of course!

It costs $2.00 for 10 minutes

Cyber security public announcements
 using art and tropes from comics for young girls

"Don't use a weak password"!

"Trainer" chopsticks!

Aqua City Odaiba

Our main outing today was a drive to Aqua City Odaiba, which is a big shopping center/office complex built on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay.  Alan booked a car with a car-share company, and was brave enough to drive in Tokyo on the "wrong" side of the road.  It was pretty scary! (But not because he was driving.)

We crossed the Rainbow Bridge over to the island and parked in the deck.  We passed a pet store and just had to stop.  The people here (at least in Tokyo) are really serious about pampering their dogs!  Most of the dogs we see are the small fluffy kind, and many are wearing clothes.

The next stop was Toys r Us....which seems to be thriving in Tokyo.  It was packed with shoppers.  The "toy noise" was almost deafening!  Kent picked out a toy for Grandma to buy for him.

Then, we ate lunch in the food court.  There's a Burger King, but we got Japanese food.  I had a noodle/vegetable bowl, but the only fork they had were kiddie forks, so I had to make do!  It came with a spoon, but it's not one you can eat with since it's so deep.  I think it's for scooping up bits to pick up with chopsticks.

We spent a few minutes in the "100 Yen" store, but Kent was needing his nap, and we needed to return the car, so had to hurry back.

After nap, we played with the new toys!

Alan driving from the right side!

View across the bay from the highway

Monorail going over

Rainbow Bridge

Headquarters of Fuji TV

Entrance to mall

Puppies...only $3,500 to $7,000 or so!

Clothes for pets

Dog strollers

Creepy toy!  I think you can pull out his organs!

Kent's choice....but we didn't get one that big!

Buzzer for lunch in the food court

Lots of veggies!  And a little fish and jellyfish.

Looking at Tokyo from the promenade area
Not sure why they have a Statue of Liberty!

Panorama view across the bay

Storm clouds brewing

Aqua City & Fuji TV

Looking back at the Rainbow Bridge

Retro American store in the mall

Elevated highway

The tall building in the middle is Alan's Google office.

Playing with his new "Sylvanian Family"