I am familiar with the Narita Airport as I’ve stopped over several times. Getting through customs was quick and easy and my bag was waiting on the conveyer belt when I got to the baggage claim area!
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| eConnect's Pocket Wifi |
My first stop was the terminal two post office to pick up a pocket Wifi device I had ordered over the Internet from the company eConnect. They mail the device to you anywhere in Japan. The package comes with an extra battery pack and a returning envelope. When you leave the country, you put everything in the enclosed envelope and drop it in a mailbox on your way out. It's so convenient and it allows one to have fast and almost unlimited (1GB+/day) Wifi all over Japan!
My next stop was the information counter at the airport. I wanted confirmation on the best way to get into the city. I had done my research and they gave me the same information. It was ¥1,290 to get into Tokyo via the City Skyaccess
train. It is a direct train that goes to the tourist area of Asakusa, which was where my
hostel was. So far, everything was working out smoothly!
Finding the guesthouse was easier than expected. The hostel, Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki, was minutes away
from the train station making it a very convenient place to stay. It was clean, quiet and comfortable. Check-in time was 3pm but I arrived early. Thankfully, the guesthouse has a locked storage room where one can leave their luggage.
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| Tokyo's Senso-ji temple |
My first stop was the
Senso-ji temple. It was very busy and not too exciting. Living in Asia for so long has me templed out. It’s a beautiful
temple and people watching was fun but the temple itself didn’t blow me away.
It wasn't too different from those in Taiwan.
After the temple, I wandered around looking
for something to eat. I came across a small grocery store and went inside out of curiosity. I saw zucchini and figured they'd have cherry radishes as well. A package of five sold for ¥98. I bought two packages along with some Inari sushi and went back to the hostel to eat.
The day was hot. It was 32ºC with a RealFeel
of 38ºC. Going
back to an air-conditioned hostel was a good idea.
I got into my room after my late lunch
and took some time to rest and charge my phone. I had been awake since 3am
and had heavy eyes. I didn’t want to sleep but needed to recharge.
Around 4:30, I walked over to
the Tokyo Skytree tower. The skies were blue making it an excellent day to go up to the observatory and look down on the huge city of Tokyo!
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| The 450m observatory |
There are two observatory floors in the
tower. It cost ¥2,030 to go up to the 350m observatory. Once there, you can buy
another ticket for ¥1,060 for the 450m observatory. It was lovely to overlook Tokyo
from high in the sky while the sun was setting!
My tummy started grumbling and I was exhausted from a full day. I found a tiny ramen restaurant near the hostel. I ordered spicy Schezuan sesame noodles and a cold beer. Dinner was ¥1,500 but it was only OK.
I hit the Family Mart on my way back to the guesthouse for some water and a
tall beer. I took a coldish
shower and was thrilled with the amenities that the hostel offered. The room had shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tissues, ear buds, a hair dryer and toilet
paper. I wondered if all the hostels would be this way?! Perhaps I brought more than needed.
My new bed and the a/c were welcoming and they both made for a very good sleep on my first night in Tokyo. I fell asleep with a big grin on my face excited for the next day!
Shinjuku has some wonderful architecture and as I spun around in circles looking up in awe, I noticed "YAMARENT" in big green letters from a window high up in the sky. Yes! Google neglected to mention the store was on the 6th floor.
