Last Night Shift In Tokyo’s Womb

Day 5 Part 2

I can’t sleep so I shower, then start getting ready to go out for round two of this day. The others wake at some point after and do the same.

I am first to the lobby, just in time to see Roomie’s new friend from a few nights ago walk in. We talk until the other two arrive, then hail a cab and head to Shibuya. It has been too long since we last ate, so we stop into a little spot close to our destination for a quick bite to eat. What are the chances, but they are playing old school hip hop and R&B, reminiscent of Bestie and I’s teen club days. Although it is after 1 am, this place is packed.

We are seated at the very back in a triangle shaped booth-like room that separates us from the main area. It feels exclusive which I like. The pre drink kicks off; I stick with water because I’m holding out for Red Bull at the club. The meal is quick, and we bounce to the nightclub Womb just up the street. Roomie decides it’s not her vibe and splits, Bestie and I know it’s exactly our vibe and prance into the club like schoolgirls. We are going to be doing this until 100.

This is what I live for. I don’t even dance but enjoy the debauchery. It’s not hard to find my drink, there’s a Red Bull vending machine on the third floor. No surprise there, Japan has a vending machine for everything. Bestie dances as usual. I exchange awkward moments with strangers who brave the heavy beats to shout small talk at me in an English I don’t understand. It’s easy for things to get lost in translation and I’m amused by their efforts.

DJ Mark Knight finishes his set and it’s close to five am. Bestie and I pull a sneaky maneuver to ditch the clingers collected over the past few hours and exit onto the street. Simultaneously donning sunglasses, we look for a taxi to whisk us away. After a few attempts to explain where we are going the driver finally figures it out and we are en route to our home base in Shinjuku.

Shortly after arriving in our room there is a knock at the door. This is where the youngsters come to after party and it looks like this morning is no exception. It’s Pretty Lady, a fellow trip mate. Still in her dress, as are we, I throw her some joggers and a t-shirt, and we all change into our comfy’s to swap stories in the park. Pretty Lady’s night has ours’ beat for sure.

The hotel restaurant starts serving breakfast at 7 am; so we head back to grab food then part ways to get some sleep. The alarm is set for 11 am and Roomie is first on the priority list if we haven’t heard from her by then.

Good Morning Kyoto

Sunday May 3 Day 5

Day 5 Part 1

Good morning Kyoto! I literally shout it from the window and our neighbor echoes back. This is going to be a good day once I get some breakfast. My stomach has been growling since just before dinner last night. Today’s itinerary is the busiest of the trip. We meet with our guide out front of the hotel just before 8 am. One of my favorite parts of this trip is that we are taking public transit; you really get the “lay of the land” this way. When you mingle with the commoners it gives a glimpse into what life is like in a city. Thankfully we have a guide that knows the route and the native tongue, so we get a taste of the town without the stress of having to navigate.

Our first stop of the day, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and to get to it we must climb the mountain. Well not really, the Japanese have thought of everything and there are streets comprised of shops leading most of the way. Now that’s how to motivate a girl. Impressed, I skip past, making note of a few places to stop in on my way back down.

This place is like a fortune themed amusement park equipped with a Magic Mountain, games, and a fountain of wish water for drinking. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get any better than this.

I try my hand and heart at a game of luck, or love, or both. The object is to successfully walk from one rock to the other, which is 18 meters away. With your eyes closed. Without bumping into anyone. Or else what? If I did make it across I would find true love (or at least that’s how I interpreted the English translation). It didn’t mention what would happen if I didn’t make it though.

I made it across! Albeit with a little unsolicited help from the sidelines. I thought those do-gooders had jinxed me forever, but thanks to my faithful friend Wikipedia, I now know different. If someone guides you than there will be a “middle-man” (or woman) that assists in the process. Hey, I’m not fussy, I’m just hoping this true love will come in something other than dog form, middle-person or not.

On the way back down Magic Mountain I pick up a Kimono clad Hello Kitty stuffed toy for my niece and look for a Gundam Wing Toy for a friend. I make it back to the meet spot on time and we are off to the next destination, Nijo Castle.

This is a far cry from the bright lights, big city vibe of Tokyo and more in line with what I was hoping to see in Japan. The structures are so elaborate and well designed. This castle even comes fully loaded with a “nightingale floor” that sings when stepped on. Maybe sings is not the word, since it’s more like a creek. Whatever the sound, it’s effective and was devised to give warning of intruders.

Time for lunch. I finally get to add Ramen to my authentic Japanese meal schedule. The ladies and I pick a happening joint to indulge. It’s delicious, no surprise there, not for Bestie and I anyway. Roomie has a bit of a different experience. I need to add here that she is a vegetarian because that becomes important now. After the meal we are told that though the ingredients in the bowl might not be meat products, the broth is pork based, and that goes for all authentic Ramen folks. Needless to say Roomie was not impressed.

The last stop of our day is a mad house, crowds of people packed tightly along this narrow path leading around a pond. Everyone is moving at a very slow pace, so it takes a few minutes to get far enough in to see what the crowd draw is. Kinkaku-ji, another temple, but a golden one. The trail gives us a 360 degree view of it, and an opportunity to take some great photos. Even the monks can’t resist.

I don’t know how it’s possible but I’ve wandered off on my own again, and am the last to join our group on the other side of the temple. We are now on a sprint to Kyoto station to catch a bullet train back to Tokyo at 4:56 pm. It is not the first time I am told that the trains are so punctual you can set your watch by them, and it is no joke.

I grab a nap again on the train, and once back in Tokyo Bestie and I go impromptu shoe shopping in Shibuya before heading back to the hotel. We execute the same plan as before; to sleep until midnight, get up, get ready, and stay out until dawn. The nightclub Womb is hosting UK DJ Mark Knight and I intend to be there. With alarm set for eleven we lay down for some shuteye.

Day 4: Part 1

Saturday May 2 Day 4

Day 4: Part 1

We get into our room just after 5 am, I wake Bestie up and we each pack our overnight bags. Today we are going to Kyoto via Bullet Train, and I skip a great view of Mt. Fuji to catch up on some sleep. Arrival time is right around lunch so we head straight for food after leaving the station, which by the way almost never happened.

When we get off the train I’m groggy from sleep and get lazy with my outfit selection, forgetting I’m wearing a long dress and kicks. Considering that I buy long dresses with the intent to rock a 6-inch heel, there is a lot more dress to manage in flats. Back in the train station, I’m heading down the escalator, and at the half way point Bestie and I both notice that I’m caught. We frantically begin yanking at the dress to free it and me because I am 3 seconds away from being eaten whole. In 0.5 seconds that dress was coming off, it was hiked up to my waist when Bestie finally broke me lose. We shared a laugh over how “Workplace Safety Video” it felt. The moral of this story is, when wearing a long dress and kicks, take the elevator.

Right, lunch! We dash across the street and I grab some curry Udon that tastes just like something my mom would make, a welcomed reminder of home. Little did I know that this would be the last enjoyable meal of the day, maybe I’d have taken a To Go bag.

After our meal, we head on a coach to Suntory Brewery for a tour. Might I note, at this point it has become apparent that the majority of students on our trip have been on a beer tour since we landed. The Suntory Brewery seemed like a perfect compliment to our already intoxicated team. To add to the laughs, the MC of our tour is a tiny woman closer to the floor than not, that spoke in a very high-pitched Japanese. Only Japanese. We had an English-speaking guide with us but she was not allowed to translate during the tour. At the end everyone got to sample the stock. I cheersed with my alcohol free and watched the show.

Being a somewhat chill day in comparison to our pace thus far, Bestie decides it would be nice to experience a traditional Japanese meal. Since Kyoto is not a town known necessarily for its nightlife, Roomie and I agree. Our guide gives us a recommendation and reservations are set for 7 pm sharp.

Yep, another Two Part day.