Galspot: Day 4: Friday 6th October

Day 4: Cheesy tour -> Shinjuku

Started day in Asakusa. Had booked a tour the previous day Hammamotsucho, one of the bus terminals near the south west of Tokyo, where most of the guided tours seemed to leave from. Being the first time I'd been in peak hour traffic, I realised how bad it actually was. Left the old hotel a little late and rushed, gave myself a good 1hr 15min to travel, but arrived late. Couldn't find the right tour company that I had booked for for ages, and when I finally found them about 5min post the original 9am start, they had already sold out the tickets! (even though I had booked). With a press of obviously touristy people wandering around, I managed to negotiate a ticket on another tour, unfortunately one that I wasn't as keen to go on as I had already visited some of the places on my first day in Tokyo. I coughed up my 5000yen(!) and was on my way.

Firstly it was a ride to Eiffel's evil twin, and a ride up to the midway level for not too impressive views - mostly because the weather was horrible outside like we were in the middle of a typhoon or something. Nice interactive computery displays on deck showing where and what all the major landmarks were in the surrounding area. Couldn't see Mt. Fuji (96km away) that day. When I finally found the exit, realised had to walk through 3 floors of gawdy and garrulous displays of cheap plastics souvenirs before the tower finally allowed me to exit. Next stop was the temple district - back in Asakusa! It was at this stage that I got my friend LP out to see how far this place was from the old hotel - and realised I didn't have it with me! After searching through the entirety of all 11kg of my combined backpacks, I realised that I had left it in the hotel in Asakusa. I quickly took a few happy snaps and gave my 100yen worth of prayer at the temple, and dashed out into the rain, with only my memory from my first night wandering Asakusa to guide me, and with another 30min before the bus would leave without me (and all my belongings). Wading through rain and scattered puddles, I finally found the Skycourt Asakusa, ran in, found ol' LP (which I had left in the bathroom), grabbed it, and ran back out into the rain. Quite fatigued, I half ran-puffed back the way I came, and luckily made it back with 5min - totally soaked. Oh well. Next stop - the Pearl Gallery.

Not totally clear on where I was, we were taken upstairs for a demonstration and display of how some guy discovered a new way of harvesting and growing pearls using a giant oyster and rehersed humour. Had a lucky draw for a free pearl which i didn't win, then we were once again marched through numerous displays of pearls, quite beautiful, but way beyond my budget, before being set free. The courtesy bus offered a ride to my hotel, or at least nearby, which I took. Unfortunately the traffic was once again terrible (maybe it was always like this) and it took over 1.5 hours to get to near my hotel. I took a nap.

When I couldn't think the weather could get any worse, I was dropped off about 1.5km from my destination and with my overloaded backpack, and I would say easily 100kmh winds, I trodded across the concrete laden government building

courtyard area eventually arrived at my hotel. I dumped my stuff, had a shower, changed into fresh dry stuff, and made my way out looking for a decent meal (I hadn't had any meals yet that day). Most of the entries in LP were either non-findable, or more probably closed down already, but I eventually found a ramen place by the name of ..., that I had passed a few times already because the first word of the name didn't match up with the one the in LP. Fed myself, then made my way to the infamous Kabukicho red-light district, which unfortunately wasn't too exciting - lots of bright neon advertisements strewn around the place, people walking around, hawkers and peddlers scattered

here and there, but generally not too different from the usual Japan that I had so far experienced. Found my way back to the ramen post wanderings, had another delicious fatty ramen meal, this time with the lot, and then made my way into a little narrow bar squished between 2 three storey buildings. Spending a few hours with LP in one hand, and various assorted spirits in the other, I entertained myself with trying to communicate with the Japanese waiters, observing the patrons that frequented the place, and reading various exerpts from my good friend LP.