Our first day without M to fend off the paparazzi. Or mostly to speak Japanesa. His worries for us were unnecessary. In fact, we got around so well, people thought we were Japanese (well, besides the obvious appearance factor). I nearly fooled myself. I've heard it said that I have a knack for directions. And alright, I'll say it, I am pretty good. Everyone has their talents, and this is mine. Perhaps for the next family talent show we can all pile in the sub, blind fold me, go somewhere crazy, and I will tell you exactly where we are. At every turn. Just call me Shirley Holmes.
Stepping off the train at Nikko, I knew I'd made a mistake. Tokyo was hot hot heat but Nikko= frigid. Of course, B and I were in summer attire. We succumbed to the little Japanese lady selling Ponchos and bought two, just in case. And it's a good thing. One word: monsoon. Or is it typhoon? I'm not really sure. It may be something else entirely. All I know is that one second, things were chilly but dry. In the blink of an eye, it was a torrential downpour. I can safely say that I have never seen rain like this in my life. But when you're in Japan, there's no time to wait it out, so off we trekked to Tokugawa's house.
All y'all: put Nikko on your bucket list. Now. Everyone must go there. It may just be one of the most amazing places in the world. Nikko, home of the legendary shogun, Tokugawa. The 3 main sites are in a mountainous area. Perfectly picturesque. And though it may have been a pain, the crashing thunder and downpour contributed to the ambiance quite nicely.
After Nikko, we made the trek back to Tokyo. Then, it was off to Ginza, 5th Avenue of Tokyo. It was glorious, dazzling, classy, hands down one of grandest shopping streets I've ever set foot on.
You may be wondering about the surrealism factor of this post. Well, here's what happened. B and I went into one of the biggest department stores in Ginza- a bit like Harrod's with one slight difference. There were more workers than I could possibly count. And each of them stood at attention at their stations, bowing and saying "welcome (in Japanese)" as we passed. It was surreal and completely out of this world. I felt like the queen of England. 1. No one else was in the store. 2. B and I walked slowly through, Japanese workers lined the way, perfectly still except for a mini bow as we passed. 3. Let's not forget to mention the creepy, surreal elevator music playing in the background. It was fairly unnerving.
Last, but certainly not least: Fruit.
Apparently, fruit is a nice gift in Japan. And I mean, very nice.
$126 Cherries. Taste-bud Tantalizers.
$270 Melons. Fit for a Queen.
Are you serious about the fruit?!?!? My first thought is, "I would REALLY be mad if my kids wasted their food." Then again, maybe they'd be more intrigued to try it, knowing it was for the rich and famous?
ReplyDeleteProbably not.
Now you've got me itching to jump on a plane to Nikko! BEAUTIFUL!
yes, you are fairly magnificent with directions.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing we ever did was buy those ponchos. I thought they were really high quality, in comparison to every other disposable poncho I have have used. And the rain did contribute to the ambiance of Nikko I suppose.
Mad should live in Ginza, it was that classy.
I still cannot believe the price of those mangoes!