travel part 3

I slept a little better, but I was still up early. At 4 am I woke and putzed around for about an hour. Then I forced myself back to bed for a nap until the alarm woke me. ... Shower, suit, tie, breakfast, then off to work.

The meetings went. They were good. Productive in a Japanese way.

From there it was off to Senseji Temple. This is the big old temple. Very popular. It seemed much busier, and less respectful than the other temples. Still impressive. All around it were street vendors and shops. Tons. I tried a few different street foods. A softball sized steamed dumpling filled with something vaguely resembling curry. Sweet little soft doughnut like waffles the size of dominoes. And a few other oddities. Most were less than a dollar. Why not? And I picked up a few touristy tidbits.

Lunch was late, but really good. There were plenty of other ethnicities to choose from, including KFC, McDonald’s and Baskin Robbins, but I chose a Japanese place that looked interesting and had a good crowd. It was shoes-off at the door, and thin pillowmatts around low tables. I ordered by pointing at pictures on the menu. Point-n-smile works good here. This is an easy city to be without the local language.

Some observations:

The subway - clean and easy. $2 will take you nearly anywhere. The cars are comfortable but built for short people. The locals all bring books and use the time to read. The few conversations are at a whisper.

Roads - there is no honking. Beeps are rare and not abrasive.

Bicycles - are nearly everywhere. I’m told the relationship between bikes and cars is pretty good. The law here says that any time a car strikes an ped or bike, it’s the cars fault. Regardless. As far as the bikes go, I’ve seen it all: english pedal pushers, racing bikes, mtn bikes, fixies, there is no limit and there doesn’t appear to be an general esthetic. Couriers are common. Many couriers are on fixies or singles, more ride with only a rear derailer. They tend to go bare bones on one look or another. Lock-and-lean is common. Unlocked bikes are frequently seen.

For a great article and courier photos: http://www.cogmag.com/02/bicycle-messengers-of-tokyo-ja.html

Dinner was a seafood place near the hotel. Again I relied on pictures on the menu. One waitress new some English, but you could tell she was stretched. The place specialized in snow crab, with a big tank in the entryway. Dinner included a crab gratin (great), grilled crab (you gotta see the pictures), crab tempura (delicious), rice, miso, tea, and some tidbits. It was a steal at $40. I couldn’t eat it all.

I just got back to the hotel after going up into the Tokyo Tower at night. Wow this city is big.

more later...