Tokyo Nights

I’m not in Japan anymore :(

I’m in Thailand, on a sleeper train bound for Suratthani,
from where I’ll catch the ferry to Koh Phangan. I’ve never
been to Koh Phangan, despite the fact I used to see it’s
hazy outline every day from the beach in Bophut.

My final three nights in Tokyo were amazing! I had
expected a quiet end to the trip, and in fact I had
started to wish I could’ve just gone straight to Thailand
after Nagoya. I wanted to go out on a high, and I worried
that I’d hang around Tokyo with fading memories.

I had changed my booking from 2 nights in a cheap hostel
a little north of the city to 2 nights in K’s House, where
my trip had begun. I knew that Sebastian was staying there,
so I decided a friendly face might help my last few days
pass easier.

In the end, I never made it to my dorm bed on either of
those nights. My first stop in Tokyo was the Sheraton Grande
in Tokyo Bay, courtesy of Andrew. It was most definitely the
fanciest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, and it was in Tokyo Bay,
yo! It was incredibly surreal and amazing, and, well, I'm
keeping it for myself, so therefore that's all I'm writing.

We did play crazy golf in the rain though!

The next day Andrew left for Osaka and I headed for K’s,
where I bumped into Sebastian, Meta, the girl who I went
out for sushi with on my second night in Tokyo, Rebecca,
who I’d last seen in Nagoya, 2 girls I’d met in Hiroshima,
plus a couple of other people I’d briefly met at various
other hostels. There was one guy called Jamie who I
remembered from Tokyo part 1, and he had just moved in
to his own place but was visiting the guys at K’s.
Couldn’t keep away I guess… I know the feeling.

So much for a quiet end to my time in Japan. We hung around
the hostel for a while and then went to a place called
Stella’s, a karaoke bar. I sung my little heart out all
night long, until I literally had no voice left. People
slowly began disappearing off to bed until there was about
4 of us left.  Finally it was me and Jamie, so we
decided to go for a 5am jog around Sensi-jo Temple, the
most famous temple in Tokyo. My god, I’ve only just
realised now I’m writing it down how awesome that sounds.
Awesome or ridiculous? I’m going for awesome.

We got back to the hostel at 5.30 for a cup of tea and a
20 minute nap on the sofa, then Sebastian came down at 6am
and the three of us headed off to the fish market. I think
I was still drunk, which probably isn’t the best way to be
when you’re trying to dodge carts and raw fish. It most
definitely made it a more surreal experience though!

Writing all this down is making my heart ache. I wish I
had appreciated the absurdity of the situation more at the
time. I miss Japan!

I needed to be checked out by 11am, so Jamie amazingly
offered up his new place for me to catch up on much
needed sleep. We went back to the hostel, was checked
out by 8am and then we caught the train to his. Sleeeeep.
I think I finally left at something stupid like 5pm, and
went to my CAPSULE!!

I got absolutely soaking wet on the walk there, and arrived
with water literally pouring down my face. I’ve probably
never looked hotter. I was given a lovely locker for the
remains of my sodden shoes, and headed up to the 8th floor
to investigate my bed for the night.

Oh my, I LOVE capsule hotels. I don’t think I’ve ever felt
cosier. I expected it to feel cramped and claustrophobic,
but it was actually really roomy. There was enough room to
sit up and turn around and probably even do a roly poly if
I felt like it. There’s a little TV screen and a mirror and
a clock radio, plus switches for lights and god knows what.
You also get a clothes locker, where there’s a towel and
some pyjamas!

I dumped my stuff and went upstairs for my second public
bath experience. I had the whole place to myself, again!
I feel like a cheat! Then I put my lovely pyjamas on and
went down into the common room, where I made friends with
a couple of French boys who were stuck in Tokyo til the 1st
May, because of the ash cloud! Gutted. I think they thought
I looked pretty hot in my lime green Pjs though. Then I
clambered into my capsule for a bloody good sleep. I’m
going to set up a capsule hotel in Sheffield, I reckon
it’ll go down a storm.

Soo, on the morning of the 23rd I caught the train to the
airport, got my flight, arrived in Bangkok, sweated a bit,
got a taxi to my hostel, sweated a bit more, got upgraded
to a double room, got some sleep, checked out at 11 and
went round to Lynette’s new apartment, where she was kind
enough to let me crash for the night. We ordered food on
the INTERNET, and it came and we ate it; this country
seriously has that shit figured out.

What I love about being in Bangkok these days is I’ve
done all the tourist things, so I don’t put any pressure
on myself to get out and do anything! That sounds horribly
lazy, but you know you’d feel the same! Bangkok was my
weekend.

So that brings us to the here and now!  No more real
plans as such, but watch this space!