Most week days I just worked, before returning to my rented appartment to collapse. My working hours were longer than in the UK and I had to deal with the Japanese underground. One morning the train was late, so the journey was even worse than usual. You think that the carriage is full and noone else can fit in, then at least 20 more people manage to squash in! This one morning, there were so many people that it was like a bad game of sardines. Due to my height I ended up in somebody's arm pit. I was so glad to get off that train!
Weekend travel was a lot more pleasant: I walked around my favourite places in Tokyo and did a bit of shopping, although not that much as prices have doubled since the last time I was there. My legs got a good work out from climbing Mount Takao san again and a day trip to Chiba, where I visited a mountain side with a famous temple and big buddha. I also got to eat some fantastic Japanese food, in particular the meals at Roppongi Mid Town, the tempura restaurant in Shinjuku's Isetan, unagi don in Koenjii and the home cooked shubu shabu.
I was my usual dopey self on several occasions on the trip: buying a train ticket to Kawaguchiko 2 hours away near Mount Fuji, rather than the 20 minute journey to Kawaguchi, where I actually wanted to go; buying a coach ticket for 11am, when my flight didn't land until 4pm; and frequently using my entry card on the barriers at work, only to find that the next one along had opened, rather than the one I wanted to go through. I was very glad not to do anything too embarassing this time!
I was very glad to survive my time out there and am probably will be going back again in August. If I do, I look forward to seeing all my Tokyo friends again then!
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