Hakuba, part the second, and Tokyo

Konichiwa friends-san! Sorry for not updating this more regularly, but hostel internet and loads of travelling/awesome fun meant I have fallen behind. Su mi ma sen. (that means excuse me in Japanese).



The rest of Hakuba was super cool - we got into quite the routine of boarding all day, then eating all night. And playing some pool. We took a day trip to Kambayashi Ousen Guchi, just outside Nagano, to see monkeys what sit in hot springs.



Monkeys! They were brilliant, and very volumous in number - about 200 in this particular troop. And they just didn't give a monkeys (sorry) that there were loads of humans gawping at them. They just hung out, bathed, ate some fleas. Same old, same old.

After our monkey fest, we decided to have our lunch a fair distance away but not, I'm ashamed to say, in a designated picnic area. A couple of bites in to our sarnies and I hear "oh my god!" from Kez. Cue monkey bounding full speed towards us. Such was the shock and speed of the attack that I didn't have time to stuff said sandwich into my bag, nor into my mouth. Thus the monkey goes straight for me. Plus Alex and Kerry had legged it. Monkey-san grabs onto the dangly bits of my bag and will not let go, despite the fact that I'm shaking it around a lot. Luckily, Kez had the bright idea of chucking some of her sandwich into a nearby gorge. This disracts monkey momentraily, not killing it (don't worry), so I ran quick smart towards a designated picnic zone, where I was sure I would be safe. However, monkey started to pursue and a frantic chase over woodland and valley ensued. We finally lost him on a forest track, and when we found a picnic bench in a car park, we rewarded ourselves with some pocky (let me explain: this is a kind of Japanese chocolate.) All very exciting.



Here is me reasoning with a monkey, just in case he had a similar idea.

So, after a week of snow with a brief but thrilling monkey interlude, we headed to Tokyo. It is the most amazing city, but couldn't be more different to the quiet and mellow Hakuba. Neon, loud and packed, it is quite a shock to every sense. Highlights have been the Tsujiki fish market...



We had to get up at 4 to get there in time for the best fishy action, but it was worth it - absolutely crazy, with Kerry sized tunas, blood, guts, shouting and hundreds of Japanese men driving around on motorised trollies. Diving into pools of squid was sometimes the only way to escape hit and run.



Cat cafes! Another bizarre japanese invention, where lonely people can go and hang out with cats.

Onsen. These are Japanese baths, where you have to lose your inhibitions as it's a strictly no clothes event. Thus I don't actually have any pictures to show, but they are lovely - hot springs outside, surrounded by trees and high fences to keep out wandering eyes. You emerge looking like a cooked prawn, but who cares?!



Shibuya, Harajuku and Akihabura. These places are an assault on the eyes and ears, but the place to see the weird and wonderful of Tokyo



Teddy boys in Yoyogi park, in Harajuku. Foot high quiffs.



Stupid dogs, also in Yoyogi park.



People trying to cross roads in Shibuya.



Aracde games in Akihabura. So loud you think your brain might explode.



Final highlight has been all the food - sitting on the floor, cooking pancakes and drinking sake. Plum wine and flayed fish in a smoky restaurant surrounded by drunk businessmen. Mystery balls of stuff from a park stall. Raw things - fish, chicken (apparently OK in Japan) and various ofally bits, which could be cooked or not. Yum yummas.

Kerry is heading back tomorrow, which is rubbish, and Alex has to work for some reason, but I shall be heading on to Kyoto to hopefully gain some more things to write about! So will update again soon...ish.

Lots and lots of love xxxxx

p.s. a lot of these pictures are Kerry and Alex's, because I'm not very good at capturing moments photographically.