I'm settled into my new place. It is on a very quite street with a couple of small quaint restaurants. First things first, since I did not have the tour bus take me back to the Hilton last night to get my two big bags, now I need to figure out how to get them here. One thing that is expensive here is cab rides, so I decide to take the Metro (subway). I got up a little later today around 10AM, but that works to my advantage. One does not want to be on any transportation system in Tokyo from 4-6PM. When I bought my round trip bus ticket from Narita Airport to Tokyo, it came with a 2 day free pass on the metro lines and buses. The bus idea is out, so it's the metro. There is a small subway line that is just outside my door, but I will have to take two different transfers to get to the Hilton, which is about 20 miles from my starting point. Since I've been taking medication for my bronchitis my appetite just isn't there so I skip breakfast for just a bottle water.
When I get to the metro station, there are quite a few people, but nothing overwhelming. I slide the plastic 2-day pass through the machine and it comes back out the other side, meaning the card is good. My first train gets in, right on time, and I should get off the third stop to catch my first transfer. The third stop comes about, but the name on the stop is not the same as my metro train map. Duh, I had gotten on the east bound, instead of the west bound. So, I have to double back and get myself on the right trail. I finally get off at the stop I was suppose to be at 15 minutes ago. Okay now to find the right train. I make sure the train is going in the right direction so I don't have to double back again. Okay, smooth ride and I get off at the right station. This is one of the busier stations with four different lines converging at this same location, so now I have a challenge. While I figure out my last train to catch, I find a few seconds to notice, again, how clean and antiseptic the metro stations appear. Depending on the station size will make the difference of how many little kiosk businesses are down under the streets at the metro station. Most of the station kiosks are for food and reading material. I find my right train and this leg will take about 15 minutes.
Success! I make it the right spot and head up the three stair cases to the street above. The Hilton is about three blocks away. I get to the Hilton and hand the baggage claim ticket to the desk clerk. The baggage is wheeled out and I'm ready to roll back to my apartment in Ginza. One thing I noticed on the subway is that no one has baggage, not even a small carry-on size bag. I'm thinking is there some etiquette here I need to know about? I don't want to feel like the "ugly American" that doesn't pay attention to the local culture. I quickly google to find out the answer. The Japanese Metro page on-line has some do's and dont's. I scroll through the list of Q&A's and find information on cary-ons. The suggestion is to avoid large bags in the busy time of the day, 8-10AM and 4-6PM. Also if you have large bags walk to the last car since it usually is the least crowded. It is now almost 4PM and I haven't eaten all day so I decide to take my time, have a meal at the Hilton and then leave for my sub station around 6PM.
I have a good meal that I stretched out over an hour to eat, but I really don't have to worry if I'm not clearing out. Like most of the restaurants around the world, you don't get a bill until you ask for it, and there is no tipping expected.
I start out the door of the Hilton to get on my way to the sub station, then one of the wheels on my cheap carry-on falls off. Its not repairable, so I try my best to pull the now wobbly bag along the sidewalk to the sub station. I arrive and find the elevator down to the two floors below street level. There is no way I'm lugging these two bags down the stairs. Now remember to find the last car and board at that spot. I walk down the long platform to the end and I find a family with about four large bags waiting to get on as well. We look at each other and I'm sure that we both felt good that someone else was getting on the subway with a lot of bags. Going back I found out there is a direct line train that stops at the Ginza station, which is about a mile from my apartment. So I decided I would just take the one train and walk the rest of the way. The train arrives and its maybe half full, probably because we are going into central Tokyo, instead of coming out of the city this time of evening. Our last car only has four people on board and I think between us two baggage lugging tourists, the locals had quite a giggle.
I find my Ginza stop, find the elevator to the street and when I get outside I'm overwhelmed with the lights that are all around me. The Ginza Station is right at the middle of this busy section of Tokyo. The Japanese have already started with their Christmas lights and gift shopping and Ginza is all lit up appropriately for the season. This area reminds me of a cross between Times Square in New York and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. There are so many high end stores: Bvagari, Tiffany's, Coach, Jimmy Choo, and some Japanese based stores that remind me of Macy's on steroids to include their Christmas display windows.
I really don't have time for shopping, so I head out due south to my apartment. I must have been a sight trying to pull these two bags through one of the exclusive parts of Tokyo. As I was walking along I continue to see several small shops and restaurants. I finally get back to my place and that ends the day. Not exactly a tourist type day.
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