First Stop: Shinjuku
Shinjuku's west area is neatly lined with skyscrapers. The east side is the most crowded one in Tokyo. The south area is scattered with new tourist spots. Shinjuku is a district of entertainment.
I stayed at Shinjuku New City Hotel and my two night stay were equally pleasant.
There was breakfast and they carry two kinds of buffet: vegetable buffet and bread buffet. You can have both if you want but since I am not a big eater, I enjoyed their food spread.
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| High rise buildings as backdrop |
I passed by Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and there was an open bazaar at that time. I walked around and peeked on branded shirts, earthen wares, books, trinkets, and toys.
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| Observatory of the Metropolitan Government |
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office played as the background of this morning fair. It is also home to one of Tokyo's landmark with an observatory on the 45th floor.
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| Message from the Cosmos, 1991 by Shiro Hayam |
Right outside the twin towers of the Metro stands a number of sculptures and I was able to take photos of them since they are from the west side of the tower. As the tower was designed by a famous architect Kenzo Tange, it is just fitting to accentuate the vicinity of the buildings with some fine sculptures.
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| Red Shell Form, 1991 by Kyubey Kiyomizu It was an inviting walk as in every nook and cranny of the area, there is something interesting to find. Aside from the sculptures though, there were a few homeless people and a man asking for donations for his army of cats, live cats. |
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| I could sit here the whole day but I didn't. |
I am blogging the quieter side of Shinjuku while the centre itself is filled with vibrant establishments of hotels, restaurants, malls, and entertainment venues. I was hailed a few times to look into the close doors of the red light district but my experience is telling me to just nod and smile. I have had my numerous encounters of both good and the bad while travelling alone. I am more wary of what I do and where I thread.
Tip #1: Bring an empty water bottle because bottled water is expensive. You could always refill your bottle from the tap since it is safe to drink.
Tip #2: Learn a few words to show them you make an effort to speak their language. A few Ohayou and Arigatou can make your stay a more pleasant one.
Comments
You are really amazing dude !
What I feel is you better write detailed accounts of your experiences traveling this cool place. It surely will benefit readers like me with plans to explore the land of rising Sun :)
And more pictures too, of course :)
Include the spicy sides also :):)
Two thumbs up, dude !
Awaiting for the next post...
Kakabitin naman to Ser Jo ^^ Na-excite nako sa mga naka-line up mong post about your Japan adventure!
You should never miss Shinjuku especially at night, daming makikita, ha,ha,ha. And there is one place you can visit and probably check in as a hotel and I bet you won't check out, lol!
@ Rix,
Totoo yan. When one is so tired, you just just sit down and enjoy the breeze, the sound and the sight. Sana maraming ganyan sa Pinas though baka nagsisiligo na ang mga bata kung mayroon man.
@ Simon,
I saw people lining up at MRT's kiosk and stalls for packed food and they were discounted. I did this in the Netherlands and it was worth it since food was pricey.
As much as I wanted to put all the details, I might bore the readers because of how I will be presenting it. It was a matter of gamble, taking the right train or not, being in the right place or getting lost during the entire trip. However, the experience was worth the learning I got. It became an awesome trip.
Maybe, just maybe, if I decide to make this blog a travel one, I will do so. For now, I will just narrate my journey to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Hi cher kat,
Halina't maglakbay sa bansang Hapon.
Hi fiel,
Nagkuwento na at hahaba pa ito. Good luck sa pagbabasa, lol!