t o k y o

About a month ago I took a trip to Tokyo. It was a pretty crazy decision, but I knew I had to jump at this opportunity or I might just regret it. Back to my favourite city for the third time, this time it felt surreal because I was practically travelling alone the whole time.

It was drizzling when I finally reached Shinjuku in the evening. Got lost, asked for directions, walked a lot pushing my luggage around before finding the right bus stop for the hotel shuttle bus. It was a little bit scary because Shinjuku is...... intimidating. If you haven't heard about how huge and how busy this train station is, well basically it is quite a bit of madness if you happen to, very innocently exit from the wrong exit. And you think maybe you could just go back in and take the next one. But you go back in and realize there are like... 59 other exits. Hahaha

The 5 days in Tokyo was a lot about walking the wrong streets and getting lost, used a lot of Google Maps but ended up giving up because, well why not, lets just be lost. :-)

Explored most of the places that I've planned to go and stumbled upon a couple more. I did thought of the possibility that I might freak out at the last minute and hole up in the hotel hahahaha. But no, so excited!!! The feeling is awesome when you follow your own rhythm to go literally anywhere, without having to compromise to anyone or explain whatever. Safe to say that I've gotten pretty comfortable with enjoying my own company. Randomly asked for directions to speak once in a while HAHA and also to practice my Jap with the locals. It was so much fun, I tried to strike a conversation with the boss at a cafe but he was kinda dull so it didn't exactly go the way I rehearsed in my mind. hahahaha.

I guess familiarity played a big role here; I definitely would have gotten quite intimidated if I was in another country alone. But it was Tokyo and everywhere felt right. I think I could really settle there. Aha.

All hail, Meiji Shrine.

This is... Prada. In Omotesando.

Possibly the only selfie I will ever take. 

My hole in Ikebukuro for 2 nights. Ikebukuro was the other nightmare station with countless exits and always making me feel like I'm in a maze, but it brought back so much memories from my first visit in 2010 with my mum and sis :-) 

Saturday morning walk in lovely Ueno Park. 

Stumbled upon Ameyoko street in Ueno. So many shoe shops but I bought umbrellas... L O L 

I know right. 

"Iza, Ginza, Kabuki-za!!!"

Observatory deck in FujiTV building. It was fun people-watching.

Sunset over Tokyo from Odaiba beach. aaahhh 

Thank you, Jack Purcell. 

Haha Yamanote trains were decorated with them. Had to take it for my sis.

on the Chuo Line to Kichijoji from Shinjuku. Good day. 

Last photo of the city while on the bus to Narita airport. It carries a tremendous sense of sadness as it is being taken hahahahaha

Aaahhh I miss travelling and I miss Tokyo so much. 

You may think three times is a lot but I say it's never enough haha. I missed out a number of suburb neighbourhoods that I wanted to visit; 5 days was too short, man. 

It's weird, when you feel like somewhere else is more suited for you than the place you kinda actually belong. 

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I could do this thing over and over again.