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Round the world with ANA!
After several hours of flying we found ourselves in the centre of busy Toyko. With only a subway guide more complicated than the London Underground and very little knowledge of the Japanese language, we had a few problems finding our way to the hostel. But alas, a little masked man and his wife came to our rescue acting as a personal guide with a mobile phone and a passing friend on a bicycle. We eventually arrived at what could be called a 'hostel'. The next few hours were spent trying on the different slippers that we were required to wear in the lounge, toilet and bedroom. The hostel was really small with more pairs of slippers than guests.
We decided to dive in headfirst and experience true Japanese culture with a trip to a sushi restaurant, as well as having a wander round Tokyo's streets. Alarm bells started ringing when all we could smell was fish. We didn't let this put us off and we queued for half an hour for what seemed like the busiest restaurant in the area. We tried as many dishes as we could stomach with Nikki being put off completely by her first choice of raw fish with tails. A quick visit to Starbucks helped us feel more at home and soon got rid of the taste.
Our next days plan was to visit the Tokyo Zoological Gardens, however this was postponed due to zoo closure and the giant duck pedalos on the nearby lake were an appealing alternative. The culture soon got the better of us and we decided that a trip to a traditional house and gardens belonging to the founder of Mitsubishi would impress our parents more. Unfortunately, the house was not as exciting inside as it appeared on the outside, with most rooms having only a brief explanation of its existence with no furniture to look at. The gardens were as equally disappointing as the grass was dead, but it had many strange looking rocks to keep us amused.
Shinjuko Temple restored our faith in the city, and made the afternoon much more interesting. Our evening trip up the Tokyo Tower rounded our day off well and we saw some amazing views over the city at night.
Our final day was spent at Ueno Zoo where we were excited by animals from all around the world, and the Japanese school children were as excited to see us.
Our next stop was the airport ready for the real adventure to begin.
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