Herro everyone!
Since we last got in touch we've been up to so much. We're trying our best to really make the most of this experience. We've been up at the crack of dawn every day-as early as 6am for the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. It's crazy! People lobbing fish around left, right and centre and grafting ten to the dozen! Had fresh sushi for breakfast which was in an exciting fishy joint where everyone including the chefs cheer when a new customer walks in the door-though they booed when we walked in for some reason!?

(not really)

We've also seen the amzing Sony building in Ginza where the technology is so far advanced that it's almost embarrasing. The cameras were automatically taking photos of dodgy characters wherever they went and loading them on to great big plazma screens... we were on them about 90% of the time! Ginza is great for those posh shoppers out there who like Gucci, Prada, etc, ladies who lunch. So we went to H&M and still couldn't afford anything! Everything is crazy there, especially the toy shops and the big departmental stores which have out of this world gourmet food basements where the food looked so good we swore it was plastic.

After strolling around town we were naturally in need of a beverage or two. So decided to check out where some bars in Shijuku (which we later realised was the Red Light District of Tokyo...). We came across the Tokyo Plaza which is 47 stories high! We nipped to the top and found a very 'Lost in Translation' bar called Little Bear with a wicked Jazz band and even better drinks. Lea had a Cosmopolitan and I had a Johnny Walkers... it cost so much that we are now on rations for the rest of our trip. But it was worth it as the view from the bar was stunning and took our breath away !

Next day we visited Mt Fuji. (See our pic). It took ages to get a decent view. We went up on a cable car to the pinnacle point but each cloud in the sky blocked the peak so we couldn't see it very well. We trekked back down and visited some hot springs that were 40 deg. Unfortunately we didn't realise we had seperate pools as Lea was with naked women and I was with naked men! Lea was scared and kept her bikini on despite disapproving looks from traditional (hairy) Japanese women! I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the experience and have not donned my clothes since! We were still gutted about not getting a decent view of Mt Fuji so decided to have a burito to compensate from the legendary Seven-Eleven. There we discovered that the cable car scamming b******s scammed us! Low and behold behind the 7/11 stood the clearest view of Mt Fuji we could've wished for!

On our final day in Japan we decided to experience the religious side of Japan and checked out some Shrines and Temples. These were in Ueno Park so afterwards decided to pull up a pew and enjoy some bento box noodles and rice with our chop sticks and watch the world go by whilst enjoying a phenomenal guitar player opposite us.

We'll be really sad to leave this place but know we've got some great places yet to visit. It already holds a place in our hearts and the kind people, food and cleanliness really stood out for us.

Off to Thailand early tomorrow morning! So off to bed.

Hope you're all well.

Catch up soon!!!

Lea and Perrins

xxxx