Damn you lot and all your interesting journal entries, I didnt escape til too late to find sensible food last night, so I got as far as the McDonalds on the corner by the hotel. Which, while very similar to the UK version contained a couple of Japanese touches – the burger was held together in a paper ring so it didnt fall over until you tried to eat it, in the UK they dont care about the form as long as it contains two burgers, two pieces of lettuce and a dollup of that stuff that might or might not be vomit. And the bonus size coke came in a package resembling the bastard son of a tetrapak cube and a monster popcorn tub, surely noone here has a bladder that big?
Todays escapades started with a sightseeing trip on the monorail to Haneda airport. This brings to mind the DLR with both its scenary and its fairground-ride-ness. The first sight on the trip was the rainbow bridge, a two layer bridge with a huge spiral ramp leading up to one of the layers, it didnt make much sense, but then I wasnt driving over it so it didnt need to. Next there was the crawl across the industrial wastelands and urban renewal, you could imaging GTA VC being set here, what with the multilayered warehousing and rival taxi firm. Onward to the airport which wasnt very exciting cos I only went for a little stroll around the station, then back again.
Escaping the station became a little bit of a challenge, cos Id taken the cheapest ticket and done a round trip, the machine thought I hadnt gone anywhere and wouldnt let me out. Which caused a little concern, especially as the fare adjustment machine wasnt adjusting my fare either, but all was easily rectified by taking a trip to the next station down, getting off and coming back again. I figured Id take a little wander around while I was there, having paid to get off there. The place was full of beautiful young (about 25 year old) ladies all dressed alike. Which was all a bit strange until I spotted the sign pointing the direction they were all heading, they were all JAL hostesses.
Then off to Yoyogi park, the wrong way around the Yamanote line, just to get a feel of the place. Past Akihabara (I mustnt stop there at least until Ive been paid), and a seemingly endless stream of suburbs. One thing I noticed on the way around was the graveyards, which dont have crosses in them. This should be obvious, really, but Id not thought about it so it was a bit of a surprise. And the couple I saw were tended by guys in very prominently placed portacabins, I think wed have more respect than that back home.
Eventually I arrived at the station for the park – not actually Yoyogi, but the next one on. I took a quick wander around, noticed a few punks and alternative types, was a little disappointed and headed into what I thought was the park. It turned out to be a temple approach. Which was all very nice, but not very park-like. Still, I did duck off into the Iris garden which was just finishing its bloom for the year. That was a depressing walk, very pleasant in itself, but full of memories of some of the romantic walks I should have done while I had access to Buckland Park, but never got a chance to do – romantic walks are hardly the same alone.
I headed back to the station, waited for someone who looked cool to come along and followed them. This was partially successful, until they realised I was following them and started evasive tactics. Oh well, time to cross over…which was a lucky break, cos I found a strange little canal-side road full of odd fashion boutiques, except it wasnt canalside and they werent really fashion boutiques but that was the feel of the area. Then I doubled back on the next road over which had the feel of the Kings Road of old, back in the days when it was full of fashion, when Vivian Westwood was punk, when the rods would burn up and down and around and around. Only it was daytime and it was Japan so everything was a Honda or Mazda, with the occasional Ferrari driven by the showoff Europeans.
For lunch I got a “chocolate large melon”. Which was kinda like a big fluffy eggy buttery cake with chocolate drops all over the outside. Which was nice, if a little rich.
I was just about to give up and go home (fwiw) when I decided that maybe itd be a good idea to follow some others of the beautiful people coming from the train station. Of course, this lead me to Yoyogi park itself, which isnt anything to do with the temple. Fighting through the crowds of hotdog sellers I was initially confronted with a gang of rockabillys (with Leningrad Cowboy quiffs but, sadly, no winklepickers) dancing badly to the Beatles being “played” way too loud through a small practise guitar amp – Ive never heard anything clipping so much, turn it down lads, well all enjoy it that much more. Then, past the tourists taking photos of the beautiful people, into the park proper. Which seems to be full of little pockets of drummers, mostly playing “Theyre coming to take me away, haha” as recorded by Lard, or maybe my rhythm sense just picks that one up. There were also a series of silent plays happening, none of which made much sense but mostly consisted of someone running infront of someone else, showing them an invisible board, and then running off again. Ill go again sometime and see if I can figure out what was going on.
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