Japan, Part 2.

The next days of our trips were exciting, confusing, and extremely adventurous.  I was so proud of both myself and Stef for being able to plan things out ourselves, problem solve effectively, and really try to get the most out of our short stay in Tokyo.

Day two was action packed! We started with breakfast in our hotel in Akasaka. The breakfast buffet is half western, half traditional Japanese. I have experienced the traditional Japanese breakfast first hand, without a Western alternative during a class field trip in my previous stay in Japan: It did not have happy endings.
There is something to be said about being able to digest rice, miso soup, salad with tuna, pickled seaweed and eggs, and fish in the morning that reflects your attitude on life... If you can eat scaly fish first thing in the morning, you can kick some mother-lovin ass.

After opting for the eggs, potatoes and yogurt, we set off on our trip to the Ueno Zoo! Just about 20 minutes away on the subway, we found our way to Tokyo's local, and extremely large, zoo.  It cost 600 yen for a ticket for someone aged 15-64... I guess we fell somewhere in that range.

We were awestruck at the different animals that this zoo had that we didn't have at home... Shoebill stork?  Got it. Got a picture too. 

We walked all the way around the zoo, hung out with all the school kids that were on a field trip, and found some lunch at a faux French bakery on some random side street. Stef was so impressed with his pear and apple turnover, he ordered another one for the road. I was so impressed that I managed to order for us in Japanese. *Kobe!*

After the zoo, we took the subway to the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art. Stef and I unanimously agreed the modern bronze busts were our favorite.

On our way back to the station, Stef looked up, and found the local fire station. Stef has always been a 'trucks 'n dirt' kid, and grew up to be a 'trucks 'n dirt' man. We poked around at the engines, and he struck up a conversation (all on his own!!) with one of the paramedics. Things weren't going so well in the communication department, so I attempted to clarify a few terms. Unfortunately, I've never had to use vocabulary in that subject, so there was a lot of Japan-glish and gestures in order to get our messages across. I managed to ask him about their call-load, and he replied that they are kind of slow in this station because a lot of the tall buildings are newer, and have efficient sprinkler systems.  Lo and behold, just 2 minutes later, both engines get a call! What a lucky chance and a treat for Stef to see his Japanese counterparts in action!  When another ambulance pulls in, our paramedic friend tells us that one of the men speaks English. I nearly faint with relief... searching my brain for translations is exhausting.

Our new translator is full of information, and we even try to buy his boots off him...  The Japanese EMTs wear these heavy duty chuck taylors when they run calls, we don't have anything like them here!

We ended our day in Roppongi, where we saw a Louis Vuitton store THREE TIMES THE SIZE of the one in Shibuya, then walked about 2/3 of the way back to Shibuya for some more of these FANTASTIC udon noodles we discovered the day before. We finally surrendered our 3 mile walk to cold and cramped calves, and jumped on a local bus. The bus was so crowded we almost couldnt fit, but again, my Japanese came in handy when I paid for both of us over the heads of our fellow travelers, smashed against the front windshield.

We have arrived in Okinawa to see my dad!
Tomorrow we are going to the aquarium, and the famed "Pizza in the Sky."

Ja Mata!