Friday - Yokohama

We both slept really well last night and woke feeling good.

Breakfast was included in our hotel and was really good with so much to choose from.

After breakfast we left the hotel and went to meet Heather - on the subway!! It was really difficult to find out way out of the subway and to her hotel there are so many exits and where she is staying is very new and modern with over the road walkways and you can see where you want to be but getting there was very different! Not to mention all the road works which add to the confusion!! But we finally got there and she was waiting in reception.


I wanted us to go to Yokohama just to see a different city and also my friend, Midori, is from here. So off we set firstly on the subway and then had to change to an over land line. We had problems finding it as there is so much work going on getting ready for the 2020 Olympics I presume and so exits don't always take you to the correct exit.

A man came over to us to ask where we wanted to go. He was elderly and looked like he worked on a building site but spoke good English and was very helpful and eventually, but he had to ask the way, too, he got us to the correct station going out of his way to do so. Such kind and helpful people.


The journey took about half an hour on another lovely clean train. When we arrived we headed for the Landmark Tower and shopping Mall which was not too far. We found a nice place and stopped for a coffee and saw a cooking demonstration in the Japan Gas Shop just across from the café, all very interesting and Heather and I would have loved to join in.

We also saw lots of restaurants all full and people waiting outside and it was only about 12.00!! We saw one that looked really good and it had mini deep fat fryers in the middle of each table. You choose your food, as much as you like, and take it back to your table and cook it. It looked like a lot of fun.


We needed the toilet and so off we went. Heather loves playing with all the gadgets in the loo. You can make them play the flush sound so nobody can hear what you are doing!!

Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time there as we had to get back for Heather's meeting at 4.00, after all, she was there for work! We looked around and then went up the tower which is 273m high and boasts Japan's fastest elevator at 750 m per minute and made the trip to the 69 floor in just 40 seconds!

The views from the top were amazing and you could look from the windows on all sides.
Unfortunately, you could only just about make out Mt Fuji due to the heat haze.

We came back down and had a quick look around the mall before heading to Hard Rock Café for lunch which was very good. We have a thing about Hard Rock Café and want to visit as many as we can. We, of course, bought the magnet!

The mall, and most of Tokyo, is decorated for Christmas and they really go to town there was the most beautiful Disney Christmas tree there all very special as Disney has been open for 30 years in Tokyo.

We then went back to Tokyo to see the Shimbuya crossing. This crossing has up to 2000 people crossing at one time in every direction and is on the list of things to do in Tokyo.

We got a bit lost in the station and a kind man came over to ask if we wanted help. He spoke good English having worked in London many years ago. He directed us to the correct exit but when we tried to get out our tickets were rejected. He took us to the 'adjust fare' machine and then took out an envelope of tickets and topped up ours for us and would not take any money! It was only about five pounds but I really cannot see many people anywhere in the world doing that for three tourists.

He then led us to the crossing and took us into a department store, up to the first floor and a window where we had a good view, so kind. I thanked him and then he asked me 'Why you want to see this'? so I told him and he thought it was very funny! He then left us and walked all the way back to the station to continue his journey waving up to us from the street.

The crossing, despite what our friend thought, was impressive and so busy. We watched for a while and then went down and crossed over and then waited before crossing back, great fun. There was even someone filming it!!

We found our way back to Heather's hotel and we collected the things she had brought over for us and we left as she needed to get ready to meet up with her colleagues and we caught the train, no problems, back to our hotel.

After a little rest we had a shower and got ready to go for cocktails at the Executive Lounge on 20th floor which was all in our package. They had all the drinks set out, whatever you liked and help yourself. They also had some very nice finger food out so we sat and enjoyed some pink champagne and nibbles and looked out across the city towards the old Tokyo Tower which was all lit up.

We went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I chose a tasting plate of all Japanese dishes and it was very good and called Princess Plate. Jon had fish and played safe.

Bake to room and very, very tired.

Heather needed to change hotels on Saturday and it took some time to sort out when she would do it and where we should meet her to go to Disney but after numerous FB messages we got it sorted, just hope it works!!


WEATHER
Sunny 20 degrees