Our first thing was to take Totty over to the kennels a job I never get used to. She wouldn't move and Bill had to pick her up and carry her to the kennels - I feel so bad!!
We then went to Greerton café and had a coffee all very relaxing really.
I got back and finished the packing and we had lots of space in our cases but the small case with the stocking fillers in was very full. I made a list of all the things in it and I will need to tell Heather not to look at it or she will spoil her surprise!
I went to see our neighbour but he was out so had to leave him a note. He did know we were going and said he would water the plants but now that Jon has set up the watering system he won't need to but he will collect the post and keep an eye on the house.
We had a good trip to Auckland and didn't have any rain.
After parking the car just at the side of the airport, very convenient, we checked in before going up to the Emirates lounge where we had a good lunch and I was more than ready for it.
We had booked to fly Premium Economy through Qantas but as they code share with Emirates and they don't have PE you get to fly Business and as it was an A380 it was certainly very plush. There is a proper lounge with a bar and you can go and sit there and have a drink feels very strange! There is also a window in loo but only the clouds to see you!
I watched the film Goddess which was very funny and the food was not bad either.
We arrive in Sydney and didn't have long to wait but we couldn't use the lounge so just sat near the gate we were leaving from.
The Qantas PE is not as good as air NZ, in fact it was probably one of the worst flights I have had. The cabin was not full, only about 12 of us yet they ran out of breakfast! The seat was covered in crumbs and a chocolate wrapper on it. The staff were not at all friendly
I watched What Masie Knows and it was a very good film. I slept well but woke with a terrible back ache due to the angle of the seat. And then breakfast was not good. You are not allowed to land before 6.00 a.m. so we had to circle for about 15 minutes as we had arrived early. Good landing. Not looking forward to the return flight!
THURSDAY
We cleared customs with no problems and everyone was very respectful at Immigration. We knew we had to go and buy a train ticket but the desk was closed so we were sent downstairs where there was a big queue and lots of machines but we couldn't understand them so we waited and hoped we would get our ticket by the time the train left and we did.
We managed to drag our cases down the escalators to the platform. The train tickets were reserved so you stand by the number of the carriage you have been allocated and it was all very orderly.
The train arrived bang on time - well, it is Japan and they do! It was incredibly clean but it did take 90 minutes and we had been told an hour so not sure why.
We arrived at Tokyo station and could not find our way out!! There were so many levels and exits and we seemed to be going round in circles. There are shops and cafes and it didn't help that it was coming to the end of rush hour and still busy!! I started to think we would spend the whole week there and never meet up with Heather!!
Finally we found an information desk and she told us where to get a taxi which was quite easy when you know how.
Now Heather told us that she was staying in the area of Shiodome and for various reasons she was changing hotels three times - too long to go into!! She had told Jon to book the Royal Park Hotel which was near to hers and he did. When we got into the taxi I told the driver and he took us to the hotel. However, when we got there Jon said it was not the right one. He had booked another Royal Park Hotel so we stayed in the taxi and went there - big taxi bill!!
Fortunately, it was not too far away - a few stops and a change on the subway! I had sorted all our trips out as from Shiodome so was completely thrown as I had no idea where I was in the city. My iPad was running out of battery, we had a message from Heather to say her phone was dying so it was all a bit of a panic till we got into the room to charge out iPads. Finally we contacted her and told her where we were and arranged to meet her and went in a taxi just to be safe.
We were very hungry so had a room service snack and a quick shower before setting off to meet her.
I had been worried as to how Heather would manage on her own with the train and taxi but she arrived easier than us and her train only took an hour!! It was a pity we were at the wrong hotel as the one I though we would be in was just across the road and would have made life easier. We did ask if we could change but as it was booked through Expedia and paid for before we left here they said no. Our hotel was lovely and we had no complaints other than it was in the wrong place.
Once we met Heather, she had not been able to check in till later, we went to some Japanese gardens near the hotel. They were lovely but they only have trees and shrubs as the old Japanese did not like flowers as they die and trees are there all the time. However, that has changed now and they do plant lots of flowers just not in this garden!
We walked miles and miles before we found a spot for lunch.
We walked back to Heather's hotel and she went to check in and we tried to find station! I think the Japanese could spend the whole day underground as all the stations, hotels and shops are joined by walkways and underground passes and there are sooooo many exits and when you don't know where you are going it is not easy, we were also very tired so gave up, managed to find our way out and got a taxi back.
When we got back to our hotel we went downstairs to the tube station and looked at the map and sorted out the stations and how much we had to pay for trips. We had booked to go to the Ninja restaurant so we arranged to meet Heather on one of the tube stations later on. By this time my back was killing me and I just wanted to lie down and sleep!!
I felt better after a shower and got changed and off we went. The tube was very busy but by some miracle we got off the train at the right station and Heather was just coming onto the platform so we just had to wait for the next train - all of three minutes.
When it arrived it was soooo packed and when you think no more can fit in they have people pushing them in from behind! We couldn't have fallen while standing up as it was too full. It is very strange as they are normally so patient and polite but rush hour is crazy! And they are all checking their phones though you don't make calls on them that is not the done thing at all!!
We found the restaurant not far from the station and went in. You have to book and you get a two hour slot. You are given a ninja for the duration and all in all it was an amazing evening with lovely food and very different to anything I have every eaten. We had three of the set menus, two of one and one of another. One of the courses was a huge sea snail which was delicious. I don't know most of what we ate but our ninja made us a very good pork and greens soup at the table. All she used to cook it was a very hot stone into the pot and she snipped the greens with scissors making ninja chopping noises all the time, great fun. Before we left the Master Ninja came to our table and did some magic tricks and he was amazing. I had picked a card and written my initials on it and he had produced it from the pack at various stages then just as he had finished he said he had something and pulled out his wallet and a sealed envelope and tore it open and told me to take the card out and it was the one I had written on! A very good night and although we were all very tired we were so glad we had booked it.
We got the train back and Heather got off at her station and we carried on. So proud of Heather the way she has coped with this travelling. She is a very different girl to the one we left crying at Derby University a few years ago.
Got back to our hotel and feel much better about tackling the subway tomorrow but we fell into bed and slept.
WEATHER
NZ Cloudy with sunny spells 21 degrees Tokyo when we arrived 16 and wet.
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