TOKYO ROCKS !

Hi everyone - LOVE all your comments, missing you all but having the best time ever ! It is 8.55pm here and it is our last night. I pretty much just got out of bed cos we sampled the famous Roppongi nightlife here last nite, it had to be done, it was recommended in our Lonely Planet Guide as a must do, it also said if your night was a success not to expect to see much of the next day, especially if you make a connection with the Japanese cos they know how to party ! the connection was made & I am just out of bed FANTASTIC. We started out last night by being lured into a place offering all you can drink for an hour for 3,500 Yen each which is really cheap, but when we got in there we fast realised it was a "Gentlemans Club" as we were offered "companions" to sit with us. We declined, had a chuckle, drank up & met a couple of American guy's who fell for the same trap, so we all got our monies worth of alcohol & then decided to go to a bar. We danced & drank and had the best time.

We are currently in an internet cafe in Roppongi. We are in little booths side by side & I have ordered fried rice & Wayne has ordered a curry and a beer, anything you want it is all here. Our food is being delivered to our booth. We LOVE Japan so much we have not stayed here long enough, I don't know where to start....it is sensory overload and the people are awesome. We can't speak Japanese & they can't speak English but we are getting along just fine.

When we got here, we got onto a bus & headed out to Akasaka where we are staying, it took about an hour from the airport and it dropped us off at the ANA hotel, it was cold and drizzling - on went our backpacks and the search began for our room. We walked and walked, we asked for directions from passers by, but could not understand each other as they cannot read English. Also here to find anything you don't go by street name, every area has a district which has a number and then the street has a number and the hotel has a number for example 1, 12, 8 - there is no way to know how to get anywhere - all the cabs have Sat Nav so they just plug in the three numbers to find anything themselves. So we ended up in a cab which took us 400 metres down the road to our accomodation (we were so close) it was very funny.

After we settled in we went out for our first meal, it was a tiny little place where we could not communicate at all and the menu was in Japanese only. Nothing was working all attempts at communication failed, so I stood up pointed to someones meal & put my fingers up indicating two....there was much smiling & relief all round....... also pointed at beer & sake and got that also. There was much fuss made and by this stage people were looking at us like we were from another planet...we were just laughing. The chef stared at us while we began to eat, as it turned out, not to be rude but to show us how to eat his food properly using a spoon and chopsticks - all this is communicated with hands, who needs words - not here in Tokyo !

We have been just travelling everywhere - feel like locals, the subway is awesome, trains are there continuously it is just AMAZING ! train seats are heated ! so much to tell, every single little thing is amazing, ticket machines at stations are in Japanese and SO different to what we have here and yet we are working it out. We are making a good team, Wayne is our map master & I am train master, so between us we are blitzing.

Toilet seats are heated and they all have front bum & back bum washers - brief funny story - I was a bit scared to use it whilst sitting on it so I thought I would stand in front of it and press the buttons to see how it all worked - well.... little arms came out and squirted both sides of the walls and all over me. We have a photo ! Wayne does not have these problems he stays seated & loves it ! Clean botty, clean mind he say's !

The Japanese people are the nicest, most respectful people we have ever met. They have gone out of their way every single time, to help us. One guy even walked with us for about 2km in the pouring rain to show us where to go to a YHA Hostel. We went into his shop for help with directions just as he was closing. He must have realised even though he showed us the way on the map that we didn't get it. We thanked him though & went on our way. Next thing, we were standing at the traffic lights & I turned around and there he was standing beside me with his umberella grinning indicating he was coming with us. When he got us to the YHA he spoke to them in Japanese & would not leave until he was satisfied were were going to be looked after - AMAZING !

Every day we have been up really early and back after midnight. Tokyo does not sleep. There is so much to tell. We have fallen in love with all of it. The people, the sights, the sounds, the food, the temples, the rail system, the lights, the kitch - EVERYTHING !

Anyway, have to wrap it up now - off to the bar where the film "Lost in Translation" was filmed to have a Suntory Whiskey - cheers Andre, we'll have one for you & Mr Bob Harris. We have his photo & going to get a location shot - "LIP THEM"

We have tonnes of photo's can't wait to show you all..... we will be up tomorrow at 5.00am (ouch) & off to Frankfurt. Sad to be leaving but we are coming back ASAP - not nearly enough time. We knew we would love it but

Love to you all from Mr & Mrs Tokyo - Sayornara xxxxxxxxxxx