travelswithalice

September 03, 2008

JAPAN

Tokyo

Tuesday, 2 September

Fabulous sunny day.

Quick snack at hotel deli-Y1,200 plastic packed, microwaved hamburger steak in onion sauce with 2 or 3 tiny shards of veggies; sweet and sourish. Plus steaming, sweet smelling, very tempting rice in bottom container, untouched of course.

Still being faithful to Atkins, now on 4th week of induction. Sadly, still not much weight loss but inches, dress size down maybe a couple of notches.

City tour: Grey Line, Y4,500 +300 for return to hotel.

This is Koko, our tour guide. Very personable, proper, exceedingly polite but also warm and friendly. Hyper efficient, she micro-managed her charges as if they were nursery school tots out on an excursion.

First stop is the Ginza to pick up more little tots. The sunny side of Ginza's main street is deserted, save for lone brave-heart wielding a parasol against the sun's impertinent assault on the renowned spotless Japanese complexion.

On the Sumide River. The city tour surprisingly included a river cruise- from Hinode pier to Asakusa.

It was a very pleasant, relaxing respite from the oppressive heat and humidity. Great way to get introduced to the city: lush park greenery, beautiful traditional houses alongside edgy, contemporary buildings.

I loved going under those neon colored bridges, all thirteen of them. The river locks, I suppose they are flood gates, put into focus just how efficient and unfussy this aesthetically uncompromising city is.

There is hardly a whiff of grandstanding, even in the public parks; even in the approaches to the Imperial Palace. Tradition sits comfortably alongside forward looking technical and artistic aggressiveness.

At the end of this river cruise is Asakusa, the low city of old Edo, where the samurai of the high city or uptown mingled with merchants and artisans in the demi-monde pleasure quarters populated by theater types and courtesans. Today, Asakusa is a genteel neighborhood, quiet, well-mannered.

It's a pleasant enough walk through the stalls of Nakamise-dori, a covered promenade between the two gates of Asakusa Kannon, but the heat made shopping and browsing difficult. Koko caught me wandering about the backstreets where it was slightly cooler. It was also more fascinating to see the unrelenting cleanliness even behind the scenes and the beautiful packaging of supplies stacked on the pavements behind the shops.

I couldn't really be tempted by much of the goods on display- combs and paper fans and such- except maybe the glossy bright colored bean paste sweets that look like billiard balls. Irresistible!

There was also a jewel of a shop selling beautiful hand printed paper. I took a photo before I realized it was probably one of those places that forbid it. Belatedly, a sales assistant gently admonished me as I meekly put the offending camera away.

Enclosed in a serene little garden is a 17th century shrine dedicated to the two fishermen who, according to tradition, caught a tiny gold statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy.

Soon, it was closing time at the main hall of the temple. It was closing down time for me too. I was hot and sweaty and distinctly low batt.

Later that evening, it was dinner with Stuart at the hotel coffee shop; both of us too tired to explore the city. We blew Atkins to the wind. Stuart ate sugar cubes and everything else on offer. He can afford to, seeing as he’s lost 5 kilos and several jean sizes todate.

Labels: Atkins diet, city tour, Japan, Tokyo