Raining cats and dogs

Yesterday was another day of rain. It rained and rained and rained incessantly ALL day! 

We went to the Meiji-Jingu shrine which was a lovely walk through the woods and into various little shrines. Even in the rain it was beautiful. 

It's funny, when it rains on holiday, you end up looking at things you wouldn't normally notice... like that every single person is carrying an umbrella and that the colours make patterns as they all huddle together. We were stood on an over pass and I noticed how lovely all the brollies looked, moving along together like a colourful sea below.

In the evening we went to the Ninja restaurant which was great fun. You had to do Ninja training before you went in and once you finished your meal, a Ninja came and performed magic tricks at your table!

 Today we had a trip out to Nikko in the mountains. We were wandering around temples and shrines which were exactly what would spring to mind if someone were to ask you what you think Japan would be like. We were just saying how pretty it all was when it started snowing! It couldn't have been more perfect!

We also had the most amazing meal in a tiny little restaurant with only 3 tables and covered (no word of a lie), floor to ceiling in business cards, cartoons, notes and general rubbish from previous customers wallets. Layers upon layers of them! We spotted a Sheffield Wednesday ticket from 2007 and a Yorkshire flag) goodness knows what someone was doing with one of those in their pockets on holiday in Japan! Of course, I added my own bit of artwork!

We are off to Mt Fuji tomorrow for a couple of days. I don't know when I might be back by a computer so here is a bit more eye candy from our trip so far to keep you going! Enjoy!

Yes, that is cold tea in a can. Needless to say, it went down the drain!

A lady in traditional dress... That's in the Metro station, each one has different artwork all around it.

 Night shot of Tokyo.

Plastic models of the menu options outside a restaurant.

A bridge over a waterfall in Nikko. The water was so clear you could see the pebbles below. The water was flowing so fast you could see the spirals which so inspire a lot of Japanese artwork.

Till next time, Sayoonara!!

Wet fish

We didn't get up as early as planned this morning (I managed to sleep over 12 hours!) but we did still get to the fish market... however... we missed the fish! All the sellers were cleaning their bits and bobs by the time we got there, there were a few buckets of crabs and a couple of crates of calamari left but the giant fish laid out on the floor had long gone. It was a great big wet fish of an experience really. And all because the lady loves her bed!


It has not stopped raining all day, and I don't mean a bit of drizzle, I mean torrential down pours, the kind or rain that even soaks through your water proofs! We had a walk around one of Tokyo's best parks but the ground was soaking and it was pretty miserable. We spent the whole afternoon wandering the streets of Tokyo, going in shops for a warm as much as we could. I cheered up muchly after nice hot soupy noodles and then we went to the Geek centre of the universe which is where the kids in Cosplay go out at the weekends. We saw (surely) the biggest gadget shop in the world.


Anyway, we're back "home" now, I:ve put on extra layers and Paul has put on dry socks so now we're off out for more soupy noodles (I think that's all I want to eat for the whole holiday because they are yummy-licious!) Paul is just having a look on the interweb for restaurants we could go to... there is the ninja restaurant where there are ninjas running about while you eat, or, my favourite, an insane asylum! You get locked in cells and shackled, all your drinks are brought in in giant syringes and squirted in your glass and there are all kinds of strange things on the menu. Occasionally, someone "accidentally" leaves your cell door open. When this happens, you have to make a run for it and run about the place screaming till they catch you again and throw you back inside!

The Buck's have landed!

I haven't slept in over 24 hours, my hands are covered in blisters from lugging my suitcase around Tokyo and my feet are so swollen that I no longer have ankles! But, we're in Japan and we love it!

From the moment we stepped off the plane, pople were so friendly and helpful! One man walked us right across Shinjuku station just to make sure we got on the right Metro!　They are the yummy kind of sweet that makes you just want to pick them up and give them a big squeeze!

On the way to the hotel we spotted several dogs in clothes. One, a French Bulldog was wearing a blue and white striped French sweater, another, a Chiwuahua, was wearing a frilly pink summer dress and was bizarely being carted around in a push chair! It's like living in cartoon land!

In the hotel room we have got a "Space Bog" - it warms your bum while you wee and gives you a jet of warm water up it if you so desire! I am determined to get video footage of it in action (not with anyone actually sat on it though, that would be rude) and will post it on here later!　Yes, just what you all want to see, a toilet spraying water all over the floor.

So, off to explore the city and get a bite to eat before trying to sleep through the jet lag. If we wake up at silly o'clock in the morning we are going to go and see what the city is like before life starts. We've heard　the early morning fish market is amazing.

Keep watching this space for more from the Buck Chronicles.