Walking The TOKAIDO Days 0, 1 & 2

Well, so much for falling asleep. I guess I will take this opportunity to catch you all up on how my time has been so far.

****I WILL ADD PICTURES LATER I PROMISE****

It's been 2 days since I left Nagoya.



FRIDAY, MARCH 3rd, DAY ZERO


I caught a bus from Nagoya Station to Tokyo. That morning I went to my student's graduation. To be honest during most of the ceremony I kept spacing out and running over the day's plans in my head. One thing did stick out to me however. In the student representative's "Thank you" message they said something like this:

"I know there will be good times and hard times. But in those hard times, instead of saying "I'm tired" I think we should say "Look how far I've come / Look how much I've done.""

At the start of what I knew to be a tiring trip, I really took those words to heart.

**

The bus took about 6.5 hours from Nagoya to Kawasaki, via Tokyo. It did stop in Shinjuku, but I had plans to stay with my friend in Yokohama (just south of the Tokyo Metropolitan), so Kawasaki was the closest I could go by bus. Normally, I enjoy bus trips, but normally I am only on the bus for 3 hours. You can guess how happy I was to get off at my destination.

My friend came to meet me at the station and we went back to the apartment he shares with his girlfriend. I was in for my first surprise. He lives UP on a hill. There was a hundred stairs to climb (it seemed). First the bus, now this trek up a small mountain... my mind was telling me all kinds of trouble must be coming.

The reality that I was doing this trip still hadn't set in however. I was just hanging out at my friends house. Nothing challenging yet.

**

MARCH 4th, DAY ONE, 7:20 a.m.



The alarm on my watch didn't go off. I was getting started an hour later than I had planned - but in reality, I probably would have woken up an hour too early. I quickly ate breakfast (2 eggs and some cheese), packed up my bag, and told my friend that I would be back around 6 or 7 p.m.

I caught the train from Yokohama Station and rode it into Tokyo. The official start of my trip would be at NIHOMBASHI.

But first, a coffee.

Many of you reading this know that I don't usually drink coffee, and I generally tend to avoid cafes. The only reason I chose to go was because I was going to meet a friend from university who I haven't seen in almost 2 years. She now lives and works in Tokyo, so it was a perfect chance to meet again.

After our meeting, she walked with me to Nihombashi. This was it. It was actually starting!!

But first, let me take a selfie (haha).

Now with full spirits and a good picture to mark the moment, I took my first step on my journey.

Walking of course came naturally. This is what I had been training over 2 months for. I kept my eyes open for markers of the Old Tokaido trail, but there was little of interest to me in those first hours - just buildings, people, streets.... you know, a city. Thankfully, sightseeing is NOT the purpose of this trip!

**

3 hours from Nihombashi I made a stop in Kamata to meet another friend who I hadn't seen in almost 2.5 years! We had hung out a lot while I was an exchange student, so we were very close. It was just like old times.

He also bought me lunch: Freshness Burger's Avocado Burger, without the bun. Thank you~

We talked for over an hour and I was feeling rejuvenated. 3 more hours to go and I would be back in Yokohama.  I realized how lucky I was that my first day went so well. The weather was great, not too hot and with a slight breeze. I had the chance to reunite with my friends.  And free food. That always makes for a good day.

Eventually I reached my friend's apartment in Yokohama. His girlfriend made gyoza (meat dumplings, mine were chicken) for dinner, which I had no guilt in eating after the 6-7 hour walk.  We played a couple rounds of Jenga and then went to bed around 11 pm.

I'm glad it was a good day, but I also knew that my journey had only just begun. If I was taking the ring to Mordor, day one would be the start of the journey where we are all still innocent and having fun... before the orcs attack us.

Starting tomorrow, I'm alone.

[30 kilometers]



**



MARCH 5th, DAY TWO, 7 am



Two more eggs for breakfast. I am going to miss being able to cook my food.

I have two possible destinations today, either Chigasaki or Hiratsuka. Hiratsuka is slightly farther of the two, and I preferred to go there because it would make my walk on the 6th an hour shorter. Either way, I was planning to spend the night at a net cafe.

Just before I left from Yokohama, another friend of mine stopped in to take my place at the apartment haha. The three of them sent me off with well wishes, and day two began.

I was taking Route 1 from Yokohama and finally seeing markers of the Old Tokaido road. On my way down from Tokyo I stayed on Route 15, so I only had markers which told me how far I had walked from Nihombashi.  I took a few pictures of the trail markers, but as I mentioned before, I'm not doing this to sight-see.

About 2 hours in to my walk I spotted a pair of backpackers ahead of me. I suspected they were walking the Tokaido as well (not alone after all!) However, they made a stop at a convenient store, while I still wanted to continue walking. If they were really on this road for the long haul, we would probably run into each other again, I thought, so I kept on my way.

Initially, I had marked a restaurant on my map to rest at. Every 2 hours or so I plan to rest my legs and shoulders, and maybe eat something too. My luck was good. There was a small department / supermarket in Totsuka on the way. I stopped in with the intention to buy some food and then eat it at a nearby park, but I noticed they had a small sitting area which we could use freely. Don't mind if I do. Second breakfast was green tea, a small salad, and bran rolls with butter.

I was feeling good and confident about my plans and training thus far. My legs were sound, and even my shoulders were adjusting to the weight of my bag (8-9kg, or about 18 lbs). The weather was actually warmer than I had been expecting, but thankfully I planned for that too. Also, I could take breaks on my own time, and eat what and when I wanted - freedom!

It was during my second short break at a Lawson that I spotted the two backpackers from earlier. Yup, they were walking the trail. Time to make my day a little more interesting. The hunt was on.  I quickly jumped back on the trail and followed after them.

If I caught up, I would say something... well, I did catch up because they stopped at the bottom of a hill to rest a bit. I sort of awkwardly said "Hey" as I drew closer and confirmed my suspicions. They were indeed walking the Tokaido route, but only to Kyoto. The pair of them were also planning to stop at a hotel in Hiratsuka that night. Maybe I am a little competitive, but that set my mind to going as far as Hiratsuka as well.

Figuring we would run into each other again, I excused myself and pressed onward. I don't mind talking with someone on the way, but I'm actually not in the mood to join a party.

The walk from there went relatively smoothly. I discovered there is a part of Route 1 that you CANNOT walk, despite what Google thinks. Google, I am not a car. I cannot go ON the highway. In any case, that area naturally leads pedestrians onto Route 30, so just trust the road.

Two hours later I was lucky again to find a shopping mall on the route. I grabbed some sashimi (raw fish) from the grocer and ate it in the food court. From there it was a 1 hour walk to Chigasaki (where I also stopped at a Gyomu Super to grab avocados and cheese haha). While in Chigasaki I called the net cafe in Hiratsuka to confirm if they were open. Their website would not load, so I was worried something happened, and should worst come to worst the next place I could stay the night would be an hour away.

The call confirmed that the net cafe was up and running, so I walked one more hour to Hiratsuka.

I always feel the most energetic in the first and last hour of my daily walks. Today I couldn't help but dance a little with my hands (legs are kinda busy), and when a language course came on I was ready to repeat all the phrases aloud as I walked. No one will bother to stop me, so why not. They probably think I am on a call with someone. Singing is more difficult... people will know when you're singing.

Finally, at about 8:30 I reached the center of Hiratsuka. I found the net cafe I planned to stay at and chose the best time package. I decided to get the 9-hour pack for 1800 yen. However, I had to wait until 10 pm. Fine, no problem.

As I was waiting a Japanese man asked me if I needed any help, but when I spoke back in Japanese he was surprised to hear me speak. We spoke a little and he offered to buy me a drink while I waited to go into the cafe. I accepted the company, ordered a hot tea and we talked for an hour until 10 pm.

Day two was coming to a good end. I got into the net cafe, paid for my time package and got a flat seat booth ("for sleeping"). The manager was very kind, and my flat booth was perfect. There was also a couple good movies I could watch while I ate my dinner (avocado, cheese, sliced chicken and another small salad).



[+33km = 63 kilometers total]



Yeah, this is the best net cafe I have been to yet.

Halfway through the movie, at midnight, I decided I would sleep until 6 am.

My wish was not granted.

THE GUY IN THE NEXT BOOTH SNORES LIKE A BEARRRRRRRRRR. WHYYYYY???? HOW CAN YOU SLEEP? NO ONE ELSE CAN SLEEP!!!

*tears tears angry tears*

So.... that's why I can't sleep and I wrote this blog haha. Now it's 5:15. The man left 30 minutes ago. I am going to try and get a little sleep in now!



Until next time, take care!

ON TO DAY THREE & FOUR>>>

Deluxe Tour Japan Winter 2016 (Part Four: YOKOHAMA, Day Three)

(*This blog entry was written a few weeks after the trip, but I changed the post-date for organizational reasons~ ^^)

December 24th, Day Three, YOKOHAMA

Today started off early, but we took our time actually getting ready and leaving the Guest House. On the way to the station we stopped at Lawson's for breakfast. (No ice cream this time! haha) We grabbed a few onigiri, breads and tea. There was also a flavor of Cheetos that I had never seen before, Garlic Butter; sounds delicious right? So we grabbed them as well.

We ate our onigiri and sampled the Cheetos (delicious as expected) as we walked to Kamata Station. The weather was great. There was no sign of rain or even a cloud in the sky.  From Kamata Station we took the JR Line to Sakuragicho Station. Now we were in Yokohama, the port city. I just remember being taken back by all the blue! The sky, the ocean - it was a perfect day. Shout out to the lone guy chilling and just reading his newspaper on the grass. Why not?

Today's main destination was the Cup Noodles Museum. Not only is it a museum that presents the full history of what we know today as "Cup Noodles", starting with its creation during the War, but there is also a hands-on Cup Noodles Factory.

I'm not going to lie, with all the hype about Cup Noodles, and all the innovation that has stemmed from it, I was expecting the exterior of the Museum itself to be more... eye-catching. There's modern art for you, simple.

So the outside wasn't much to look at. However, the entire inside of the museum was covered with Cup Noodle mascots and modern art. Everything was a strong white and red motif, very simple, very clean. And not surprisingly crowded. We purchased our entry tickets, 500 yen each and received our time slot for the "MY CUP NOODLES" Factory. The bulk of the people were gathered on the 3rd floor, constructing their own Cup Noodle, or waiting in the cue. Our time slot was 11:00~11:30.

There are actually two working areas on the 3rd floor. One is the MY CUP NOODLES Factory and the other is the Chicken Ramen Factory. At the Chicken Ramen Factory you experience making your own Noodles from scratch. However, you cannot just arrive on the day and decide to participate. Most reservations for the Chicken Ramen Factory are taken 3-months in advance.

For a good 10 minutes we were waiting at the front of the cue line that started at 11 o'clock. All the while watching people move into the other line towards the MY CUP NOODLES. Turns out, yes, we were in the wrong cue, so we quickly slipped over and got into the correct line. (My fault for not properly observing the situation and posting pictures to Facebook, I know.)

In any case, at the MY CUP NOODLES Factory you purchase your cup for 300 yen and then your group is guided to a table. With your blank, empty cup, you now have time to decorate it with the markers provided. Get creative! Just remember to stay within the red lines and mark the date!

Now you have a personally designed cup! It's time to put in the noodles and toppings. The noodles are placed on a belt and the cup is placed over them so they fit perfectly. No crooked noodles here. That orange and blue mess is my cup.... It wasn't half bad BEFORE I added to much blue and there was no going back. (And I'm the art major *shakes head*)

Once the noodles are in your cup(s) then it's time to choose your flavorings! One soup stock and four toppings per cup. There are four soups to choose from, including the regular Chicken Ramen, Chili, Tomato, and Curry. There are also twelve toppings in total, such as shrimp, egg, chicken, cheese, garlic, kimchi, green onion, corn... and so on.

All of us surprisingly chose shrimp! The color palettes are relatively the same too.

After your toppings are all set, it's time to seal the cup. You get the official paper lid, and then the cup is put into a plastic which will vacuum seal itself as it goes through an oven.

 The rest is up to you! Grab your cup, a balloon bag and a string and make yourself a nice souvenir to take home. They recommend eating it within a month, but I have a feeling most people preserve it forever. (I have decided to enjoy mine as I write this blog. Chili cheese garlic shrimp for the win!)

By this time it was nearly noon. We finished walking around the rest of the museum, which included a short animation about Cup Noodles history, and while it would have been interesting to have lunch at the Cup Noodle Bazaar on the 4th floor (featuring noodles from around the world), we were not willing to line up at the time. I actually had a different idea in mind for our lunch.

We left the museum and started to head back towards the city, passing the famous Red Brick Warehouses on the way. It's another nice location for a day out at the port, but that was not where we would have our lunch. We continued walking and soon found our way to Yokohama's other popular attraction - Chinatown.

As much as I hope to avoid crowded places, I can't help the fact that all the "tourist" spots are always crowded. Chinatown was no exception. Far from it. The streets were so packed that navigating was a chore, especially with full backpacks. I noticed that most people were lined up for nikuman, which is a meat but usually made with pork. None of us eat pork, so that was off the menu. I was sure that there was another option somewhere.

We first found these sesame donuts with anko, red bean paste inside. It was a good snack, but we needed something more.

Aside from the meat buns, we did find some shrimp dumplings, but I was still determined there was more. I have had all beef meat buns before and they were so good!! Unfortunately, we didn't come across any beef meat buns, but there was a place that had coconut buns. Hmm, that sounds tasty. So for only 250 yen each we grabbed a coconut bun and a "peach" bun (disclaimer, peach buns are still only filled with anko, they are called peach buns because the outside is colored pink to look like a peach).

It just so happened that the place we bought our buns from was right across from a BEEF and CHEESE Gyoza place! Score!! We ordered one set, 4 pieces, to try them out. If you like burgers, you can imagine the taste I bet. I would definitely get them again, but not to share! We shared all the food we bought, so we didn't really eat properly, but it was great to try all the different treats. I recommend sharing food on trips, and don't be afraid to get seconds!

It was sometime after 2 p.m. when we left Chinatown.  I reserved a bus to take us back to Nagoya, so we had to be at Shinjuku Station by 5:45. On our way to the station we remembered the Cheetos we bought that morning. Did we finish eating them? As we tried to remember what happened, my brother's eyes widened, "Um, I think I threw them out with the garbage." Noooo! No more Cheetos...

We rode the JR Line to Tokyo Station and went to grab our luggage (which was when I realized it was not a one-time charge, but 600 yen per day). Once we had our luggage with us, we headed straight to Shinjuku with time to spare.

I'm glad we had that extra time because Shinjuku Station is just huge and confusing.  First we tried to find a restaurant to chill at and eat to wait out the two hours, but everywhere we wanted to go was either full, or could not accommodate us and our luggage. Eventually we decided to grab food from the nearest convenient store, which surprisingly wasn't so near, and we waited at the bus station. The sign of the station looks like a zombie film to me haha.

It had been nice, almost warm weather all day, but when evening fell, so did the temperature. Our bus ended up being late due to traffic and we had to wait in the cold. However, we were able to finally relax on the bus as it drove us back to Nagoya.

By the time we arrived at Nagoya station it was almost midnight, so we caught the last train to my place.   I live in a simple 1K, so I didn't have much to offer. Thankfully, my friend lent me his air mattress, and I had bought an extra bed set for myself before the trip. One brother passed out right away, while the other kept me company as I unpacked the goods they brought for me from home.

No surprise, tomorrow is another early day. I was glad to be home, even for just the night.

<<PART THREE: TOKYO, DAY TWO                PART FIVE: OKAZAKI, DAY FOUR>>