It's been a month now since we were in Tokyo with my parents and my brother, Chris... and just now I'm getting around to posting some pictures from the trip:) We had a wonderful time, and it worked out perfectly meeting up at the New Sanno there (a military hotel), as it was a direct flight, then a 2 hour bus ride for my family, and a 3 hour train ride (that felt like many more when you're traveling with a one-year old) and half hour subway trip for us. Our mornings were mostly spent at the hotel, as I wasn't feeling all that well (I'm pregnant, for those of you who somehow have managed to escape that news thus far - due Jan.12th) and Kaiya was getting over an ear infection, so any nap time was much appreciated. We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast buffet time at the restaurant in the hotel, as well as the dinner buffet, for that matter:) It was fun for us to get to eat American food, and it was also nice and convenient.
One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Imperial Palace and gardens. After touring the extensive "green" area of the gardens, we decided to take one more side trail to see what was down that way before we left, and came upon the flower garden! It was quite spectacular, and we were thankful that we had checked out that one last place! We also went to the Science Museum. I think it was at Ueno? I should get out my info and give you the exact names, should you ever find yourself there. All this to say that the Science Museum was NOT somewhere worth going. Apparently the Science and TECHNOLOGY museum was the place that we were supposed to go... this was definitely not a technology museum. I was expecting it to be like Science World back home, but instead just saw a bunch of dead, stuffed animals and models of naked people... some evolution thing. It was an experience alright... just not quite the experience that we had been eagerly anticipating. One evening we went out to Roppongi with Chris with the intention of seeing a movie at the theater. After discovering that it would cost $30 per person (because it was in the special theater with extra leg room and a free drink... let's just say that it took a long time and a lot of miscommunication before finally figuring out that that was what the extra $ was for), we decided to pass, and just hung out at the Starbucks instead (where we live, the closest real Starbucks (not "proudly brewed" version) is a good hour and a half, maybe more, away... I've actually never even seen it, just heard stories).
Another one of the highlights was an electronics store that was several stories high. Hyatt showed me some headphones that were more than $1000. They were very comfortable, and the sound did not sound like it was coming out of headphones, if that makes sense. But $1000 for headphones? I just can't quite fathom that. I have to check with Hyatt what the exact price was. We saw a $50,000 flat screen high-def TV that Dad really liked... but then we got to see their projector TVs that had Blue-Ray playing, and we were able to save him a bit of money because they didn't cost quite as much as the TV:)
Lastly, we went to a crazy intersection where thousands of people (or maybe just a thousand?) cross every time. It has a name, but I'm pregnant and my brain just isn't remembering the exact name at the moment. It's pretty famous, though. And we walked a really long way in the rain to get to cross at that intersection just to say that we did it. Shibuya. That is what it was called.
After that wonderful time with everyone, Mom came along with us back up to Misawa, while Dad and Chris headed back home. Mom was amazing and helped clean and organize the whole house and took care of Kaiya. I had just been feeling overwhelmed with everything since I have been pretty sick with this pregnancy. Now I feel like life is a little more under control and I think I'm starting to feel a little bit better (I think I have a longer period of time in the afternoon when I'm not feeling nauseated). Lisa comes tomorrow, so I have to get the house ready for that. I'm so excited, as this is her first time to Japan!
Anyways, I will leave you with some pictures of Tokyo...
