Meiji Shrine

Shibuya crossing

I'm proud of myself.  Despite the doubts of many who thought it might not be possible, I took the train into Tokyo during my 10 hour layover at Narita Airport.  Armed with my guidebook and a game plan, I left Narita at 6:30am and headed for the train station.  I made the mistake of getting on the local train, which made about 30 stops along the way and took over 2 hours to get into the city.  However, it was half the price of the faster train, so whatever; I suddenly get extremely patient when I'm saving money.  I took the train to Ueno station, where I transfered to the JR train, that brought me to Shibuya.   Every Japanese person that I asked for help spoke excellent english and was eager to point me in the right direction; I normally don't like asking directions if I can figure it out myself, but with no room for error in this Tokyo excursion, I put myself immediately at their mercy and kindness.  Desperate for coffee, having now been awake for a night and a day, I gave into the lure of Starbucks for the first time in three months.  The Starbucks in Shibuya has a fantastic view overlooking the main intersection (above), so I like to think that my $3 coffee was actually to pay for this view.  (The Starbucks also has a trash can in the bathroom that opens with a wave of your hand.)  After watching the mechanics of the pedestrian crossing for a while, I wandered more through Shibuya and up to the Meiji Shrine.  It had been raining when my plane landed, and now the city was clouded and misty and cool--quite an abrupt climate change from Bangkok.  I immediately wished I had a sweater with me, but I was still dressed for the tropics.  The Meiji Shrine has a beautiful long walkway through a densely forested park; it is like a retreat, an escape from the city, as if the trees shield the shrine from the commerce and neon of Tokyo.  I felt overly rushed in this experience, unfortunately, and kept hoping that all of my transportation would run like clockwork back to the airport.  After leaving the park, I headed towards a used clothing store I had read about, "Chicago", in the nearby Harajuku neighborhood.  The store was filled with used American import clothing--good stuff and cheap, better than we can find in a US thrift store.  I hastily bought a couple of wool sweaters (being really in the mood for winter at this point), took a quick walk down the hipster street, Takeshita-dori, and jumped back on the JR toward Ueno. At Ueno, I bought the higher-priced Skyliner ticket back to the airport, which got me there in an hour flat.  I got back way early, which made me regret my speed through Tokyo, but I still feel as though I got a good dip into the city, and I mastered public transport with no mistakes.  I was surprised that I saw relatively few tourists in Tokyo, even though I hit some of the biggest hotspots.  For instance, most of the visitors at the Meiji Shrine were Japanese.  I was in awe of the fashionable young people as well; they put even New Yorkers to shame.              

The view from the Golden Mount in Bangkok

Last minute market wandering through Chinatown.

My street in Bangkok, Klong Thoey, Rama IV Rd.

Victory Monument at night

As the pictures below show, I used one of my last days in Thailand to visit the old capital of Ayuthaya.  It's only an hour and a half outside of Bangkok, so I took a bus there for the day.  It was incredibly hot when I arrived at 10 am, and the local tuk tuk drivers were ready for me.  After I initially refused their services when I got off the bus, one guy proceeded to follow me down the street in his vehicle, honking his horn at me, as if I would change my mind.  As usual, I preferred to walk the ruins, although it would have been better to rent a bike, I think.  Ayuthaya made the ruins in Cambodia seem practically deserted; there were enormous tour buses at every temple complex that poured out 50 or so Japanese tourists each.  It was impossible to really enjoy or contemplate the ruins with swarms of people climbing all over them.  I managed to walk to one remote temple, though, that had far fewer visitors, and the lawn was being trimmed by cows, which I thought was quite charming.  The cows were very systematic in their efforts, as if they wanted to do a thorough job of it.  I took another third class train home that evening for 15 baht, where I sat next to a grumpy looking Thai woman who was hogging 4 seats with her bags.  I think I was the only person who dared to disrupt her space because the train was completely packed other than her immediate vicinity.  I've decided, though, that third class trains are the best way to travel in Thailand if you really want to immerse yourself among a bunch of Thai people, and smell the stove fires burning in every little town (windows are open), and feel the pace of Thai life as the train lazes along, stopping every few minutes.  It's much more of an experience than 2nd class with its ice-box air conditioning, plowing through small villages at 60 km per hour, destined for the next resort town.   

more Ayuttaya