Tokyo

Our train left at 6:04. It took 6 hours by the slow Shinkansen (Hikari I think the name was), but the whole distance traveled was over 1,000 miles so it was still pretty good. When we arrived, Bro. and Sis. Utagawa (Shelly's Dad's friends) met us at the station.

Right after that we performed baptisms for the dead in the Tokyo Temple, we were really lucky cause we got their just in time. The people there tried really hard to speak english for us, but they really didn't need to go to all that trouble. I was so tired that I wasn't really concious.

While Shelly's dad was still in the temple, Sis. Utagawa took Shelly and I to Shibuya (japan's most famous shopping district). Here we survived the famous Shibuya Crossing, here's a link for what we experienced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtOdSgf6Ic&feature=related

It was here that we went to the Cafe Comme Ca and had the best mango cake thing in the whole world. The mango was perfect! It was defnitely not a comme ci comme ca cafe (so-so cafe).

On Sunday, Shelly and I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum with some random girl (her name is Rachel) that we met at the hostel we're staying in. Tickets for this museum are extremely difficult to get a hold of (according to our teachers), and while easier, they aren't so easy to get in America either. In fact, Shelly and I managed to get some of the last tickets because Studio Ghibli Museum closed the next day (they do this twice a year).

It was one of the coolest museums I have ever been to, and we got to ride the special bus all the way there (from the subway station).

We went to some station to wait for Shelly's dad, but we got there about 30 mins early so we stopped at a bakery called Saint-Germaine. The best french bakery with the best croissants I have ever had outside France. It was amazing, I definitely want to go back.

Afterwards, the Utagawa's had prepared us sukiyaki, pizza, unari zushi, assorted fruit, desserts, drinks, ect. for dinner. Overall, way too much food. Really good, but waaaay too much.

This morning, Shelly's dad woke up at 6. He's not very good at being quiet. But I pretended to be asleep until Shelly and her dad went to go take a shower (at about 8). When her dad came back he said, "I woke up at six this morning." And I was like, Yeah, I know!

Today, we went a really big shrine, not to far from us, but I can't remember the name. After that, we went to Akihabara which is japan's most famous electric shopping district. There I bought a cheap japanese-english (and vice versa) machine, apparently they are really important if you want to learn jaapanese...plus it was pink! lol

Then we went to Harajuku to see the weird people all dressed up, but they weren't there (because it's Monday rather than the weekend) so we just shopped around. I bought an undershirt, but instead of putting it in a plastic sack like normal, I scored a really nice, zip up bag. It was pretty exciting. We also stopped at another shrine before getting back on the JR line.

Shibuya came next, but Shelly and I were out of money by then so we just bought some of those mango cake things again and . . . Tokyo Disney Tickets!! We're going to Disney Land tomorrow! I've heard that Disney Land sucks here (from someone who hadn't even been), but I'm really excited anyway. Plus, we have nothing else to see here except shrines and temples.

I don't really like seeing shrines or temples. I mean, people actually pray and believe that they're prayers will be answered in those things, so I feel awkward going cause I don't. Plus, they pretty much all look the same.

But that's it for Tokyo (except Disney Land) and tonight's dinner (which we have no idea what it will be). I think I've figured Tokyo out though, at first I was so amazed by how big it is and couldn't imagine how you could ever find you're way here. When you get up somewhere high, all you can see is buildings. They're never ending! But after 3 days, I feel pretty confident about finding my way. Plus, I'm really good at asking directions.