Tokyo First Impression

Jet lag meant my first night of sleep was a little less than ideal.  Finally at 3 am I gave up and did my morning games and emails.  

The rainy weather brought out umbrellas from the daily commuters which made for colorful pictures from our hotel's vantage point.  The crossing area below us is known as the Shibuya Scramble which aptly describes the organized chaos on the street.  

With a whole day ahead of us, we set out to do a little exploring (and shopping).  This part of Tokyo is definitely not built on a grid system so we relied on the handy Goggle to help us navigate the streets.  We stopped at a multi-level store called Hands which occupied us for over an hour with everything you might need, from mops, to toys, to cards and electronics.  It's always fascinating to me what people in other countries use in their everyday lives.  We walked away with our purchases on to find some lunch.

Shakey's was a pizza chain from my twenties in Tulsa which is why I was so surprised to find one in Tokyo.  While now extinct at home, the lunch buffet still continues here.  I can't say the pizza has improved.  It was interesting to see chopsticks being used as eating utensils for pizza.  

We had tickets this afternoon for a Shibuya Sky Observation Deck in a tall building across from our hotel.  Again, the rain didn't seem conducive to great views from above, but we decided to go anyway.  It did make for some interesting people watching however, so the trip wasn't a total waste of  our time.  Upon exiting, we were directed through a huge sweets hall with the most beautiful looking pastries, cookies, and cakes.  If they tasted half as good as they looked they might have been the best desserts of our lives.  However, we resisted and kept on our path back to the hotel.

Our next stop was at a Cat Cafe. For those unfamiliar with the concept, this is a cafe where you pay to spend a little time with your favorite felines.  They were lounging all over the large living type space but most were not very interested in us.  That was until we bought frozen cat lollypops which perked them right up.  One was pretty aggressive to make sure he got his fair share of the treats.  It definitely is a can't miss stop if you love hanging out with a bunch of cats.

We met up with some of our group for a quick little happy hour and finished the evening in a noodle bar in the food floor below our hotel.  So far, I'm totally in love with this country.

Tomorrow: The Workshop Begins