Excursions with the Leons

Last Saturday I had a wonderful evening with the Leons. I met Jorge and LouAnne at a typical meeting point in Roppongi- the big black spider. It's quite an interesting landmark of the area- kind of creepy especially since I'm not very fond of spiders. We met there and went up the Mori Tower to the outside observation center where the helicopters land. It was a beautiful view of Tokyo as the sun was starting to set. After spending some time there, we headed over to the bar from Lost in Translation- ironically named The New York Bar- at the Park Hyatt hotel. So there I was, sitting in The New York Bar in Tokyo having a glass of wine with the Leons, and taking in the amazing view of Tokyo at night illuminated. I think it might even look more beautiful at night- the lights all look like twinkling stars. After, we made our way over to the restaurant for dinner in Asakusa. It was an authentic little Japanese place where the door is so tiny you have to duck to go in. We removed our shoes and went into a room of only 4 communal tables and sat on cushions. LouAnne and I ordered this steak dinner that is brought out and prepared in front of you on a large leaf over a pot of coals. It was delicious! Then we all shared in Jorge's Shabu Shabu which is a large pot brought to the table over a burner with vegetables, broth, and choice of meat- in this case it was Wild Boar haha. We also got Udon noodles to add with it. I tried it and while I'll say it wasn't as savory and tender as the beef we got earlier, it wasn't bad. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of cold sake and I really enjoyed it (from prior experience of trying warm sake I thought I didn't like it). I learned that actually warm sake is the cheaper stuff which is why it's served warm, and the better quality sake is cold. It was a lovely evening and a much-needed break from the girls and apartment.

Sunday I woke up early to meet Jorge and LouAnne for a Sunday morning walk/excursion with their dog Bella. We walked by Tokyo Tower, went to Zojoji Temple, happened upon a festival/market with all sorts of foods and things to try, and then went down to Tokyo Bay. On the way back we went through a Buddhist temple area and it was very peaceful and quiet. Kind of tucked away. There was even a couple getting married but you'd never know. We fed the koi in the pond and they went crazy over the food like it's catnip! It was a gorgeous morning, clearest blue sky without a cloud in sight. After we parted ways, I later headed out to Harajuku with my camera charged! Harajuku on a Sunday is crazy- there are tons of people out shopping and the Japanese teens/young adults dress up like it's some kind of event or holiday. I felt under-dressed and ordinary. But that was ok since I was trying to blend in so I could snap pictures of them. But I also just walked up and asked the girls to pose for a few. The shopping is so good too- my senses were overwhelmed with things to look at, touch, etc. I ended up buying what I think will be my Halloween costume. It's a very Tokyo, Harajuku girl kind of thing- multi color tutu and hoodie with bows and unicorns. I can't wait to wear them! Check out the gallery for tons of pictures from the weekend.