Tokyo

 We are off on a new adventure.  Japan has been on our “bucket list” for many years and we are eager to explore.  We left San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday and arrived in Tokyo Wednesday night.  We ordered a meet and greet from a local and it was well worth the money.  He helped us get our Japan Rail Pass, got us tourist cards, showed us how to get to the right train into Tokyo and how to get to our hotel.            

On the train we sat next to a couple who started a conversation with us.  It turned out they were from Israel.  Then the woman said that her country was having real problems.  She is originally from Ukraine.  Enough said.

We decided that we would leave Thursday as an open day to recover from jet lag.  We are staying across the street from Ueno park which is the oldest public park in Tokyo so this gave us a great starting place.  

This morning we just wandered the park and it was really beautiful.  Lots of shrines, museums and places to photograph.  No photos allowed inside of most of the shrines but we enjoyed taking photos outside and seeing the sights.  

 

Lunch was an experience.  We tried a sushi restaurant near our hotel.  You ordered by a touch screen at your table and the food is promptly delivered.  When you want to pay the bill, you touch a button on the screen, give the cashier your table number and pay.  Eight rolls cost less than $15.00 dollars.  Never see that in the US.  The food was excellent.  We plan to go back.