Day Two - Into Tokyo

We headed into Tokyo via a Skytrain from the airport. We had sent our suitcases ahead from the airport the day before, so were only travelling with our backpacks which was so much the easier option. Arriving at Shinjuku Station, we knew the exit we had to find, but.... Lesley has heard there are over 200 exits at Shinjuku Station and even though this was a major one, we got lost. Eventually, we asked some schoolgirls where to find our exit and they said they didn't know. As we spoke to them, an elderly Japanese man, who later told us he was in his sixties, came by and offered to help. He not only showed us the exit but said it would take another fifteen minutes or

more to get to our hotel, Super Hotel Shinjuku. He said he had plenty of time, as he was retired now, and would be glad to show the way. So we set out along crowded footpaths and across busy streets and on and on. In the end, he pointed out our hotel sign above the other billboards. We said we'd be right after that, and we were. He also spoke a little English and Lesley was speaking a little Japanese, so we got on fine.
As we were hoping, our suitcases had arrived at the hotel via Takyubin, a very popular courier that Japanese people use for travel all over Japan. It only cost about $15 per bag from the airport. These little aqua coloured vans with the black cat logo on yellow can be seen everywhere. Such a Godsend to us! We wish other countries would follow Japan's example. So lovely to arrive in your hotel and be greeted with your suitcase just inside the door. Yes please!
We spent this day just settling in and exploring our environment outside. Our room in this hotel was very tiny with not even enough room to open suitcases on the floor. It was even smaller than our hotel room in Venice. But despite the cramped quarters (reminding ourselves that every square metre of space in Tokyo comes at a premium!) the hotel had many plusses. There were a variety of

pillows to choose from. Some were the hard ones like bean bags that the Japanese favour, not our cup of tea. Then there were the firm ones or the very soft. These were displayed in a special open pillow cupboard on the ground floor near the lifts. Breakfast at the Super Hotel was really delicious - cooked eggs and cold meats (can't remember bacon), yoghurts and fruits, juices, coffee from a machine and plenty of Japanese items. Lesley liked the plain rice and seaweed strips with pickled plums for relish. We were both very happy with the breakfast choices. Another plus which proved to be a minus for Lesley were the special gifts in coloured cellophane paper for the women - items like plastic combs, brushes, hair elastics, body lotion samples, shampoo samples etc. We received four sets as we were staying four nights! Once it was ascertained that there was not much worth keeping, Lesley discretely placed them outside someone else's room on another floor - not wanting to seem ungrateful. Even if the cleaners took them, she would be content. The final plusses were

that our hotel was right there in the heart of Shinjuku (location, location!) and it was quite inexpensive - about $150 a room including breakfast.
We walked down the street, along alleyways and narrow lanes, always trying to remember which way we'd come, and noting important landmarks in our heads. Tokyo has always been known as the city to confuse the enemy, so many laneways going in all directions. We stopped for coffee at a second floor cafe and looked out at the people passing in the street.
In the evening, we chose a street vendor down an alleyway who was cooking up a storm, and seemed to have many repeat customers. We took our very shaky seats (close to a concrete edge! Yikes!) and ordered some shish kebabs. We quelled our thoughts about hygiene when we saw the pots and pans strewn everywhere, and just tucked in. Delicious! Tony enjoyed his Sapporo beer and hadn't tried edamame beans before. They were complimentary.
We walked and walked after dinner and realized that everyone else was walking too. The footpaths were crammed with people, mostly young people, meeting up, going places, eating out, crossing at lights, chatting, laughing, enjoying the night time vibe and the cool of the evening. We passed the Robot Hotel which we'd heard about and

saw some people out the front sitting up on a stand being photographed with a robot. We declined to enter as it is a whole show with a dinner. And we had already eaten. It looked like fun and we know it's promoted a great deal online, but of course there is not just one robot restaurant in Tokyo - seems to be a whole chain of them.