AAAh.. My feet started to itch. Then R had a regional meeting in Tokyo and i decided to pack my suitcase too. This time I had an ally in Marge. One is an acomplished photographer ( Nikon et al ) and the other ( that's me ) a hopeful.

Sakura or Cherry Blossoms were the main attraction and we trailed all possible locations of these delicate blooms.

Day 1: First stop was the gardens of the Hotel New Otani in Akasaka where we stayed. We took some solid shots of its manicured grounds with its obligatory red bridge, Koi ponds and mini waterfall. After we left for Higashi Gyoen inside the Imperial Palace. Sadly, it was closed off to the public so we half meandered, half got lost and found ourselves in Chidorigafuchi. This was actually the choicest spot we could have wished for. Sakura trees lined the pavements bordering a lake. There was boating to be had, but we decided that we were both too clumsy for a self-manned boat. Pressing on, we moved off to Shinjuku Gyoen to catch the "golden light" as Marge puts it. It was freezing.. but we managed to pull off a few brave shots.
Day 2: I didn't think that a River cruise was possible until someone told me. So we organised ourselves to be at Hama Rikyu Garden. This is Tokyo's oldest and most venerated park with Pine trees dating back to hundreds of years. This is also one of the boarding points for the ferry plying the Sumida River to Asakusa. Concrete embankments don't make nice pictures but from time to time, we passed by batches of Sakura that stuck out brilliantly. We passed under about 15 bridges, each with its own distinctive design and color. Asakusa, like the good guidebook says is where the old part of Tokyo comes to life. We visited the Sensoji Shrine - where Marge did the bamboo fortune thing and blew smoke onto her face. We jostled with the crowd at Nakamise Dori and picked up HELLO KITTY lollipops. At 500 yen a pop, it was no kiddy matter. We skipped nearby Ueno Park, after hearing that it wasn't that interesting unless you want to shoot homeless people.

Day 3: Marge wasn't taking the plane back until she got her Wagyu beef and Tuna belly. So off to the basement of Takashimaya in Shibuya. She nearly cleaned out the Wagyu beef counter !! Marge had 3-5kg of meat, neatly packed into styrofoam boxes with dry ice.

Day 4: Hakone was doable in one day but that would be rushing around. So we decided to do the Ginza, Shijunku thing at leisure. I sat in the middle of Ginza on a bench because it happened to be traffic free sunday. A nice breeze was blowing and i thought this must be the most expensive seat in the world, considering the real estate prices. It felt grand even though we were just pedestrians.









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