Tokyo II

After a wonderful home leave in which we got to see family and friends in New York, Seattle, Portland, Washington DC and Florida, it was time for the Martins to go abroad again, this time to Manila. So, we clamored onto the plane and hunkered into our seats for the long flight.

But before getting to our new home, we stopped off in Tokyo for a couple of days. Our friend, Sachi, was going to be there and it would also coincide with Eliana's birthday.

This time, we stayed in Ueno. We arrived in the evening and after the kind of night you can only have after a trans-Pacific flight in a small Japanese hotel room, we set out for an early morning walk and found Ueno Park. In the middle of the park is a big pond covered in lotuses and lily pads. 

On the other side of the pond, we found Bentendo Hall Temple and its grounds.

Later that morning, we met up with Sachi and headed over to Sensoji Temple. At the front gate, there is a huge lantern.

Then you walk a gauntlet of shops selling traditional Japanese goods.

And then you reach the temple, which is a complex of buildings, gardens and statuary...

After the temple and getting a jetlagged and cranky 2-year-old to sleep, it was time for lunch at a conveyer belt sushi restaurant. Eliana and Sachi are kindred spirits when it comes to posing for pictures.

Eliana ate her weight in Japanese grapefruit.

The historic neighborhood around the temple was also fun to explore.

We also found time to peek into a pachinko parlor.

And then we went over to an amusement park in the middle of the city that Sachi used to go to when she was younger.

Then, we went to Eliana's birthday dinner which Sachi had arranged. Of course, with all of our activities following a long flight the day before, the kids didn't last long.

So, the adults enjoyed some sake and good food.

Here was Eliana's panda birthday cakes, that mostly got eaten the next morning for breakfast.

And, on our final day in Tokyo, what trip there would be complete without a toy store visit.