I made it! My second day in Tokyo yet i strangely feel that i just stepped off the plane, given that i'm still ridiculously tired after an eventful flight and because every time i turn a corner i seem to enter an entirely different city. But then again, in another sense i can almost feel like i've been here ages as i've seen so much already. Tokyo truly is huge and seems to consist of cities within a city. Yes its vast and massive, but it has really distinct neighbourhoods and totally suprises you with unexpected sights, like a gorgeous old wooden house tucked in the arch of a railway line that is wedged between glass skyscrapers. You walk along a four lane freeway with high rises then turn a corner and find a tiny pocket of a village wih ridiculously narrow winding roads and houses you can't imagine could possibly last an earthquake. All in all, i like it. I love that its a city full of contradictions and doesn't care. A huge shrine can be surrounded by the busiest market of dodgy souvenirs, and inside will be the hustle and bustle of loads of people trying to push their way to the pool where they toss in coins before praying. The sound of the coins echoes constantly and makes quite a din. All this sound and activity and then you notice what everyone seems to be pushing to see: monks in what looks like a perfectly silent room separated from the all the din by a screen. I've no idea if the monks hear or even notice the visitors but the contrasting scene is really interesting.

Then there's Shinjuku. CRAZY. Way to throw myself in at the deepend on my first day. I have nailed getting lost. It took me about an hour to find my local station (which is a 10 minute walk away) I then unwisely headed to the biggest station in Tokyo (its about the size of Maidstone town centre). I was feeling all smug about sussing the ticketing system unti i arrived in Shinjuku and ended up taking half an hour to find my way out. At one point (whilst getting swept up in numerous currents of people) I considered whether i'd be more successful if i called the British Embassy and alerted them to my being taken hostage by the Tokyo subway. Needless to say, i made it out only to be blinded by a severe attack of neon. Times Square doesn't even compare. After the traumas of throwing up throughout my 12 hour flight, being sleep and food deprived, getting frequently lost and geeting frustrated with a city that has zero street names, I eventually sought comfort in a McDonalds, something i had vowed never to do. So ended my first day, in the comfort of familiar grease, salt and sugar.

(will get some photos online at some point - i bought a stupidly large picture card and am struggling to take enough pics to put to CD and get online. Bear with me)