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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

ありがとうございます, 東京 - Arigatou Gozaimasu, Tokyo!



From Andhra Dining, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags. And imagine the convenience - we ordered an Uber taxi. We had been using Uber in Mumbai, and always found it super useful, but little did we imagine that the app would be of use to us in this alien land, where the language barrier makes communicating with taxi drivers really hard...

After a 30 minute Uber ride, we reached Haneda airport and had to wait a while for the Peach check-in counters to open...

As we waited, we reflected on our trip to Tokyo. We were pleased we finally made it to Tokyo and enjoyed Japanese hospitality to the fullest. We got to experience the peace and calm that Fuji-san and its surroundings had to offer. And not to mention, the incredible and diverse culinary experiences we had in Tokyo, including the spicy tastes of home...


As we get ready to board our Peach Airbus A320 flight into Incheon, all we can say ありがとうございます, 東京 - Arigatou Gozaimasu, Tokyo, or Thank You, Tokyo!


Monday, January 30, 2017

Andhra Dining - A Surprise In Ginza!




Roaming around Ginza, we were left with a massive appetite and what we discovered next was quite a surprise, something that we did not expect to find!


While we have developed a deep love for Japanese food - curries, ramen, sushi and tempura, but nothing can compare the way we get drawn to Indian cuisine, especially since we moved out of India. And finding a place that serves South Indian food was quite really the icing on the cake - we could not really believe our luck!!!


And Andhra Dining was rated as the best restaurant in 2014...



Scanning the options...


What a pleasure to see Japanese office-goers going crazy over spicy South Indian food - truly our cuisine is a potent weapon of Indian soft power...


I could not resist ordering vada sambhar...


...and masala dosa!


...followed by cold payasam...


...and filter coffee!

Our last meal in Tokyo was indeed satisfying, a pleasurable end to this trip to Tokyo! And now we will head out to Haneda...


Glitzy Ginza...





Back in Ginza, it was time to soak in the vibe of the glitzy and vibrant district...




Ginza looks amazing at dusk...



A store called Madras!!!


A stationary store...


Passing by one of the most recognisable landmarks of Ginza - the Wako clocktower. From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock...


As dusk descends on Ginza, the lights start to come up...






Ginza is well known for shopping, drawing hordes of Chinese tourists, especially to the duty free stores...







At Wako again...



And Ginza is known for designer stores as well!



Everywhere you look around in Ginza, you find a designer store...


Yoga studio...


And with all the walking, we are famished. We have to find a good place for a hearty meal before we leave for Haneda...

Sumida Park - Another Perspective On Tokyo...



And here we are at the Sumida Park, which is a beautiful park in the east of Tokyo, by the banks of Sumida River...


Walking towards the park, we get unrestricted views of the Tokyo Skytree...


The 634 metre tall Tokyo Skytree was completed in 2012 making it the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa. The tower serves as a broadcasting tower, and also houses restaurants and an observation tower.



The view of Tokyo Skytree from the Sumida Park...


It surprising that the trees over here are still green in winter...


We rested in the park for a while, watching the clouds floating in the bright blue sky...


...and the breeze felt amazing!



And we didn't realise but we dozed off for a while...




And then we headed back to Ginza...