Me, Myself and I Head East.....: Day 20, Tuesday 29th October

So here we are again - on a train! Just managed to catch the 5.50pm Shinkansen to Nagoya, literally by the skin of my teeth. I decided last night that ideas of travelling overnight were just “ricidoodlous” as am just so tired. Holidays are damped hard work especially when you are unfit, decrepit and to top it all a cleptomaniac with far too much to carry or drag! So decided on teatime train and booked hotel so get some sleep. Will have to be up early as still need to make the transfer to airport but that is only about half an hour. Flight just before 11am so reasonable.

Let’s start at the beginning of the day... woke up reasonably refreshed and decided to skip hotel breakfast as not much better than my own camp-out style! Was happily doing my ablutions, well near the end, on the make up, when I had a call from Lynne, my sister, who is now in Australia. I have to say WhatsApp is brilliant especially when you are on the move, nearly said on the run then, but mind still behind me trying to get to this***train!

All is well in the family camp, and Lynne and husband Richard were off to buy cleaning stuff and goodness knows what else, as they get the keys to their home for a year in Woy Woy! Just love that name!! Some of you might remember Lynne lived in S Africa for many years, then Spain, where they still have a holiday retreat and soon it will be Woy Woy. Their residence applications are in the system but who knows when a decision will be given, by them or the powers that be!

So good to have a natter ! It is one of the things that is difficult when you are travelling alone, leaving loved ones to do the chores! Watch out world though, I am about to return!

To continue today, watched the forecast and all looks ok cloud and temperature of 23....don’t know who plans this but mostly it is incorrect....today I looked out of the window and could see people scurrying about under umbrellas...rain!! So how to spend the day.... first I thought I would go to the drum museum as it is nearby, then shopping in kitchen street followed by trip over the river Sumida to the Sumida Hokusai museum. That should all be achievable and some of the journey can be by subway train or normal train.

So I eventually set off having left 3 suitcases at hotel for collection later. Found the drum shop next to the museum, but, guess what....the **** drum museum is closed on Tuesdays as well as Mondays! Still made up for it as asked a few questions one of the employees who could at least understand my questions enough to be able to give brief responses. I found it all very interesting...drums not that heavy, as chap demo-ed for me. The body of the drum is made in the same way as a wine cask or barrel, but am not sure if this is bamboo or another wood. The sides, ie playing surfaces are tied onto the cylinder with thick cord and heavily tensioned. Drumsticks come in a variety of lengths and woods. The harder the wood, the louder the sound. Phots later so you will understand them now! There are also pictures of portable shrines as drums usually go hand in hand with festival processions.

After drums, I went to the Tokyo handicraft museum. This again was very interesting and possibly better than Kanazawa’s or Kyoto’s, although they all are featuring the crafts from their own region most. Would have liked the booklet that was in the museum for reference but it wasn’t for sale. Have to make do with the little pamphlet!

After exiting the museum, I hoped for the rain to stop, but it wasn’t playing ball, in fact it had got heavier. Time to put on my supermarket raincoat, old pack a Mack type. It kept me dry from the rain but boy, was I cooking in there! Soldiered on to the famous Happakabashi cooking utensils street. I have been before but had a few items that I wanted to purchase and knew this was the place! Had a
good mooch about and continued to the end of the street where I could turn left and be back to my hotel. As I now knew the lie of the land a bit, I went straight past and down into the subway system to get a train to near the Hokusai museum. Time was going ok, and I should have had plenty of time....

......That assumes that you a, get off train at nearest station and b, that you walk in the right direction! Let’s not make a big deal of it, the museum appeared to be mid way between two stations, but it wasn’t! It had to be nearer the one that I didn’t choose, then, due to being tired and brain dead, I proceeded to go in totally the wrong direction. By the time I realised my mistake, I was wondering if I would have time to see the museum, or should I just head back? Well I had walked so flipping far I couldn’t give up but did decide to try and get a taxi there. I managed eventually to stop one, and got as far as sitting inside for a very brief rest, but he wasn’t prepared to take me ...I think it was too short a journey, time for his lunch, time for a sleep, who knows! So got out and ambled slowly in the rain till I got there - over an hour later than planned. All timings are adjustable as it is up to me when I try to arrive at Nagoya, but didn’t want to be too late as have to manage the cases etc etc....

I am just so glad that I stuck to my plan since the museum was excellent. I skipped the final part of the permanent exhibition as time really had flown by. It was wonderful to see 18 off the 36 views of Mount Fuji. I liked them all, but some were really funny when you look hard at what is going on, the expressions etc.

Remembered to collect my new umbrella from the lock-up area, I had traded my old broken one for a new non collapsible one en route, for 500 yen. Hope I can bring it on the plane but it was cheap so if I have to abandon it, well, too bad!

Managed to grab a taxi outside the museum, far far too tired to do anything else! Got back to hotel and via Google translate got the driver to wait while I got my luggage then off to Tokyo main station to catch this Shinkansen.

No doubt I will have a struggle when I get to Nagoya, just hope I can find a route without steps! Will update you tomorrow, or later tonight if I can keep awake by then!

So here is a round up of today’s pictures.....first the Drum shop, as museum closed had to make the best of it!