Day 12 - Exploring Northern Tokyo

Down for breakfast at 8.00- Both of us chose the ‘western-style’ breakfast (only something you could vaguely recognise as western, but closely watched others eating Japanese breakfast to gauge if we should go for it next day.  We then walked to the fabulous shopping area we saw the night before   lots of small shops and stalls selling clothes and artwork, confectionary and a wide range of restaurants and cafes) and then headed for the Sensoji Temple complex- the oldest temple in Tokyo. Inside main temple we chose a stick at random from a box. The number on it matched a number (in Japanese) on a tray in a large rack of trays.  Inside the tray was a prayer which of course we cannot read.  We watched a religious ceremony before visiting other minor temples.  We then made our way to a crossroad of alleyways covered by leafy vines and settled down for couple of cold drinks and a meal of meat stew.  Temp was now 34C and the owners of the food stall gave us a fan and wet cold towels for our necks.

In the afternoon we ventured into the subway and caught train to Ueno Park that comprises museums, art gallery and a zoo.  Paid £6 to enter the zoo (if we had passports would have had 20% off)- well worth it, especially the two giant pandas and the polar bear- could not drag Liz away.   Spent all afternoon at the zoo before getting subway train back to hotel and a welcome shower.  Might jump into the communal bath on 10^th floor later- no clothes apparently- but like last night we will go to the concert on other side of the Endo River and have another cold beer.

Liz's favourite pictures from Tokyo zoo.