Riding My Bike- or- 100 Temples & Shrines in a Day

23 Feb:
Yet another random breakfast, 'Hotto Keeki' (Hot Cakes) filled with butter and mayple syrup, and an onigiri (rice ball). I promise to stop writing about breakfast as soon as I eat something normal.

Anyway! Today I rented a bicycle. Something I havn't done in Tokyo before and was more than a little apprehensive about, since the traffic in Tokyo is crazy. But it only cost 200Yen (about $3) so why not give it a try! All bicycles in Japan seem to have baskets and look like something my grandmother would have ridden in the 1940's. Mine was red. I loved it.

--- My Bike at a temple ---

--- My Bike after it got impounded because I parked it in the wrong spot ---

--- A Random Building with a Man on it ---

I had a vague notion to ride from Asakusa to Ueno, and then ride around the park looking for interesting things. On the way to Ueno I found quite a few interesting things, including a very cute dog, a lovely old temple (unfortunately it seems I took more photos of the temple CAT than the actual temple, so just use your imagination)

Ueno Park is huge and so beautiful. I will definitely come back here when Dim arrives and some of the cherry blossom trees are flowering. There were a lot of interesting things in Ueno Park, including, but not limited to: A man walking his cat, a man with a pet rabbit in a special house on the back of a scooter, a man doing interpretive dance to music while juggling, oh and there were a LOT of amazing temples and other things.

--- The Dove has a flame inside it which is from the Hiroshima atomic bomb ---

--- Asking someone to take my picture was scary! ---

--- This statue is more than 400 years old ---

While in Ueno Park I also went to a Tokyo culture and history museum. I was given a free guided tour by a lovely old man. I managed to take his picture.

--- These buildings are INSIDE the museum, and you are allowed inside them ---

Another place I visited which was recommended by the tourist information office was this wall:

--- A Wall ---

Now, I know that I often like things simple because they are old, this wall was not one of those things. It's a wall. Sure it is very old, but... it's a wall. There isn't even anything awesome behind it, just someone's house. The guys who were building a house opposite the wall looked at me like i was crazy because I was taking photos of it (or it may have been because I am a crazy gajin girl in a cape, on a bike)

The only other thing of note today was this important message for all you mothers out there:

This sign was in the bathroom. It was 'Caution, drop!' that really made me laugh. Of course you shouldn't drop your baby, but does it really need 4 illustrations (there was another sign next to it as well)??

Anyway, last photo for today is of a Final Fantasy be-decked shop. I didn't go in because I was worried my bike would get impounded again and then I wouldn't be able to find it.