Tokyo to YokohamaMama

Our overnight bus from Kobe pulled into the Tokyo station at 7am. The next hour was devoted to finding a hotel, which based on my cheapness included a few stops to compare prices. We finally decided on one and left our bags to begin some sightseeing.

First up was the Asakusa Shrine that led into our personal favorite part of Tokyo, dessert. We happened upon a shop that served chocolate-filled waffles in the shape of fish. This would prompt us to search for these delights at every turn for the remainder of our time in Japan.

We weren't far from Tokyo Tower so we walked closer to get a better look. Later that night we took a long walk to the Imperial Palace but learned you had to tell them 24 hours in advance to go inside, which we hadn't. So instead we walked to the main shopping street called Ginza that featured some upscale shops.

The next morning we walked through Ginza again on our way to Hamarikyu Garden. After paying the small entrance fee, we wandered around the perfectly manicured lawns and enjoyed the little time we had left before jumping on our train to Yokohama.

Once in our final Asian port city, we dropped off our bags at the ship and went to China Town. The narrow streets offered many shops and dining options. We snacked on some crepes and then went on the search for some dumplings that were quite difficult to find with non-English menus.

The next day we had a big day trip to Mt. Fuji! We boarded the bus with mom's bags in tow and drove to the Mt. Fuji Visitor Center to watch a short movie. Next stop was the 5th point of Mt. Fuji.

Our final stop was Hakone, a lake destination where we took a boatride and then a gondola up and down the mountain.

We began our bus trip back to Yokohama just as the chilly day began to catch up with us.



Unfortunately our time in Japan was coming to an end and so was my mom's visit. Once we got back to the ship we navigated to the bus stop that would take her to the airport. We said our goodbye's and I jumped back on the MV Explorer to continue my adventure.