Nagoya

Nagoya. 1st April

I left Asakusa in the morning, checked out of my hotel and headed to the Subway, Erinn had helped me purchase my Shinkansen ticket earlier in the week, just to be sure, as with spring break we wanted to be sure I could get a reserved seat, specially with all my luggage. So I knew I needed to get to Tokyo station and id be right. I had a few options, but I chose to catch the taxi rather than the subway from Asakusa to Ueno. Here I was lucky for the most part to have elevators...one part was stairs, but only down, and with my luggage on wheels I was able to slowly push it down step by step. At Ueno I got a subway to Tokyo, and it was still the end of peak hour, so a little full and I contemplated waiting for the next one, but a nice Japanese man hopped off, lifted my luggage on and made it fit, so I jumped in shouting “Arigato...” to him as he disappeared into the sea of people jammed on the subway. I only had a few stops and was grateful to get off at Tokyo. Here I had to navigate my way around to the Shinkansen, which I managed fairly well, I found the right area, wasn’t so sure of the platform, so I asked. “Sumimasen....ahhhh...Shinkansen....Nagoya... (I thrust my tickets in his direction....platform????” “Ahhhhh Nagoya...oh, no 11:00, not ready yet....” oh yes, I’m early, I know, but what platform please? “Ah so, yes, platform 19 (something like that, can’t remember now).” “ahhh Arigato Gozaimasu!!” Smile, walk confidently to platform. Yep I was an hour early, but I made it, and I was in the right place, hard part over, now sit and wait for train, have a drink, a snack....oh wait....My jacket, my black jacket, big fur trim and hood, my only warm jacket..Yup, it’s at the hotel in Asakusa.  No time to go back.
Anyways I made it to Nagoya in a little over an hour, I found the subway line, I transferred to the station I needed, and I trundled my huge suitcase up the street to head office which I also found thanks to erinn's directions. Filled in some paperwork, and headed off in the car to my digs for the next ....almost week. I got settled, and checked out the place. Its two bedrooms and I am meant to have a roommate (I’ve been here 3 days and still no sign.)
I unpacked a little, set up my futon (this one is old and is not so thick, and I feel the floor. It’s not nice, and I’m glad it’s only a few days longer cos I’m getting sore)After that I checked out the area. So I’m in Nagoya, in a place called Hongo. I checked out the neighbouring area, called Fujigaoka, there are the internet cafe, and also a macca’s, some stores, and a 99yen shop, and a few grocery stores. I hit the internet ( I have now discovered if u pay slightly extra u can have a private room, and use your own laptop, so I can now, as u may have noticed, upload ) So anyway after the cafe I got some grocery’s as I plan to eat in as much as I can this week to save some dollars.

I came home with some goodies and did some Japanese studying then went to bed as I was exhausted!