Tokyo Two

Had a few days to pass while waiting for the motorcycle to arrive. I had been to Tokyo before, but not the others. The Metro was bigger than the last time I was here, but just as efficient, clean and relatively cheap. There is no need for a car in Tokyo.
There seemed to be more English signage than before, and the young people are taller.
It can be very expensive here if you don't watch yourself. A good healthy "Ramen" meal can be had for between six and ten dollars, and the restaurants are everywhere. 7/11 stores and
others like it are common, and a healthy "o-bento" (box lunch) or sushi serving cost around five dollars.

Entrance to Meiji Shrine (Shinto), Tokyo

Newly married couple, Meiji Shrine

Central area, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

Morning fish market, Tokyo

Plastic food display outside restaurant. Very realistic, usually with prices. Just point and order, or sometimes there is a ticket machine, and you just buy the ticket.

Metro, clean and efficient!

Simon and Monica, on the subway.

A "Capsule Hotel", CDN $30.00/night. I had to try it! Asakusa district, Tokyo. Japanese bath on the 9th floor had a great view over the city!

The capsule. Just long enough for me!

The motorcycle finally arrived in Shinigawa by Tokyo bay. There was a little confusion with customs and the people at the warehouse because they were not used to dealing with this type of shipment. I called my friend Erica Hosada in Kyushu and explained things to her and that all my paperwork was in order. She in turn called customs and the people at the warehouse.

I was able to get up to customs later that day. They were very helpful, and stayed beyond their 5 o'clock quiting hour to make sure I had all the paperwork done for the warehouse the next day.

Next morning, found the warehouse, took the box apart, and fueled up the bike. Again the people were very helpful. Had to pay $60.00 to dispose of crating, but was out of there and on the expressway southwest to Kyoto in about 3 hours.

The expressways are excellent, well marked in English and Japanese, and expensive. The 500 km. plus trip cost $110.00 in tolls. However, it was worth it to get clear of the urban area. The alternative is stop and go traffic and confusing signs, especially for someone new to driving in urban Japan.

Arrived in Kyoto next day, good ride, people friendly and interested along the way.

TOKYO

We all have arrived safe and sound. The Australian contingents` motorcycles are out of their boxes and in Narita. Mine will be in Tokyo Monday.
It has been busy with taking the bikes out of their containers and putting them together. All the paperwork, {Carnets, insurance and customs} is pretty well complete, so we should be on our way south early in the week. So far, it has been pretty straightforward, no complications.

The Australians

The Australian members of our group are all from the environs of Coffs Harbour, a lovely medium size town just south of the Queensland border.

To the left are pictured left to right, Mike Casey (Casey), Monica Joseph and Cain English.
Far left, the four Aussie bikes in front of their hotel in downtown Tokyo

On the left is Simon Rosentool in a picture taken several months ago after a little medical problem that has since resolved itself.

Simon and Monica are longtime friends from travel in Latin America many years ago. They have since raised a family of three who are now on their own. Cain and Casey are more recent acquaintances, workmates and neighbours of Simon and Monica.


I went in to Tokyo a couple of days early from Narita. My bike was shipped by boat to Yokohama, arrived on the 4Th of May, and was to be sent to a warehouse in the downtown Tokyo bay area
The others had a good intro. to Tokyo, driving in from Narita, thru Ginza into the downtown area. Tokyo addresses are complex, all taxis have G.P. S.. Most streets have English markings. but it is quite a challenge, and one must just stop frequently and ask. People are very helpful and kind.

It is a huge city, the greater Tokyo area having a population larger than that of all of Canada!

After a few days in Tokyo, the others set out towards Mt. Fuji and the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo. I had a day or so before my bike was ready.

Unpacking at Narita airport, outside of Tokyo. All the bikes from Australia came via air from Sidney. It took one day to take them out of their boxes and reassemble them, and another day to clear customs. We were held up a little due to the "Golden Week " holidays.

Beginnings

This blog has been set up to document the experiences of a trip by motorcycle across Asia from Japan through Siberia, Mongolia, The "Stans"and western Russia to Europe during the summer of 2010. Five of us will arrive in Japan on the fourth of May 2010 with our motorcycles to begin. I of course am Canadian and the other 4 are from Australia, one of whom is an expat Canadian who has married and lived in Australia many years. More on them later when I post from Japan.
One of the first of several challenges for this trip was the crating and shipping of the motorcycle to Tokyo. Mine is to be shipped by sea.

The photos above are of the crating.Special thanks to Frank Bajich and Al Caillet, whose help made this easy.

On the left, myself with brother Dennis, right, on the "Icefields Highway", south of Jasper Alberta.

Next post....Tokyo!! with my fellow viajeros.