Rob and Chloe went down to breakfast. Camille and I worked on packing up, then I tried to catch up on photos. Checkout time was 10am, but the rain was still pouring down. We walked down the hill to the train, getting soaked in the process. Bought tickets (not a JR train), got on the train. No problem.
Odawara was a disaster. The signs were not informative. We stood on the platform, then an announcement came on, and everyone ran up and over to another platform, so we did too. We could tell the train was going to Tokyo, but not which station. We got on anyway. It seems there were some train problems, and everyone was confused.
In Tokyo, we switched trains. Chloe accidentally left her backpack in the bathroom, but remembered fast enough that it was till there. Whew. One more train, and we were at Shinjuku. Some confusion and a few extra stairways (difficult with suitcases) and we were on the right street. Our room was not ready, so we headed to the Sky Lounge for snacks, drinks and relaxation.
Our room was really an apartment. Two bedrooms, a large living/dining/kitchen area and a bathroom with washer/dryer. Plus, a view of Tokyo from the 27th floor! And THREE tvs! We were ready to just move in. We did head out to the station. The Odakyu department store had a miserable toy section, but had fresh French bread, nice cheeses, pasta, wine and more.
I cooked up dinner, then worked on laundry, dishes, and web pages. The girls crawled in their bed to watch their shows.
The train mix-up sounds like a nightmare. I can’t imagine. I guess it all worked out, though!
Sounds like finding bread and cheese is a pretty big highlight in your trip 🙂
Allison — All part of the adventure, really!! We knew we were headed to Tokyo, so that was enough.
Oh yes, bread and cheese will always be a highlight. Tonight, we bought a baguette seconds before the store closed. That made my day!
Is that the view of Tokyo from your room? What a change from your other stops – with the public baths – and the scrounging for food options.
But your “adventures” with the trains…I am obviously not the adventerous type 🙂
Yes, a view of Tokyo from our two bedroom apartment! It is QUITE the change — three flat screen tvs, complete with BBC World and Cartoon Network 🙂