Countdown Karaoke to Standing On The Sun

My next trip dawns ever closer, and I'm not even half way through this current blog. Which means you may see my little posts more regularly! Time in Tokyo was running out (not in a Godzilla kind of way) just that my time there was nearly up. What's the best way to celebrate your last night in Tokyo? That's right... Karaoke! But first food shopping, its a must. Even the food shops are odd here, although I think food companies would sell way more food if the packages here in England looked like this.

 

So after some more Sashimi to celecrate my last day we spend another day looking around the temple, bathing in the smoke from the well to cleanse our souls and waiting for night to fall.

We made our way to Shinjuku and crossed with the sea of people at the biggest crossing in the world which was weird, stood waiting with what could've been a thousand people. We found the Karaoke bar and if I'm honest it was different than what I was expecting. In my head I had picture a bar with a stage like what you would find here or any other country, but in Japan they do things a little different. We paid the fee and were shown up three flights of stairs and into a small room containing a TV, a phone, four microphones and a menu. I was still in awe from the weird art work on the way up the stairs.

See what I mean? Exactly. Face and Ass, such a classy piece. What came next was the most beautiful rendition of A Whole New World my ears have ever been punished with. Thank you once again for that Marcus, Sponge and Becky. Another unusual point was that you used the phone in your room to call the bar below to order and deliver your drinks!

My time was running out, my flight was at 00:30am and it was now pushing 11pm. I've left this too late! I had to say a quick goodbye to my friends, thank you once again for making my stay in Tokyo so much fun, and make my way back to the hostel to get my bags. I hailed a taxi outside and made my way to Narita Airport. The traffic was terrible, I had forgotten how busy this city was even this late. I was verging on missing my flight, it was getting down to the last half an hour now, and I was still stuck in traffic. I gave the taxi driver free rain to drive like a madman to get me there in time.

We arrived and I didn't have enough money for my fare... but, the driver let me off for making his shift exciting, apparently he didn't get to drive fast often! I ran through the airport straight to the desk, and made it to my gate as they were about to close. Thank God, made it aboard in time. I settled in for my trip back closer to home, closer in a sense anyway. I had nearly boarded the wrong flight due to a translation error on my part, but it goes both ways. A word of advice, make sure you're positive on what words say before you go ahead using it for directions or anything else...

 

We're landing.Time for a different climate. Don't get me wrong, Japan had its nice days but this next place was on another level. The surface of the sun to be precise... This place, was Bangkok.

 

As soon as the door of the plane opened I was hit by what felt like a literal wall of heat, I checked if my eyesbrows and beard were still there as I thought they'd been seared away. The first thing I saw there? A HUGE Manchester United logo. Am I home? Did I board the wrong plane? Those thoughts were quashed as I was suddenly, as if they popped into existence, in the presence of monks. Full orange robes and all, but talking on mobile phones. It was an unusual cross over of the new and old to be honest, like a pensioner sat playing an Xbox listing to Tiny Tempa or something.

I collected my things and made my way outside. Jesus Christ. It was even hotter outside, I found a taxi and climbed in. Onto leather seats which burnt and stuck you to them which was needed with this guys rally driving skills. Bangkok was an unusual city to see speeding by me, I saw again such a mix of old and new culture, my hostel was situated above a coffee shop which was perfect. I have never had such an amazing iced latte. After I checked in at 11am (I'd landed at 5am) I decided to take a little stroll and to see where I was. I was right next to a temple again!

 

Lovely as that was I was instantly almost mugged by a tiny hobo, more beardy and haired than myself! But I stood my ground. He was not having my money. I had had too little sleep to messed around. It was strange because as soon as I stood up for myself he went on his way, perhaps he expected for foreigners to hand out cash easily. This little triumph was soon dispersed as I was shot with a water gun, although to be quite honest it was extremely cooling! Then it dawned on me what I had read on the date I had landed, tomorrow was the begining of Songkran. The water festival.