Crash and Burn, Baby

Next day I rolled out at noon and headed to the airport and procured my laptop. I headed over to Shinjuku to check things out. This part of Tokyo reminds me of the old Godzilla movies where Godzilla and Ghidon are stomping around and crashing into neon buildings. I could picture everyone screaming “Gahzira! Gahzira!” and trampling each other to get away from some guy in a big rubber suit. Ah, Godzilla….I watched all those movies as a kid on Channel 27. Call me a big nerd, I don’t care.

It’s my last day and I realize that Japan is expensive and it’s gouged me pretty good in the pocketbook. So rather than blow my money on beer, I decide I should splurge and get some sushi. I roll into a place that charges by the plate and has a big conveyor belt with fish floating by. I kid you not, this place is the Denny’s of sushi places in Tokyo. At least I don’t have to talk to anyone to order. I just have to snatch what I want off the conveyor belt and try to order some hot tea. This time there are no old ladies, but an ass load of Japanese guys who have no trouble giving me curious stares. One nice man shows me how to get tea out of a spigot on the table. I think I’ve had the best sushi, and at this place, the worst sushi I’ve ever had in Tokyo. I choked down some rubbery eel and some indistinguishable fish pieces before I headed back out. By now it is late and cold and raining. I start to feel the effect of no sleep for 3 days, so instead of another night of drinking debauchery, I headed back to Ginza to pass out.

So, my 3am ritual continues and I know I should start getting used to the time difference. I packed all my things and got ready for the trek to Korea. I decided to run around some shrines before I left to make up for time lost during my airport runs and drinking. I stepped over the homeless people sleeping in the station, took the subway and slept a little on my way to Harajuku. I managed to find the Meiji Shrine and a beautiful park at 6 in the morning. I walked around photographing things and trying in vain to read signs about the structures. I was freezing and felt hurried because I had to catch a train at 9am to the airport. I take a look at my watch. I realize I have no watch on. Where the hell is my watch? I realize with horror that it is missing. I know for sure that I put it on in the morning because I didn’t want to miss my train.

Later that day I noticed signs all over the train stations that say “Please be aware of pickpockets.” Pickpockets? In Japan? Could it be when my dumb ass fell asleep on the damn train I was pick-pocketed? Was I a victim of crime in almost crimeless Tokyo? How could my last day in Tokyo become such a fiasco because of my own stupidity? I am the worst traveler ever!