First meal with chopstix; Korean Sundub

Woke up to find Col had eaten remainder of my chocolate orange; bah humbug - how can I enjoy christmas now?

Walked over to La Qua area and just had our first meal using chopstix... quite an experience, as it was a very spicy (although only level 3 of 6 on the heat scale) miso/meat soup with side dishes including rice, veg, crispy pancakes, and a bowl of salad (similar to above).  Have to admit, we were very successful - didn't wear any of it, even though paper bibs had been supplied!  I even had a bottle of Sake (said 60% on the bottle, but I'm still standing so not sure what the percentage referred to).

Now back at hotel enjoying a chilled bottle of chardonnay....

Feet minging from too much walking, so need to sleep again soon. Could be jet lag but I refuse to give in to it.

Hope to book tickets for Mixed Martial Art at the Meets Port Centre for Wednesday.  Theres some kind of big tournament happening.  As we can't find Sumo match... this will do just as well.
Intending to climb Tokyo Tower tomorrow before rain sets in.  (Was 18 degrees and sunny today).

Shrines, Temples and Imporial Palaces

The sun has been glorious today. We have walked about 12 miles and our feet are throbbing nicely.

It has been fascinating to see how integrated both Shinto & Buddhism are in local communities. Walking around Ueno today we have seen shrines and temples nestled in between regular residences. They really add colour and calm to an area. The people here are serene, and contrary to popular belief, they are very friendly and enjoy interaction with strangers.

At Ueno Park there are beautiful shrines and wide open spaces with pathways that lead from one delight to another. There is a wonderful lake temple which sits mysteriously in what looks to be a lake of freshwater poppies.

Walking from Ueno into Tokyo city centre to find the ultimate symbol of Emperial rule. The Imperial Palace is awesome. I mean it's massive and elite and majestirial. I guess it's the way this symbol of ancient rule sits perfectly in amongst the high-rises so well.

Anyway Bev's just having a nap before we hit a restaurant tonight. It's 5pm here (8am in UK).

Watching the BBC coverage of the weather crisis at London Airports.

It's nearly 8am here in Tokyo and it's becoming clear that we have been incredibly lucky with our flights. People stranded in Heathrow until Wednesday !. We're counting our blessings and hoping that it all clears up for the New Year ...