• Unsettling Morning, Uplifting Day, Entertaining Night

    Unsettling Morning, Uplifting Day, Entertaining Night

    [2019-10-04] After a doubtful and fearful night, I woke up with the sound of raindrops. I hadn’t slept enough because I didn’t want to be seen camping there, so I put an alarm at 5:30 am. It was still a bit dark in the big Toyama Park, so I hurried and packed how I could.…

  • The Bike and The Fear

    [2019-10-03] After a nice ride with my recently-bought bicycle near a river and peaceful neighborhoods (longer than expected due to a wrong detour), I met my worried friend at Akihabara. There, I found a parking space where I left my bike. In big cities, you are not supposed to park your bike anywhere; almost everyone…

  • Enter The Bicycle – What You Could Expect Searching for An Affordable Bike to Travel Across Japan

    Enter The Bicycle – What You Could Expect Searching for An Affordable Bike to Travel Across Japan

    [2019-10-03] The fourth day had started, and I knew that before the end of the day I had to have found a bicycle for my big journey. From the options I had for getting one, searching it in second-hand stores was the one that fitted me. I knew already how big the second-hand culture in…

  • Tokyo Icons and Not So Ones

    Tokyo Icons and Not So Ones

    [2019-10-02] The evening on our third day was just getting started (read here what we did before this). To get out from the center of the city, where we spent almost all day, we had to get to one of the busiest stations; and where we could head to almost everywhere, Tokyo Station. I was…

  • In The Very Middle of The City – Heat, Peace, and Remembrance

    In The Very Middle of The City – Heat, Peace, and Remembrance

    [2019-10-02] On our third day, we woke up late and, after our coffee, we took the train to Chiyoda ward, right in the center of Tokyo. Our first destination was the Imperial Palace, so we got off at its nearest station, Otemachi (I think), but it depends on which line you take and from where…

  • Overwhelming Tokyo

    Overwhelming Tokyo

    [2019-10-01] We woke up with some Colombian coffee I had brought for my trip, worried I wouldn’t find something similar in Japan; but later I would discover I was wrong, there are plenty of places where you can find great coffee. Aside from some specialized and pricy cafes, I can recommend the fresh coffee from the konbini,…

  • Tokyo, So Big, So Crowded, So Different

    Tokyo, So Big, So Crowded, So Different

    [2019-09-30] I reached Tokyo by train and got off at Asakusa Station; an old friend was waiting for me, that had just arrived from Osaka, so we could share some days. Before getting out of a station, make sure you check which exit you should take; for example, in that one, some exits are almost…

  • First Experiences (and Mistakes), and Recommendations to Start Any Journey in Japan

    First Experiences (and Mistakes), and Recommendations to Start Any Journey in Japan

    [2019-09-30] I had just arrived at Narita International Airport after a long flight and I couldn’t stand the urge to get to Tokyo immediately, but there were 3 important things that I had to get done before leaving, and if you’re going on a trip, you should consider them too: 1.Pick up 2 prepaid SIM…

  • Arrival – and How I Survived the Long Flight

    Arrival – and How I Survived the Long Flight

    [2019-09-27…2019-09-30] It all started leaving my city (Cali, Colombia) on the 27th of September, full of anxiety but also, I was extremely excited knowing that I was fulfilling a years-long dream. Since I was a child, I’ve always had a great fascination for Japan and its culture; and a year before I had decided not…