tokyo

ich sitz in dr'metro, alli plakat wo ich seh hän nur japanischi schriftzeiche druf - und vieli lüt trage gsichtsmaske; das isch mi erschte idruck vo tokyo gsi :o)

d'stadt isch ächt riesig aber mit dr'metro isch es rächt eifach sich fortzbewege (dr'plan seht zwar mega chaotisch us, aber jedi station het ihre änglische name und e eidütigi nummere - wenn mes mol usegfunde het isch es also ziemlich eifach). sogar d'usgäng sin vorbildlich agschribe: es het immer so grossi tafele wo alli interessante pünkt in dr'umgäbig ufglistet sin und welle usgang me muess näh, damit me döte hi chunnt.

d'lüt döte sin meega fründlich. mängisch ha ich nit mol rächt zit gha zum dr'stadtplan füre näh, denn sin sie scho cho froge, ob ich hilf bruch. s'luschtige isch gsi, dass sie denn amigs perfekt hän chönne sage "do you need some help?", aber sobald ich denn ha afo erkläre, ha ich an ihrne gsichter chönne abläse, dass sie doch nit so flüssig sin in änglisch... :o) mängisch isch das sogar dr'einzigi satz gsi, wo sie in änglisch hän chönne sage :o) aber wenn ich ihne denn dr'ort uf dr'karte zeigt ha, hän sie mi eifach döte ane zoge ;o)
villicht frogsch di jetzt, was mit mine karteläse-fähigkeite passiert isch ;o) in tokyo isch es ebbe gar nit so eifach sich mitere karte z'rächt s'finde, will die meischte strosse hän kei strossename. d'adrässe vom ne gebäude isch nach me gebiet agäh und nit nach em strossename (und denne hesch mehreri nummere wo s'beträffende gebiet in chleineri gebiet unterteile und schliesslich s'genaue gebäude agäh :o))

natürlich ha ich au sightseeing gmacht :o) ich bi go dr'tokyo tower aluege (isch e bizz langwilig gsi ;o)) und dr'zojo-ji tämpel, dä isch wirklich cool gsi! :o) ich ha döte e chleine buddha kauft und will die mönch nit änglisch hän chönne, hän sie mir eifac gseit, es sig e glücksbringer. zum glück (villicht dank mim buddha? ;o)) isch e japanerin mit mir im zimmer gsi und die het mir denn chönne übersetze, was druf gstande isch. nämlich, dass dä buddha vor bösem schützt. hmm... das isch wohl au glück uf e art... :o)

ei tag bi ich nach nikko gange - döte hets mega viel wunderschöni tämpel und shrines. es isch wahnsinnig idrücklich gsi! ich ha sogar s'original vo de drei weise affe (seh nüt böses, hör nüt böses, sag nüt böses) gseh. ich würd euch gärn bilder zeige, aber leider ha ich mis usb-kabel bim ufrume verlegt und drum gohts no e momänt (aber sie chömme spöter! :o))

s'hostel wo ich gwohnt ha isch rächt speziell gsi. es het mega viel regle gha wo me het miesse ihalte: zum bischpil het me am halber elfi miesse deheim si, am elfi hän sie s'liecht glöscht und vom zähni am morge bis am drei am nomi het niemmer dörfe döte si.... :o)

alles in allem isch dr'bsuech mega idrücklich und cool gsi! :o)

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sitting in the metro, seeing only posters with words you can't even distinguish the different signs - and a lot of people wearing face masks; that was my first impression of tokyo :o)

the city is huge but with the train it's is fairly easy to get around (the map looks weird, but every station has its english name and a unique number - so once you figured out how it works, you're all right :o)). even the exits are marked exemplary: there are big boards which lists all the points of interests in the nearer area and which exit you have to follow to get to your place.

the people there were really friendly. sometimes i could hardly get out my map, before someone came to ask if i need some help. the funny thing is that their sentence "do you need some help?" sounded as if they would be fluent in english, but once you started telling them where you wanted to go, you could see in their faces that the english wasn't that fluent... :o) sometimes this was the only sentence they could say :o) but after i showed them the place on the map, they just dragged me there :o)
you may ask what happened to my mapreading-skills ;o) but in tokyo it is quite hard to get around with a map, because most of the streets don't have a streetname. the address of a building is given by an area rather than a street (you then have several numbers which should break down the area in smaller parts and should - in the end - indicate the building)

of course i did some sightseeing :o) i went to see the tokyo tower (a bit boring ;o)) and the zojo-ij temple, that was really cool! i bought a little buddha there, but the monks didn't speak english, so they just told me it would be a luck-charm. luckily (maybe because of the charm? ;o)) there was a japanese lady in my dorm and she could translate the inscription - which said that the buddah was to prevent from evil. well, i guess that's some luck in a way... :o)

i also went to nikko - there are a lot of really beautiful temples and shrines. it was great to see! i even saw the original of the three wise monkeys (see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil). i'd love to show you some pictures but unfortunately i put my usb-cable somewhere (i wish i would know where ;o)) and now i can't get the pictures from my camera for a moment (but they will come later :o))

the hostel i was staying at was very funny as well. there were several rules you had to follow: gates closed 10.30pm, lights were turned off 11pm and from 10am to 3pm no one was allowed to be in the hostel... :o)

the trip was really cool and a good experience! :o)