Carlos and Abbey in Tokyo, Part 1

(Editor's Note: This link is called Part 1 not because there will be several posts about the same day, but because it is the first of three days we were able to spend together in Tokyo, although not consecutively. )

築地

Tsukiji Fish Market

Our plan was to go to Tsukiji Fish Market, but, true to form, we got something of a late start and didn't get there until it was pretty much dead. Oh well. Here's one stand that wasn't closed. Note the turtles in the front there...

These are a couple of tiny restaurants that serve the fresh seafood from the market. Hungry as we were, we wimped out and went to other pastures to find something to eat. We ended up at a ramen restaurant, my first time (but not the last!) and had some delicious ramen and gyoza (love at first bite!) .

The fabulous thing about the way this particular restaurant works (as well as many others), especially for kanji-challenged gaijin like me, is how you order. A picture menu is posted near a "vending machine." Based on the pictures, you select a letter-number combo (A3, for example), put your money in the machine, punch in the combo and receive a paper or plastic ticket. You then present this to the waiter or person behind the counter and eventually your food is brought to you. Cool, right?

Here is Carlos reluctantly posing near the ramen place.

From lunch we went on to Hama Rikyu, but I won't put too many pics of us. Should you feel the need to see more, check out the collection link. (See All Da Pics or here.)

Here we are in front of the 300-year-old tree, planted by I Can't Remember Who in I Can't Remember What Year or For What Purpose. Here's a close up of it. And a little history:

"At the time when the 6th Shogun, Ienobu, renovated the garden, a large pine was planted to celebrate the renovation. It has survived to the present day." - Hama Rikyu informational brochure.

Aren't you glad I looked it up?