August 3, 2015 -- Yokohama Debarkation and Minato Ku, Tokyo
We got up early this morning for debarkation thinking that the Horizon Court might be filled with people. To our surprise it was not crowded at all. After breakfast we went back to our stateroom and waited til we had to vacate at 8:00. Then we went to the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7 and waited for our meeting time for debarkation which was scheduled for 8:45 at Pacific Moon. Explorers Lounge was actually empty. In fact, we did not find the ship being crowded with passengers on debarkation day like on some other ships. When we arrived at Pacific Moon at 8:45, we were lead out to the gangway even before we attempted to sit down. It was smooth and easy.
For some reason, Diamond was docked on the other side of the pier this time.
Interesting!
Distant view of Minato Mirai
Passengers leaving the ship.
Our driver, Mr. Asada, was already waiting at the exit at the appointed time of 9:00. He took us down to the parking area and we were soon on our way to our hotel in Tokyo. Last shot of Osanbashi Port as we were leaving.
Comfortable van for all eight of us.
That's the taxi overflow waiting area.
Nine large pieces of luggage and all our carry-ons.
After about an hour drive, we arrived at our hotel--Bayside Hotel Azur Takeshiba in Minato Ku right by Tokyo Bay, next to the Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo Bay, but a lot cheaper. The reason that I picked this hotel was that we really liked the area when we stayed at the Intercontinental the last time we were here two years ago. This area is out of the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku or Shibuya but we can still get to all the places we wanted with the JR Station, Metro Station, Monorail (which goes to Haneda Airport), and Tokyo Waterfront (Yurikamome) Takeshiba station close by.
The problem was that we were too early to check into our rooms. Instead of waiting around and waste the morning, we decided to leave our luggage with the front desk so we can go out for some sightseeing.
I was actually surprised by the size of this hotel. The beautiful lobby is on the 4th floor of the building.
Then we walked outside to the Tokyo Waterfront Takeshiba Station to catch the train to Shiodome.
My plan for the day was to go to the Caretta Center observation deck on the 46th Floor for the view of Ginza and the surrounding area. Then have lunch at a highly recommended restaurant for their famous grilled chicken rice. Then come back to the hotel and rest a little before spending our afternoon and evening in Odaiba. We would be using the Tokyo Waterfront a few times today, so we purchased the one-day pass to make it worthwhile for the day.
It was just a 5-minute walk from the hotel to the Takeshiba Station. We did not even have to go on the street level and the train ride was just one stop away.
As we got off the Shiodome Station, I was awe struck by all the skyscrapers in the Shiodome/Shimbashi/Ginza area. The walkways connecting the office buildings and train stations make it easy to navigate.
Looking down at the Caretta Entrance from the walkway.
For a second, I felt like in the middle of a city in the future.
There were two elevators, I think, dedicated to take people up to the observation deck and the restaurants up there. It's all free. The elevator ride was actually the fun part of this visit. It took about 36 seconds to get up to the top in the glass elevator. A thrill ride!
From the 46th floor looking down, we could see the Tsukijishijo (Fish Market) on one side...
...and the Hamarikyu Gardens on the other. Our hotel is the second building at the top of this picture.
This is a good location to check out the views of Tokyo Bay, Ginza, and the fish market. The problem is there were windows only on one side of the building so it's not a 360 degrees view. But, it's free! I still think the observation deck at the World Trade Center has the best 360 view of all. Yes, you have to pay to get up that one, but it's worth it.
Ginzahinaiya
After the Caretta Center, we walked over to the chicken rice restaurant, which is between the Shiodome station and the Shibashi Station. About 3-minute walk from Shiodome Station.
銀座 比内や 汐留店Ginzahinaiya
1-3-5 Higashishinbashi Minato Tokyo
Ginza Hinai-Ya chicken. They have a main restaurant in Ginza and this one is in Shiodome. I was told that the food at this location is better than the Ginza one.
This restaurant specializes in using Hinai-Ya chickens, a special type of chicken in Japan.
Lunch menu is much cheaper than dinner and no service charge either.
And this is what we came here for--The Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl), also known as Parent and Child donburi.
The 1,000Y one is cooked with dark meat and the more expensive one is a combination of dark and white meat. I like dark meat, so going cheap was easy. Later on I was told that it's not worth it to get the more expensive one.
It was just delicious! The chicken pieces were grilled (yakitori) and then topped with soft egg sauce which made it moist and tasty.
I probably can eat this everyday.
We came in a little after 11:30AM and had no problem getting our tables. There was a line of people waiting on our way out. Oh, if you are sitting at these tatami type tables, you will need to take off your shoes and put them in the cubbies. Otherwise you can ask for a regular table if you rather not remove your shoes. Exactly what the other half of our group did. Actually you legs will be dangling in the 'hole' under the table.
Entrance
"Parent and Child Donburi"
Some activities were going on nearby as we walked back up to the train station.
Shiodome station
Back to our hotel (the tall building). This was taken from the Takeshiba Station exit. There is a platform between the station and the hotel which makes it very convenient.
From the platform looking down at the Takeshiba Pier.
Back to the hotel and into our rooms.
Our room was bigger than I expected, facing the Tokyo Tower side on the Executive floor.
The coffee was surprisingly good.
Bathroom amenities
Our plan was to visit Odaiba for the afternoon and evening. I have never been to Odaiba before and it sounded like an interesting place to be. We were close enough and it would be a big mistake not to go there. Again we went on the Tokyo Waterfront train but going to the opposite direction this time. The train took us directly to Odaiba and we got off at the Aomi Station.
The first thing we saw was the big ferris wheel.
Across from the train station is Palette Town. Outlet stores (Venus Fort) on the left side and Mega Web on the right.
Mega Web is a Toyota show room with all their latest models.
Huge!
Must see--the Mega Theater, a fun experience.
Sorry, I lied about not having high blood pressure!
And oh, this is the van I like!
Perfect for road trips!
After spending a couple of hours inside the Mega Web, we then took the train again to the Daiba Station. Where we saw this...
The Statue of Liberty, in Japan.
Rainbow Bridge in the background.
Then we went through Aqua City, which is a huge mall, to the other side looking for the ramen place on the ground floor of Decks.
The ramen restaurant that I read about is called Yo! Tekko-ya, which supposedly serves the best ramen in Tokyo according to a ramen blogger.
We were so hungry that we ordered some potstickers besides our noodles. They were good!
The best part was the ramen! It doesn't look that great in this picture, but it was outstanding! Broth was flavorful and creamy, the meat was tender and melted in the mouth, and the egg...just the way I like them.
Incredible!
This is the restaurant, right next to the Yoshinoya on the ground floor of Decks.
We would have more ramen in the next few days but we would always compared them with this one and we all agreed that this was the best.
We then went back up to the 3rd floor of the buildings and took some night pictures of Tokyo Bay. This is an excellent location to have a glimpse of Tokyo in the evenings.
We had a good time here in Odaiba but we did not get to see everything. One could easily spend a whole day here, especially if interested in shopping. I would definitely come back for more if I am in Tokyo again.
No comments:
Post a Comment