Yokohama
27 Apr 2005
Yes, the time has come for Lenette to visit the big city. A colleague is leaving, and I have to take over some of his tasks. This means that he has to train me, so I took the plane heading for Yokohama. At Tokyo Haneda, you take the shuttle bus to YCAT (Yokohama Central Air Terminal). Kotake-san had mailed me a map, it should be pretty simple to find it all, YCAT is almost touching the Yokohama train station, the hotel is opposite the train station and the office is less than 5 minutes from the hotel.Unfortunately I am not blessed with a sense of direction ... In YCAT there are several signs pointing to department stores and a shopping mall, but I couldn't find the sign for the train station. Only way to go was up, it had to be close, so outside the building I expected to get a clear view of the station.
That was true, but there was a highway to cross. So I want back down, dragging my suitcase, backpack with laptop and my bag, with me, grrr. Once back downstairs my sense of direction left me again, was I to turn left or go straight.... Finally I was standing outside the station and I see the hotel in front of me, but pedestrians are not allowed to cross the street. Since an elevator down is more appealing than stairs going up, I went down again. Sometimes is can be handy when a hotel has multiple entries/exits, so in this case I was happy that the hotel had an entrance in the basement. After I checked in I went on my next adventure, armed with another map I went looking for the hotel. Now it is unfotunate that the hotel has multiple exits, which one is the one on the map? I actually had to ask the police for help, in that case the two words of Japanese I master, and the universal hand-and-feet-language come in very handy, since he didn't speak one word of English. It turns out I went the wrong way (what else is new?). Finally I found the office. I can hear Carlos: country girl goes to the big city.
Indeed, with 3.5 million inhabitants, Yokohama is a big city. My first impression is "concrete - lots of it". The office is located on the seventh floor of a building, but there is no such thing as a view, since the big buildings around it, take the view away.
Friday is a national holiday, so I take an early evening flight back, so I can enjoy a few hours in the city. The plan is to take the train to China Town, and walk back through some parks that are located on the harbor front. Armed with the Lonely Planet I head for the station. I know which train I need to take, but unfortunately is the signage for the trains in Japanese only.
Luckily there is a lady at the tourist office who speaks very good English. She tells me which trian to take, what a tickets costs and where the ticket vending machines are. After looking at the locals buying their tickets, I buy my own ticket and head for platform 3. Once on the train I am pleasantly surprised to see a sign which alternates between Japanese and English and gives the name of the next station the train stops at, well done!
Before heading for China Town, I walk a bit thru Moto Machi, a well know shopping street in Yokohama, for people with a big wallet. The walk through China Town lasted longer than planned - of course - since I couldn't find the exit to the harbor front (are you surprized?) The weather was great and it was very busy, because of the long weekend.
Along the waterfront there are a few big parks. They did not lie side by side, but close enough that even I could find my way back to the hotel, by mostly walking through the parks. All in all I walked quite a few kilometers and was back in time to catch the bus back to the airport. Yokohama is a nice city, but I am glad we live in Nagasaki, quite a bit more relaxed.
That was true, but there was a highway to cross. So I want back down, dragging my suitcase, backpack with laptop and my bag, with me, grrr. Once back downstairs my sense of direction left me again, was I to turn left or go straight.... Finally I was standing outside the station and I see the hotel in front of me, but pedestrians are not allowed to cross the street. Since an elevator down is more appealing than stairs going up, I went down again. Sometimes is can be handy when a hotel has multiple entries/exits, so in this case I was happy that the hotel had an entrance in the basement. After I checked in I went on my next adventure, armed with another map I went looking for the hotel. Now it is unfotunate that the hotel has multiple exits, which one is the one on the map? I actually had to ask the police for help, in that case the two words of Japanese I master, and the universal hand-and-feet-language come in very handy, since he didn't speak one word of English. It turns out I went the wrong way (what else is new?). Finally I found the office. I can hear Carlos: country girl goes to the big city.
Indeed, with 3.5 million inhabitants, Yokohama is a big city. My first impression is "concrete - lots of it". The office is located on the seventh floor of a building, but there is no such thing as a view, since the big buildings around it, take the view away.
Friday is a national holiday, so I take an early evening flight back, so I can enjoy a few hours in the city. The plan is to take the train to China Town, and walk back through some parks that are located on the harbor front. Armed with the Lonely Planet I head for the station. I know which train I need to take, but unfortunately is the signage for the trains in Japanese only.
Luckily there is a lady at the tourist office who speaks very good English. She tells me which trian to take, what a tickets costs and where the ticket vending machines are. After looking at the locals buying their tickets, I buy my own ticket and head for platform 3. Once on the train I am pleasantly surprised to see a sign which alternates between Japanese and English and gives the name of the next station the train stops at, well done!
Before heading for China Town, I walk a bit thru Moto Machi, a well know shopping street in Yokohama, for people with a big wallet. The walk through China Town lasted longer than planned - of course - since I couldn't find the exit to the harbor front (are you surprized?) The weather was great and it was very busy, because of the long weekend.
Along the waterfront there are a few big parks. They did not lie side by side, but close enough that even I could find my way back to the hotel, by mostly walking through the parks. All in all I walked quite a few kilometers and was back in time to catch the bus back to the airport. Yokohama is a nice city, but I am glad we live in Nagasaki, quite a bit more relaxed.