Got up at 5am in the morning, because I forgot to turn off my alarm clock. Couldn’t sleep afterwards anymore. So I started to write this travel diary. Lessons learned: Always check your alarm clock before going to bed.
Writing makes super-hungry, so I ate 8 big toasts (with jam and eggs, not at the same time). Today I planed to visit the Sensoji Temple. On the way I walked by Sakaki Shrine, Horinji Temple, Ryuhoji Temple, and the Pine of Syubinomatsu, built in honor of a tree. I sat down under a tree at the playground near Horinji temple. It started to rain and jet-lag overcame me, so I slept half an hour, using my backpack as a pillow.
I walked alongside the river close to the Pine, and saw a lot of Japanese people in uniform. Two guys with swimsuits waited in the water. A lady told me that they train rescuing people from the river. One guy shot a ball with a rope in the water, and one guy in swimsuit grabbed it. They pulled him out of the water.
I continued to the Kaminarimon Gate, which had the god of thunder on the left, and the god of wind on the right (as a statue). In the Nakamise shopping street tourists can buy Japanese sweets and souvenirs. I tried a cherry dumpling like thing, wrapped in some kind of leaves.
After the next gate, the Hozomon Gate, I could see smoke in front of the Sensouji Temple. People light up incense sticks, stand around and fan the smokes to their face. I had a look inside the temple, where a ceremony took place. At the sides the temple offered an oracle: you shake a cylindrical box with a hole until a stick with a number comes out. Then you go to a cupboard, search for your number, and take a sheet of paper which describes your fortune.
I walked around the park around the temple and made some pictures. Then I searched for something to eat. After a while I decided to sit down at a snack bar and ordered fried noodles and a Hoppy beer. The Hoppy beer astonished me, as the waitress brought me a glass halfway filled with a transparent liquid, and a 330ml bottle. She said I need to pour the beer into the glass and stir it. The noodles tasted delicious. While eating I read the Wikipedia article about Hoppy beer, and discovered, that used to be a beer replacement for poor people in 1948.
I finished my sightseeing tour with the Kappabashi kitchenware street, the Lifelong Learning Center (which reminded people about the importance of exercise) and the Celebrity Handprints at the public hall. As I don’t walk so much regularly, my feet got very tired, so I returned to the hostel and lay down for two hours.
The hostel has a list of recommended restaurants. Getting up at 9pm, I discovered, that most close at 9pm. Only one of the list stays open until 11pm. I went there and asked the beautiful waitress in kimono whether they have vegetarian dishes. I order tofu with rice and tap beer.
After I finished eating, two Japanese men (in their 50s) and a Chinese guy (18 years) started to talk with me, half in English, half in Japanese. The Chinese guy told us about his trip to mount Fuji. Around 11:30pm I returned to the hostel.