自転車走天涯

This weekend I learned that it's possible to cycle from Tokyo Station to Ikebukuro Station in an hour. In the wee hours. One hand holding on to a GPS and the other trying its utmost to keep a bicycle under control on bumpy pavements and intersections. I don't even think I have a butt anymore, because it has been pounded into oblivion by the merciless seat. As it's Tokyo, people were still on the streets after midnight, and they might have wondered who the idiot staring at his cellphone while pedaling like a madman was. In truth, I was desperately trying to make it home before my phone's battery died... and along with it the GPS application guiding me home.

It all began on Saturday morning when a bunch of us met at the JR Yurakucho (有楽町) Station for a gourmet cycling trip around the Yamanote Line (山手線). The plan was to rent bicycles from Muji (better known as 無印良品 perhaps--I didn't know they rent bikes) and use them for the trip. Unfortunately, out of the grand total of six (!) that they had available, four were already reserved. After some brainstorming, we decided to head for a public rental facility in 浅草 (Asakusa) where one can check out bicycles for 3 days for just 300yen (USD3). Sometimes it's amazing how cheap Tokyo can be.

Since we were at Asakusa anyway, we decided to start the tour by going to a famous Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) place for lunch. Like many good restaurants, that place looked like any old traditional building, easily mistaken for someone's family home if not for the line of people outside, 20 minutes before it opened. Our timing was perfect and we joined the line, taking photos and chatting with an old couple in front of us. They were from Yokohama (横浜) and were sightseeing in Tokyo. The elderly gentleman was quite fascinated by LL's film camera with its fish-eye lens. "It's huge!"

The okonomiyaki was not too bad--I preferred the Ebisu (恵比寿) place where they cooked it for me though. But this place had something special called a Shuumaiyaki (シュウマイ焼き) where vegetables and minced meat dipped in batter were surrounded by mochi tiles (like Mahjong tiles, but longer) and grilled on the hotplate. The mochi melted and blended with the other ingredients, making for an interesting 口感 or "mouth sensation."

Next stop: Ogura ice-cream, a generous serving of red bean ice-cream sandwiched between two rice-cracker wafers. Definitely Eri-chan's highlight of the trip so far, judging by how many pictures she took of the store. We even had a "big face" shot in front of it. The ice-cream sandwich was not too bad but I was too full to fully relish it. Going back next time to try the other exotic-sounding flavours. The offering at the shop next door was Ikayaki or grilled squid, which seriously tempted me, but alas, I was too stuffed. Snapped this funny picture of the three of them sitting on a bench slurping the "Ogura ice" while an unsuspecting gent stood behind, waiting for his Ikayaki.

Before we reached Ginza (銀座), LL was already salivating about some Manneken place which sold Belgian "wafflets." Apparently those little waffles were to die for.

Nihonbashi
Kanda
Harumi, Daiba, Odaiba: The coldest part of the trip so far. Starting from Harumi (晴海), after we crossed the Sumida River (墨田川),
- Vending machine cafe au lait
Tokyo
Shinjuku
- Chicken broth hot pot
Tokyo
Ikebukuro
- Sleep