Asia Tour Day 2 - A sea of calm amidst Monday chaos

So Sarah and I courageously charged through the rest of our morning after the fish market visit without a nap. We sadly said goodbye to the Grand Hyatt and checked into our home for the next two nights: the Cerulean Tower Hotel in Shibuya.

We then had our first adventure on the JR line on our way to the Meiji-jingu, the largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo. It was nestled inside a serene park, and we had to walk about 1km on a gravel path marked by giant torii (made from cypress wood from Alishan in Taiwan, of all places) before arriving at the main shrine. I can't really explain the calm that I experienced while I was there--everything from the soft trickle of water in the cleansing station to the overwhelming sense of peace in the courtyard was a wonderful and welcome contrast to the bustling chaos of Tokyo on a Monday morning. We left our wishes on the votive tablets and quietly strolled back outside the park. I can still feel that calm resonate whenever I see my "body and soul" protection charm from the shrine that now dangles happily from my cell phone.

After Meiji-jingu, we ventured down Omote-sando, known as the most fashionable street in Tokyo in the Harajuku district. Unfortunately, I guess Harajuku girls have to go to school/work, too (except maybe the ones that now work for Gwen Stefani), so we didn't actually get to see any of them. Omote-sando was less "trendy" than I thought--I guess that's what happens when they start building big malls and you have stores like Jimmy Choo and Prada instead of street fashion.

And so, our sightseeing/vacation time in Tokyo draws to an end. My co-workers are due into Narita any minute now, and after tonight, the real work begins.