Gone with the wind

Gone with the wind…

Yesterday was only the first actual day of the trip and it’s already a riot. For what it's worth, this place is outlandish. I expected some overlap from the universality of travel experiences. In Europe there’s no issue in going around, getting service in english at the hotel… getting espresso? However Japan with its uniqueness and peculiarity kept on giving. Even the sky bar on the 30-something floor was something else.

As I was daydreaming, chitter - chatter arround me was increasingly hard to ignore and my bubble finally burst. I was currently queuing for one of the TeamLab exhibitions.

I already had my morning coffee, ticking off yet another blend from the list. I was on a roll this morning - coffee down, luggage stashed, hotel checked out. No rest for the wicked.

Today’s plan was to explore the mystery behind Teamlab Borderless and afterwards catch the shinkansen to Kyoto. I think I might be a bit choppy and scrambled today, due to yesterday's evening - thank you, dear Mixologist!

The queue was orderly - no surprise here. But moving? Not at all. Well, the venue wasn’t open yet so let's just fast forward to the fun bits.

This place rocks!

Well, words sold this place short. It’s breathtaking. Perfect spot for a date or just giving yourself a little time to disconnect from reality and forget the everyday hustle & bustle.

Upon entering I was immersed into an alien world. The lights! The sounds! The… rabbit parade?! Was I Alice or had I fallen headfirst into a digital fever dream? A sudden downpour, lights flashed, frogs croaked. It felt real enough to believe I was in the jungle. Stepping into the next room? I’ve fallen into a refracted mirror dimension. Multitudes of reflections stretching beyond infinity. By escaping mirror reality I found myself amidst swarms of colorful butterflies dancing, following the music.

Even taking a tea break was an event. As my tea was set, a breathtaking flower started to bloom as it unraveled its delicate petals. While admiring the spectacle, I unwittingly reached to touch the unfolding illusion as it played tricks on my mind - fooling me to believe it's all real.

Only when I grazed the flower did I realize what I did - my mistake. I pulled away my hands but it was already too late. It had withered, wilted away - I had destroyed it. It was a fleeting moment, and I was staring at the consequences of my touch. Suddenly the flower started blooming anew, a new life has started. A cycle of life and death right here in front of me was playing out.

There we still left rooms, and even hidden rooms to explore and it was as tempting as anything else, but departure time was slowly creeping and hesitantly I made my way to the exit.

***

Yesterday caught up to me. The stimulus from all experiences slowly wore off and in its place dizziness has slotted in. Thanks, Mr Mixologist…

I’ve hunted down another vending machine and sacrificed the can to the thirsty gods of caffeine. That perked me up enough to fetch the luggage and hop on the train towards Tokyo train station.

Travel by train was pretty much a reprise of previous trips. Enjoyable as usual, as long as you’re not hell bent on traveling during the rush hour.

When I arrived at the Tokyo station I took the wrong exit. Again. This time I’ve checked the exits, turned on navigation, and still stars didn’t align or something. I was lost, but not for long, with the help of passersby I reached the ticket office. However, this rabbit hole only goes deeper, the Shinkansen goes from a specific platform and I had to go to the other side of the station to reach the Yaesu coming from Marunouchi. Or maybe it was the other way round?

It still haunts me.

Shinjuku taught me already to plan around being directionally challenged.

Anyway, I knew where I had to be, where I was and how low I was on caffeine. There was time and place for everything, and there was no better time for espresso than now. With tickets in hand I could finally sip on my probably first espresso in the country after landing. What a bliss. The bitterness. The rush. Such clarity enveloped me that I was reminded of another must-do, the Ekiben.

I dragged my feet to the nearest shop to procure, well, something. It was beef, I think. Spontaneous ideas bring random outcomes. I was fine whatever I got, as I was sure I won’t get sick from the food here and since I never had an Ekiben - there was nothing to compare it to.

***

Train stations here are massive. Standing on the platform, in the designated spot at the right gate I struggled to encompass the surroundings with my vision. I felt small. Just took it in as it came for the short while before it was time to board.

Once the train started rolling… it turned out to be impressively underwhelming. No noise, vibration or any kind of disturbance. I had to fight with all my willpower not to fall asleep, but that was a lost cause as I was awoken by the jingle and message that next stop is Kyoto.