I initially woke up at 5:30, but I went back to sleep till around 7:30. After waking up, our relatives took us to a nearby bakery to purchase bread for breakfast. The name of the bakery nearby was called Peater Pan. (Pan is bread for Japanese. Not quite sure what Peater is... maybe to avoid copyright infringement).
The bakery was jammed pack with people. It was a decently big place for a Japanese store, but I was having troubles navigating inside. Afterwards, we grabbed coffee from their coffee dispenser before heading back to their house to eat.
I must have had at least 3-4 different baked goods (curry bread, red bean bread, pizza slice, pieces of a melon bread and sandwiches). Each piece was delicious and filling. After resting for a bit, we headed to the nearby mall to shop a bit before a tempura lunch at the station. Unlike the last tempura place that our relatives took us to, this one was dry tempura (one that I'm adjusted too).
After lunch, we said our goodbyes. Like always, it's sad to say goodbye, but I'm sure I'll be able to see them again soon.
The train back to Shinjuku was uneventful. We went back to our hotel and rested before heading back out to seek Maricar: the go-kart tour around Tokyo.
The place was relatively easy to find and that all the staff there spoke pretty fluent English. We got into costumes (I was Mario) and took pictures before heading to the karts. After a brief introduction to the karts, we headed off own karts and got ready to go for out tour around Tokyo. We were slated to go through a lot of the main attractions: Odaiba, Tokyo Tower, Roppongi, Shibuya and Shinjuku.
It was definitely a blast riding down the streets of Tokyo. Quite a few people waved at us, but the initial excitement died after an hour or so. Overall, it's nice to try, but for me, it'll be a one time thing. The karts were able to go at around 60-70 km/h. The thing that got me the most was the lack of knowledge of driving down Japanese roads. I should have checked the rules before attending such an event. Also, like any place, Taxi drivers can be quite aggressive. One last thing is the lack of safety equipment. Not wearing seat belts nor helmets in an open, low slung vehicle is initially exhilarating, but quickly replaced with a feeling of foreboding dread.
Near the end of our three hour tour, I got separated from my group, thus taking a wrong turn and got lost. I stopped on the Main Street for about 15 minutes, hoping that my group would track me down. After realizing that I may not be found, I mustered the courage to hail taxis and asked for directions. The second cab driver I talked to had enough English to point me in the right way. I found a place to do a U-turn and made my way back. By sheer dumb luck, or divine intervention, I found my way back to their office.
Near the end of our three hour tour, I got separated from my group, thus taking a wrong turn and got lost. I stopped on the Main Street for about 15 minutes, hoping that my group would track me down. After realizing that I may not be found, I mustered the courage to hail taxis and asked for directions. The second cab driver I talked to had enough English to point me in the right way. I found a place to do a U-turn and made my way back. By sheer dumb luck, or divine intervention, I found my way back to their office.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, my group arrived and we made our way out for sushi. Today will be a day that I will not soon forget. My overall impression of Maricar is positive, though I believe it's good as a one time thing.
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