Tokyo and Kyoto. Adding salt to the wound. Part 1

Tokyo Skytree, the latest landmark of Tokyo. Open to the public on 22 May 2012

My long time dream vacation was finally realised in 2012. My trip to Japan. Honestly, this is more  important to me than running a marathon. Because if I don't run in this November I can still have plenty of races to choose to run in 2013. It will just be the case of when it will happen.

The flight from KLIA to Haneda Airport in Tokyo takes about 7 hours and after you have taken the luggage it was already past midnight on Saturday. The taxi fare to go to Tokyo town at this time of the night will cost you about RM300 so we have earlier booked ourselves in a cabin size hotel room on the domestic terminal. It is a very small room with bed, TV and a small space for you to place your luggage. Most Japanese I saw book into even smaller rooms where it can just accommodate a bed. You only have common bathrooms and toilets.  Just for a night rest, anything will do better than sleeping at the airport.

First Cabin, cabin size hotel room

Taking the subway to Shinjuku the next morning on Sunday is a challenge. Our knowledge of the Japanese language is very very basic. Fortunately we can read Chinese and some Japanese words are written in kanji which is basically chinese characters. The subway system of Tokyo is like spiderweb which is the big challenge when you travelling by yourself in Tokyo. Generally, most of the information counters can speak English or they could understand English. It was not the biggest problem if you can't speak Japanese. Knowing some basic Japanese will make you appear more friendly. Japan is the most polite country I have ever visited and generally the people are just extremely helpful.

Tokyo spiderweb subway map

Tokyo is a highly populated area. The Tokyo marathon is said to be one of the most well organised marathon in Asia. When I was visiting the Imperial Palace in the evening, the runners around the Imperial Palace really caught my attention. There are just so many runners around the Imperial Palace. And a lot of them can run really fast. They are probably preparing for the Osaka Marathon that will be held on 25 November 2012. The loop around the Imperial Palace is such a nice place to run with nice environment and zero traffic. Of course, when you travelling around on your own there is a lot of walking the whole day. You just don't really have the energy to think of running. I was thinking of running in Yoyogi park later in the week when I get familiarise with the place. Eventually, it never crystallise due what happen the next day in Kyoto.

Imperial Palace, Tokyo with runners running around the palace

Woke up at 4.15am the next morning to catch the shinkansen (Nozomi super express) to Kyoto at 6.50am. Lack of sleep again for another night. Kyoto is formerly the imperial capital of Japan where they have retained a lot of the old buildings and temples. It is such a nice place to visit especially during autumn. But the best time to visit is in mid-November where all the leaves have turned red, which they called "koyo". I was there 3 weeks earlier so you only get a bit of red and yellow. But the nice cooling weather with temperature around 18 deg Celcious and the temples are just awesome ! However, you have to keep climbing the steps and walking around the attractions in Kyoto. This really killed my calves and we walked almost non-stop for ten hours until it was dark and was trying to get a bus to check into the hotel in Kyoto.

Mt Fuji, view from shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto

View of  Ginkakuji temple in autumn

Sunlight in the forest of Ginkakuji Temple 

But we was kind of lost taking the bus around and our heels and feet is just hurting from the hill climbing and walking. So we decided to look for the subway instead. As we were going down the steps, we noticed that the train has already arrived.  We rushed to take the train and suddenly I feel the excruciating pain in my calf which is worst than a cramp on the steps leading to the platform. It is like one part of my calf was hit by a hammer. I almost fell on the platform. Fortunately, I still managed to pull myself into the train. The pain was so bad. I was trying to keep my legs straight so it will not cramp again. I have experienced cramps many times before and I know this is worse than a cramp.

Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto

Street Parade for festival in Kyoto

Sunset view from Kiyomizudera temple

So we got out of train after a few stops and we make a mistake and get off the train one station earlier. Climbing up the stairs to get to the road was most painful and having to walk a station in pain to the hotel. We later managed to get Salonpas ice-cing spray from one of the shops near to the hotel. But it was painful even when I am not walking. So I just spray the Salonpas spray on the calf and take two panadols and go to sleep. I also started to notice some swelling on the calf. Hope that the pain will just go away the next morning ! This is only my 2nd day and I have four more days to go. How am I going to walk if the pain is so bad ? I am already having ankle injury from my last long run and now another muscle strain, this is like adding salt to the wound !

Night View of the Bamboo Forest on the hills in Kyoto

To be continued...