Bad Blue Bottle, Akihabara and Soba Noodles

After settling for Starbucks on the first day, I wanted something awesome on the second day. And what better coffee is there than – – – Blue Bottle.

The nearest Blue Bottle was in Akihabara, a short train ride away. So I left extra early, to join the commuters on the metro, and go in search of a good coffee.

It was another beautiful hot, steamy morning, heading to 40 degrees again. I had fond memories of Akihabara from my last visit, so I was looking forward to visiting the area again.

The area was as visually stunning as I remembered. I was a bit tricky to find Blue Bottle, as this outlet was a very small one.

Success

The sullenness of the staff should have been a warning sign. But my enthusiasm meant that I didn’t notice.

The coffee looked okay….

… but the taste was awful. Way too milky. A bit like McCafe coffee, but worse because it cost about AUD$7.50. I couldn’t drink it all. What a let down….

Oh well! Off to work I go…

Luckily, I found a Starbucks with good wifi and a usable workspace.

It was great, and I got a lot done. Then it was time to head out to find some lunch. I walked past a Newstand to learn that Great Britain had a new and improved PM!

Lunchtime in Akihabara

This part of Tokyo is a wonder to me. It’s so full-on. The anime, the bright colours… it’s almost overwhelming if it wasn’t such a treat.

I decided to opt for a vending-machine lunch. I am a sucker for soba noodles and those deep-fried veggie patties. Plus, it is very affordable.

Then I headed back to get more work done.

Occasionally distracted from the strange things I see that do not really make any sense.

Back in Tsujiki

When work was finally done, I decided to head back to Akihabara to see the lights at night.

Akihabara Tokyo at Night

For dinner, I opted for a Takoyaki place I had been to before – – delicious!

I find myself easing the stress of travelling by returning to places I have enjoyed before, like this takoyaki place I visited in 2017. Sometimes it’s just good to experience something familiar….. something you know.

As I jumped on the train to head back to the hotel, I was thinking about what life is like working in Sydney, and how we run on automation most days – going to work, returning from work, without trying new things or pushing ourselves to go out.

However with only a few days in Tokyo, if I wanted to experience some of the city, I did have to push myself. And oh boy…. it is tiring. But I wouldn’t swap this experience for anything.

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