Tokyo Day 2

We started off today with bagels and coffee for breakfast and then meeting our friend Deena and her 2 kids who live close by. It’s always good to see them and they know their way around the city, so it was wonderful to have a personal tour guide!! We headed for Ueno Park and Zoo and we got to see the famous Japannese Cherry Blossoms – they were everywhere in the park and were just the most amazing sight!! We took our time walking through them and got tons of pictures. Sometimes the wind would blow and they would fall down like snowflakes……. just gorgeous!! They are only in bloom for about 2 weeks and we had no idea when we planned this trip that we’d be here in time to see them!! As much as Mimi loves plants and flowers, it was an extra wonderful surprise that we were here to see the Cherry Blossoms!

Next, we visited the zoo which was very nice. All 5 of us got in for $14 and the kids were free!! Among other animals, we got to see some panda bears and Allie’s favorite was a red panda that looked more like a fox/raccoon to the rest of us. We had some unidentifiable food for lunch – we’re not sure what it was, but most of it was very tasty!! The zoo was huge and it took us most of the day to get around it. After that, Deena led us back to the subway, giving us lessons along the way, so hopefully we can navigate it ourselves tomorrow. We came back to the hotel for dinner and a movie in our rooms. While we were in our rooms, we felt an earthquake! Our room is on the top floor of the hotel, so it was pretty noticeable up here! It was Mimi’s first time to feel an earthquake that she can remember!! We are all ready for bed so we can get up and start another fun day tomorrow!