Trouble in Tokyo

       We woke up at 2:45 am, took a taxi to the airport, and then after being completely baffled by the Chinese airport system, we made it on our flight to Tokyo. I was so bored I watched the Bounty Hunter. We got a great view of Mt. Fuji before landing in Tokyo . We immediately noticed the stark contrast between China and Japan. Everyone here was quiet and humble. Customs and immigration was a breeze and they even have a free clinic at the airport where arriving passengers can go if they have a fever or cold symptoms. There was minimal pollution and the city seemed very well maintained. After running all over trying to get money, we got checked into our hostel. It was hilarious because the only ATM's that foreigners can use in Japan are at 7/11. They also have their own brand of beer simply call The Brew, which tastes exactly how you'd expect beer brewed by a convenience store chain to taste.
          John and I walked down to a major river to relax and check out the scenery. We commented that the water looked very high as we waved at a big tour boat cruising past us. We were looking at the wakes coming towards us and both thought to ourselves "hmm... those are coming straight towards us. Hmm...those are huge waves." At the last minute, we both snapped into action and ran back as the water rushed over the embankment, barely missing us.

     We spent most of our time in Tokyo relaxing, cooking, and wandering in order to save money. We spent a lot of time with Stephanie, Mark, and Carla. Stephanie is a fashion designer from California, Mark is a teacher on sabbatical (or maybe permanent leave because traveling is so fun), and Carla is an actress and activist from Spain. We had a few mellow nights and then we went out with a big crew of people to explore Tokyo at night. We went to Shibuya Crossing which is the biggest crossing in the world. Traffic stops from all directions and people (around 2000 per walk signal) walk in all directions across the intersection.

       So... I got two mosquito bites in Beijing, one on each ankle. They were a bit red then but by the time I got to Tokyo, the color was starting to spread up my leg. One day I woke up and my ankles were both swollen up like balloons and bright red. I debated for half a day and then decided I needed to see a doctor. John and I went to St. Luke's International Hospital which turned into a crazy experience. I had to get x-rays taken and the technicians were cracking up as they gestured and watched me wiggle around into the proper position. Next, I had to have two blood samples taken. During the second one, the blood wasn't flowing very well so I watched as they pushed and pulled on the syringe for what seemed like an eternity. After waiting for awhile in the lobby, the doc came out and said my blood was too coagulated so they needed to take another sample using a "different method." I interpreted this as "we need a bigger needle." After 5 or 6 hours of waiting and being stuck with needles, the doctor diagnosed me with Cellulitis. He prescribed antibiotics but said I might have to be admitted to the hospital depending on the results of my blood work. John and I went to the pharmacy to get some antibiotics which was another struggle with the language barrier.Luckily, the following day a nice woman from our hospital called the hospital and informed me that I was good to go! The infection had spread to my blood or anywhere serious so I got the go ahead to leave Tokyo. Although I was out quite a bit of money, it was a massive relief.

Getting checked in

Third time's a charm