Momonga Coffee Shop

On Tuesday morning, still being on Hawaii time, I woke up pretty early...like before 8am JST.

I was hungry and wandered around the Sunshine City for a while looking for places to eat breakfast...the only problem being, not much eating places were open that early.

I ended up leaving the mall and looking for somewhere to eat outside...when I found this quaint neighborhood coffee shop called Momonga Coffee Shop just a stone throw from my hotel.





I ended up eating the モーニングサービス　"Morning Service" breakfast on two days of this trip. For just 480 yen, I got scrambled eggs and a Japan arabiki, two big thick toasted slices of excellent Japan pan, a cup of the always strong Japan kohi, and a nice slice of sweet cantaloupe. What a great start to your day! The friendly owner could also speak some Eigo and was nice enough to direct me to what I would be looking for this day, a good bike shop.

I know for sure, if I ever live in Ikebukuro, I would eat breakfast here quite often...

The Color Blue...

After taking in the view at the top, I was getting tired, but I wandered around the Sunshine City mall checking out this huge 5 or 6 story shopping complex for a bit. It was pretty empty as most of the stores were already closed. Outside the entrance I saw this blue building that deserved to have its picture taken...cause I like blue...but not being...



It was still VERY hot out and I ended up drinking a ton of these blue bottled Nike Swooshed Aquarius drinks that they only have in Japan...but maybe at Shirokiya here in Honolulu too...maybe...

I noticed that they had both round bottles and square ones - both 500ml I think...maybe to accommodate different types of vending machines???

Aquarius ended up being my favorite drink and one thing's for certain...when you get into that kind of heat and are not used to it, and, you have to do a LOT of walking, you can gulp down one of these bottles in one or two or three big swigs!!! Gotta keep those mineral levels in balance you know...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarius_(sports_drink)

The サンシャイン 60 Observatory

The Sunshine 60 Observatory at the Sunshine City - Below is a high ISO 6 shot? Photostitch from 240 meters high looking towards the lit up Ikebukuro Eki (池袋駅) . The always busy Express Way is on the right hand side.



It was Monday, 9 pm JST, and 2 am MONDAY, Hawaii time...but I like to stay up late and sleep in late too...so I still felt OK that evening. I decided to take in the sites at the 60th floor observation deck at the Sunshine 60 building.

I wasn't sure if it was free or not...it wasn't...620 yen please...for a ride up what is suppose to be the fastest elevator in Tokyo.

The nite view from the top was really spectacular as you can take in all the lights of Tokyo from the 360 degree viewing floor. I didn't know till after I left, that I could have gone upstairs to the top of the building for an open air view...bummers...would have been really hot...but nice...

This is the view looking DOWN onto the 36? story Sunshine City Prince Hotel that I was staying in. I was in room 2926, facing away from the Sunshine 60 building.

Below is a view straight down from another side of the observation floor...looking at the Express Way below.




Below is one of my favorite pictures of the trip, if a picture could sum up how you feel at the moment...

Outside, Looking In...

This was taken looking South, towards Shinjuku's skyscraper studded skyline. For me...this picture makes you realize what a place Tokyo is...in a different land with a different language, it was hard for this "local boy" to comprehend that there are millions and millions of people down there interacting and going about there lives in this 24/7 city...even knowing that...it was a melancholy Monday night there...outside, looking in...it's all relative...

ﾛｯﾄﾞ Back From Japan...

On Tuesday, my brother finally got back from Japan after almost 1 year of attending school there...I guess he's happy to see all of us...

Training...

Today, I did almost 4 hours and over 90kms in preparation for next weeks Haleakala Ride to the Sun race. It was a really hard ride (Pacific Hts and Tantalus)and I was always on the gas and never soft pedaled much, except for the downhills.

Tomorrow, I wanna put in about 3 hours or so...testing out my new stem as the reach is 5mm less and the drop is about 5mm deeper.

Hopefully the position will be a little more comfortable as I was a touch too stretched out in the hoods.

130 Grams...Vanished!!!

WEIGHT WEENIE ACTION

USPS made a delivery of goodies today and this is what went onto my "project bike."

My original skewers were Mavics, and surprisingly, they were super heavy at about 150 grams per 2. I suppose these Elite Ksyriums were not upscale enough to warrant Mavic's top of the line skewers. No fear though...I installed these Zipp alloy and Ti skewers and they weighed in at a much lighter 100 grams total.

The Syntace stem is a 90mm / 84 degree stem and only weighs 100 grams, versus 180 for that generic stem I was running.

Pretty good investment ($60 and $80), I would say, to loose over 1/4 pound!

Now all I gotta do is swap out my Ultergra front and rear derailleurs and brakes and cassette for my Dura Ace components and I think I'll be looking at a pretty light bike with clinchers. Oh yeah, and I gotta change out my tires and tubes for some light weight ones and I think in total that will save another 150ish grams... :-)

Back in Hawaii...

After zoning out all day yesterday...and sleeping for 14 HOURS!!! last night...I'm feeling pretty OK. Although 2 PM does seem a little late to wake up - that is still "only" 9 AM in Japan time...hahaha...

Went for a late late afternoon spin of about 2 hours...notice the nice big ship and the new MET helmet...

いま ときょう に います。。。I'm In Tokyo Now

(Posted about 10 pm JST - Monday August 6th)

So on a whim I decided to take a short vacation to Tokyo before my brother comes back...



Luckly for me, although booked at the last possible second, the JALways flight was very empty with just as much stewardeses as passengers...


I heard from my brother and my friend Ats that it would be VERY hot and humid in Japan...and the second you stepped off the plan it was as if you walked into a hot shower room...

Tokyo is a multi faceted and multi layered city, and seeing the perpetual intertwining of steel and concrete overpasses, roads, bridges, walkways and waterways is a perfect example of how connected...but how very different all the people and areas and traditions of this city coexist...
My room and the view out after the 1hr 50min ride from Narita to Ikebukuro's Sunshine City...

While walking around, I passed by this park with the most unreal sound I've ever heard...think buzzing locusts...ON STEROIDS!!! Super loud...like a pack of 2 stroke Yamaha RD400s revving up to 10,000rpm!!! I think it was these LARGE moth looking things...

Had some awesome Miso Ramen at Kairaku...the bamboo shoots were the best I've ever eaten, chewy but crunchy at the same time...