Ray didn't sleep much on the flight and got really cranky and fidgety by the end of the day. We were up since 6.30am to catch our flight and by the time we arrived in Tokyo, checked in, had dinner, it was around 10pm Tokyo time.
Tokyo was unexpectedly HOT... It was almost burning. Ray and I got a tan just after our first day of walking at Disneyland.
It was really exhausting with all the walking we had to do in the heat.
We would get up at 7am almost every morning and be out all day till 11plus at night - so you can imagine how dead I'd be by the end of the day... on top of having managed a cranky baby, struggling with having to carry him, the stroller and my bag, I still had to wash bottles, refill formula, pack my bag for the next day before bed.
Ray was rather unbearable the whole trip but I can't exactly blame him - he didn't eat well, sleep well or even play well... because he was subjected to my schedule the whole trip and although we were constantly on the move, he spent most of the time being strapped in his stroller (which he hated and would struggle and scream his head off for the first 5-10mins). We haven't really used a stroller since he turned one. He prefers to walk on his own, like a grown up. And when we were in the room, he was constantly told off for touching this and that ... I guess he was not given the space to run around and get rid of all that energy.
(PS: You can imagine how, by the end of the trip, I needed a holiday from this holiday... and I wanted time out from my son... not that I can bear being away from him but I was so looking forward to throwing him to my family or even the maid in Vietnam ... for a few hours at least!)
He probably only had 2 proper meals (Of MacDonalds!) during the whole trip because he is just a pain to feed.
Overall, it was not a good experience visiting Tokyo with a small child
(PS: I am not implying that Tokyo is not nice).
Why?
- There was a lot of walking to do and a stroller definitely comes in handy (Provided the child agrees to sit in it! I ended up having to carry Ray a lot and pushing the empty stroller with my bag hanging on it).
- The city is not very child-friendly. Most of the undergrounds and subway stations do not have escalators or lifts (either that or they are situated far away) so one has to carry child + stroller and struggle with the peak hour crowds.
PS: It was a good thing I had Sus and friends to help even though I had to manage alone when I was out with Ray by myself.
- Everything was expensive e.g. taxi, food, shopping
- Subway was a bit confusing (they had 35 lines!)... I needed a lot of directions from Sus who's better with maps and finding her way around. People were generally quite helpful as well... I didn't waste any time asking as soon as I wasn't sure.
- Personally, I felt the locals were like robots/clones... emotionless, expressionless. They would sit quietly in the public transport (announcements over the PA would remind passengers not to talk on the phone as it would disturb others), rush out like flowing water and walk as if in a trance (no one gives way!) and surprisingly line up in a row to get to the exit.
(Partly because of that, it wasn't a great experience with Ray on the subway. He doesn't stay still and he doesn't keep quiet! It's highly embarrassing since personal space and silence is soooo respected.)
That aside, I am sooo glad that I had a chance to go to Tokyo! It was our (Ray and I) first time in Disneyland! and I never thought that I would ever visit Tokyo (it's not on my list of must-see places).
Thank you SUS!
Rena and her friend, Flora, happened to be in Japan around the same time and we met up for dinner
And I met them again the next day (before they left for the airport) while Sus was at work.
There, we went to Burberry Blue Label (Only available in Japan) and bought a bag each!
PS: Another nice thing about Tokyo is their toilets!
I get to wash my bum every time and feel super clean after
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