Day 8: bye bye Japan

In a blink of an eye, we have come to the last day of our #happyfamilyinjapan holiday. Oh, good times fly by indeed. On this morning, we decided to take it easy. Breakfast was on our own - the girl went to Maccas with the grandparents; the boy and I headed out to seek food while the husband finished packing up.

Pre-coffee

Beams

Because he let me get coffee first, I let him choose his breakfast (Maccas bleargh)

On the way back (we tapaued everything because we needed to feed the husband too), we spotted a role model in the form of a local Japanese man. Look at his choice of beverage - this was at 10am in the morning! Given our running count of beer through the holiday, I had to sneak a snap and share it with my fellow beer-chuggers.

Breakfast beverage - beer.

A worthy team-mate for sure.

We checked out of the hotel and made our way to stroll down the street to Tokyo Tower. It was less than 30minutes away and while it was pretty hot, I thought it was way better than rain. Off we went.

Papa-girl duo.

Tokyo Tower spotted! But first, the shrine

Blessings

We strolled through the shrine compounds for a while and then made it around it through to the main sight.

Upclose

The truth is, we drove past this on Mario-day. But I guess it's not the same if we did not step foot within it.

Ticket

Mascot

Up on the tower!

Peeking all the way down

On a very clear day, we could possibly see Mount Fuji (we didn't that day)

It was a touristy event that I guess is apt for our last day in this country, and I tried to spot as much as I could with the help of maps they provided. We finished off this episode with our last Cremia.... I recall not being hungry at all but it felt like something we needed to do for no-reason at all but just because we could (ice-cream at anytime on a holiday? Checked!)


We made it back to the hotel on foot (coffee stop on the way) and began our adventure to the airport. We had to lug all our luggage with us from hotel to subway to change another subway train then the airport. No pictorial evidence of how we looked (maybe a good thing? though similar pictorial references can be seen from our last luggage commute) but we made it. All luggage and humans were not harmed in the process of commuting. Woot!


At the airport, we checked in our luggage (WE REALLLY MADE IT!) and it was time for lunch. There was a difference in preferences, so we split up - which made it easier for us to snag a table too.

Team ramen - the husband, the boy and I.

Keeping him occupied.

Team K with the rest with their choice of Japanese restaurant

After lunch, we met up and went for a stroll within the airport. We headed to a Hello Kitty shop, the boys went to play with some fake planes and the viewing gallery...

Up. Up. And away!

We met a friend at the airport who was on their way back too; how fun. What a pity we didn't plan better so that we could have met them at Disney too. Ah well.


The flight back was uneventful (or maybe I should not wait 2 months over to recap the holiday...) and I think we all came home with full tummies and happy memories.


The trip would not have been made this amazing... if not for...


1) The sister and her busband - they were so active and deserve full credit for planning and suggesting the itinerary
2) Everyone's patience - travelling with kids is never easy and everyone in the group helped share the load of the children which made a difference. I didn't feel too judged for their behaviours (not that they were bad, but it's not the same with children on holidays)
3) Everyone's can-do-attitude - whether it was what we wanted to eat, or do, or play, or go; everyone played a part in contributing (sometimes silence is the best form of contribution) in one way or other. We would not have met our beer count if we didn't all pull our weight (this may rank higher on the pleasurable can-dos); nor would we have had this much laughs if we didn't just go with the flow in the spirit of fun (our Mario adventures was a key highlight for sure and ranks most-talked-about-highest-hits-on-social-media-cos-we-cool-like-that)


I know the children had fun because they had the company of the extended families to play with, they went to Disneyland (even I had fun because the children are old enough to take fun rides - whee!) and it's definitely a check off family to-dos - fun for all, all for fun!


A full recap of our holiday here, from day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.