Rinkai Koen and Disney with the masses

What a weekend! Cliff knowing that I generally do all the planning and organising for our weekends (and after the disastrous last weekend trip with Rieko to the supposedly Kimono Museum that was not to be-say no more..), he looked in my "Tokyo with Kids book" and decided on plan number 23. Ok and um by the way Julia could you please call the hotel, check price make reservation, work out how to get there and pack eveything including what I will need!!!!!

Anyway I of course lavished praise and admiration on his thoughtful selection and then set about planning, booking and packing.

We headed to the Kaisai Rinkai park which is one stop from Disneyland ( not that Cliff knew this at time of booking!) but you can see the magic Kingdom tower and 1000 resort hotels from the beach.

We had to schlep the baby bed because didn't have any, but I did call the hotel like a million times in the hope I could bond with the front staff so they would ( let us check in early, and give us a bigger and nicer room) this tactic usually works and of course it did this time too!

It was a blistering day on Saturday and with the jogger stroller packed to the hilt we set off on our adventure. The park is right as you exit the train station with Massive Ferris Wheel and, Aquarium, Bird Park, Beach with rock pools and mud flats, chuchu train running around and the Edogawa Seaside hotel ( where we stayed). Very nice and green and lovely. Hotel also highly recommend over anything Disney resort like. All massive rooms by Japan standard 50sqm all with balcony and a big ofuro in room and on 2nd floor. Very quiet and clean. Food in restaurant overpriced though as only place to eat is at the hotel or else trog to the one and only McDs at the station ( there is nothing else at all in the evening after 5pm all places in park close down). They gave us Room 317 which was an end of corner room which was probably about 60sqm with a passageway to the bathroom where we could put the munchkins travel cot so dark and separate from us in main room and noise.

Went to the hotel and they said we could check in early so she could have her afternoon nap in the room in the travel cot. We dumped off our stuff and headed to first stop the aquarium.

It was a very good aquarium all with the animals in natural like habitat conditions ( penguin tidal pool very good). She just went nuts again for the fish and really liked the big Tunas which even I was impressed by. Could touch lots of stuff including starfish, rays etc etc. The amount of aquariums we have been too cliff reckons she is gonna be a Marine Biologist!

After aquarium we fed her the kids meal in the restaurant which she ate every bit of and we decided to grab something later as it was too early to eat!

Checked in at 12!!! and she napped in the travel cot for about hour and half and we crashed too. Then afternoon we made our way out onto the mud flats on the wind swept beach which was alive with families and crazy kids catching fish, crabbing, swimming and generally going mad. She loved it, found a dead eel to poke and some bits of stick to bash crabs and anything that moved. she enjoyed being totally buried in mud ( but mommy for the record Cliff didn't)

After about 3 hours of play there decided enough was enough as tide came in quick and despite the 31degree heat the wind started to get cold!!! She had a tantrum about leaving but finally managed to strap her back in pushchair with cheese dip sticks! Headed to the train which took us on a 25 min ride thru the bird park. She was knackered though. At around 6pm we went to the hotel and she had another kids meal ( at least Jap style is good and healthy) and we all went to the big bath. She love loves Japanese onsen these days she thinks its a giant swimming pool!!! This time no poo thank god and only 2 old grannies from Shiga Kogen to contend with so we reminisced about Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics!!!

Once she was down at 7:30 we waited and then sneaked down ( leaving monitor on) for a Chinese course dinner. Not really very good they made one course using soba noodles in tomato sauce with seafood on it ( yuk!). Still it was that or Mcds at station. Thinking the MDs might have been better and cost so much less!!!!

We discussed the next day over our weird course menu and realising that we were a stones throw from Disney and she had never been and was maybe at an age to appreciate, we decided to bite the bullet and go. The forecast for next day was cloudy so better than the intense heat.

Got up early and headed off after a Japanese type Wetern breakfast buffet affair which she mostly smooshed. As soon as we entered the Park she caught sight of Winnie the Poo and went legging it as fast as her little legs could carry her after poo calling out his name!!! iT was so cute wish I could have got that on video!!!! Same for minne and mickey and all the other characters she could see and she was NOT frigthend off! However to have a picture with them you had to wait for about 25 minutes in a line!!!! We and close to 200,000 people must have been there that day.

The lines were stupid insane even for dumbo 1 and half hours!!! So we did Its a Small World which was amazingly only 25 min wait. She absolutely LOVE LOVED it. We walked toon town but she was so tired from all the excitement that by 11am she was snoring in the buggy. We found a quite place to sit near the palace and all took an hours rest. When she woke up though she was so hot and sweaty she didn't sleep very well but was excited to be there. The afternoon we managed just one more ride on the Western Canyon railway ( had some scary dark dinosaur bits) which she liked!!! and then the HEAVENS opened. We headed for some cover while Cliff headed for the rain jackets. Go her a beautiful Minnnie Mouse rain poncho with ears and we had plastic pacamac jobs but the madam would only keep it on for 20 mins and then its was OFF OFF OFF. So by that time with everything soaked and us exhausted we decided to call it quits and head home.

At home she went straight to bed and while she slept we cooked up some lovely pasta which she scarfed down around 5pm. She was out like a light at 7:30pm and so were we!!!

Today its monday and cliff is off to Chicago for a week AGAIN.. His mum is unfortunatley in hospital has 3 hernias under her disk.. We may have to leave for Italy earlier than planned but will see.

Emma and Ellie came round for lunch was was nice as C was pleased to see her little friend and I got a ctach up with Emma. Then this afternoon popped over to Ionahs to see her new pad ( its plush) 38th floor of Atago Green Hills Forest Tower., MASSIVE polished wooden floors probably 200sqm with great views although we sat out on the balcony but was feeling a tad dizzy and wouldnt let C out there with us!!! She had a lovely time hero worshipping Khaya and playing in her wigwam. Ionah gave me a Missoni hand towel to take home along with some more clothes from Khaya. I passed off my read books!!! Somehow I dont feel it was a fair swap!!!

On the way into the building bumped into my secnd floor neighbour Lesley with her 4 month old Vivienne and her lovely dog Bella with another nice Irish lady and her really really lovely dog Sugar. Charlize loved getting wet dog kisses from the dogs and had a nice cuddle with the baby!!! I had stopped by Lush on teh way home they have one in Roppongi and as no daddy for bath tonight bought her some bath bubble bombs so we took an hour long bath with all the toys..
Little Rabbit fufu and Fifi and the Flower top books later and she was out like a light. Still bit rattly in the chest though may have to get that checked,

Need to so some filling and get an early night. Hope Cliff can get back by friday but probably wont be till the weekend I guess..