Sunday.

A new day dawns in Tokyo and everyone else flies out tonight. Finally! No, I'd be happy if BJ was staying on, but will be blissful to embrace my inner (only) child and explore Tokyo solo. Today I check in at the International Youth Hostel for two nights before I fly home on Tuesday night.

We've just had lunch at a Japanese spaghetti cafe: some kind of laksa-ish pasta with shrimp and mushrooms; cheap and TAsTY!

Now to sort out BJ's luggage: for some ridiculous reason you're allowed to take 20kgs of stuff OUT of the country, but only bring 20 BACK. Any woman (indeed, anyone who KNOWS a woman) can immediately see this logic is inherently flawed.

I believe the thought process goes a little something like this:

"OF COURSE I'm going to take my full 20kgs with me! That means I can take those sneakers I MIGHT need, all my full-size toiletries, and a spare pair of jeans, and, and, and!..."

Several days later, return now imminent.

"Oops.
Being in another country and all, I've magically acquired more stuff.
How on earth did THAT happen?
The stuff itself is regrettably not of a magical nature, and so is not weightless.

Or (magically) shrinkable.
No amount of "shaping" underwear is going to shrink my stuff.
OR make it weigh less.
Oops.

And I LIKe all the stuff I brought with me.
It's not like I'd lug all my LEAST favorite stuff to a different country so I could discard it.
WHAT DO I DO?!"

Ask the hotel to ring the airline. Every kilo over is $8, apparently. So that's not SUCH a drama.

Except that when making a subsequent confirmation call, BJ discovers the penalty rate is actually FORTY dollars per kg.

Ah, but by employing our shared genius, a solution is found at the nearby post office, where six kilos of stuff can be sent via sea for $40.
But how do we know if that's adequate? Easy. Go back to the hotel, retrieve suitcase and weigh on post office scales.
It's 25.75kg. PACK THAT BOX!

And yes, changing to (heavier) winter clothing was factored in. Brilliant us! We finally split up today; BJ off to the airport and me to the Tokyo international youh hostel on the 18th floor of Central Plaza, Iidabashi (thank you, lonely planet lender!) Dorm room is 4300¥, which gets me a shared bathroom and includes breakfast and a locker big enough for my case, day pack AND violin.

I've had a lovely wander this afternoon and I think tomorrow I'd like to go to Harujuku (yes, fashion people, that IS the district you think it is!). Now, if only I could find a free wi-fi I'd be perfectly happy :)
And some scales. Just in case I see some stuff tomorrow that I can't live without. Or something ;)