Picnic and fun at Odaiba

Everybody has been busy going here and there. It is a season to enjoy one's [very limited] freetime with family and friends in this weeklong holiday. As for us, we spent our whole day yesterday at Odaiba, together with some Pinoy friends. As we had expected, our "pasyal" was so much fun -- the kids got along well playing all the time, while we, the mothers, spent most of the time talking about our life and all other things while taking care of our "bulilits." The daddies also had their own enjoyment.

To start off, we met at Nishi-nippori station of the JR Yamanote line. 'Twas just funny that our friend who kindly reminded us to be there ON TIME was the one who arrived the latest. Surprisingly, we were the first comers when in fact we were the farthest from the station (about 45minutes from the house). We looked a lot like a very big family all set for a grand picnic each carrying a basket (or backpack) full of foods. So we started our journey, rode the train and got off at Shimbashi, where we transferred to the Yurikamome monorail going to Odaiba-kaihin-kouen (Odaiba Seaside Park) station. Here's my first glitch of the day: I was getting a ticket at the ticket machine when it suddenly gone crazy and out of service after I dropped a 100yen coin on it. Amidst the crowd, we asked the help of the staff and told us to stay put and wait for the machine to spit out my coin. I waited till the machine went back online but no coin appeared. To make the story short, I didn't get my coin back because, according to the staff, "I left the line without waiting for the coin to appear." Well, somebody might have been lucky enough that day to unexpectedly receive 100yen. "It is just 100yen," said the staff. JUST 100yen??? Hey, my 100yen can go a long, long way, you know, especially so in a bazaar. ;)

It was my 3rd time to visit Odaiba so I somehow knew what to expect from the place. Despite this, though, I still enjoyed every hour of our stay there as if seeing the place for the first time. Who would not enjoy such a riot company -- noisy and in an upbeat mood, laughing our hearts out, moon-walking while stopping in every corner to have our [crazy] pictures taken, feeding our already full tummies, filling our eyes with the awesome sights, and feeling the cold breeze amidst the sunny day.

Now, let's talk about the place. Odaiba is one of Tokyo's best spots with a unique ambience to offer its visitors. It is said to be a reclaimed area in Tokyo Bay which was first developed towards the end of the Edo period (1603 - 1867) as a strategic geographical protection against possible enemy attacks from the sea. The development was greatly affected, though, during the "bubble economy" period. Not wanting to waste whatever had been started, the place was redeveloped and "purpose" realigned to now serve not only pure business ventures but what has come to be widely known as a shopping and entertainment district. I would personally say that this place is kinda 'mini-USA" having its own version of the San Francisco Bridge (called the Rainbow Bridge) and the Statue of Liberty. There is also a "Little Hongkong" inside the Decks Tokyo Beach (a shopping mall) as well as the Venus Fort, a for-ladies shopping center with an ambience of the Rennaisance-period Venice, Italy. Hey, you don't need to travel around the world to see these things, because it's all here! Other "must-see" and "must-experience" in Odaiba are found at Japan-guide.com.

Our route? We got off at Odaiba-kaihin-kouen station, and walked our way through the all-woodplanks road to Decks Tokyo Beach until we reached the front of the beach overlooking the Rainbow Bridge. We found a nice shaded place where we shared our "sari-saring baon". We had adobo, tortang talong, kare-kare and tamago sushi, and crema de fruta for our dessert. Afterwards, the kids went playing at the beach while the "bulilits" soundly took their afternoon naps. There was never-ending chatting while nibbling with some "chichiriya". Then, we breezed through the nice parks on our way to the Palette Town where the kids excitedly rode the biggest Ferris Wheel in the world. For 900yen, you'll get to see most of Tokyo from above through a 16-minute ride in the slow-moving Daikanransha. Before and after getting there, we stopped at the MegaWeb (car showroom) where latest -- and old ones too! -- Toyota car models are displayed. Test driving is allowed as long as you have a valid driver's license, which none of us have, so we just took pictures of our pick. There was even a 10-minute showcase of a car of the future which, to me, looked like either a movable bedroom or a one-of-a-kind vacuum cleaner or probably an elegant sofabed with tires. No, I don't -- and won't -- dream of a car like that.

It was getting late and some of our friends left early. With only three families left, we walked down the park while witnessing the awesome sunset. At 6:35pm, we took the sea bus (aka Tokyo Water Cruise and SuijoBus) and cruised the calm waters to Hinode Pier. Yes, I was -- and still am -- afraid to ride a boat. But for experience's sake, I tried it this time. I'd say it was an experience with all the nice sights and lights I saw from the window. Well, I did not have the chance to go up in the open deck because I was carrying Luke. Besides, it was so cold up there.

After that 20-minute sea trip, we took the train from JR Hamamatsucho station to get home. We arrived home a little past 9pm, exhausted, hungry, sleepy but happy and satisfied.

Lure your eyes with more pictures at my Flickr account.
More facts about Odaiba at: Tokyo Essentials, Sugihara.com, JNTO, Odaiba Decks