Lessons learned in Tokyo

Here is a list of the lessons learned from my first trip to Japan's capital city:

* Trust the guidebook. It won't mislead you. If it says, take the Shimbashi station exit on the metro, take it. Don't study the subway map and waste your energy trying to find a faster way. The author is smart. Trust her. And listen to her advice. Yes, the public bathrooms will not have toilet paper as she said, so carry a roll with you. Same goes with paper towels to dry your hands. Handkerchiefs are my new best friends.

* Learn a few Japanese words before you set off for the journey. Things like "go right" or "turn left" can come in very handy when trying to get directions from a sweet Japanese woman with a limited English vocabulary. It also helps to know the Japanese characters for the place you are looking for. Most city maps on the sidewalk are NOT in English. I will never complain about bilingual maps and signs in the United States after spending three days lost in Tokyo.

* Wear comfortable shoes. The subway system is great, but it can only get you so close and then you need to walk. You will walk all day long, so be comfortable. Blisters ruin any vacation. The Japanese women dress to the nines here, so they wear four-inch heels while pushing a baby stroller through Ueno Park. Let them. I will never be that person. I prefer to be plain than in foot pain.

* Watch the locals. Do what they do. Especially when visiting sacred temples and shrines. Be prepared to remove your shoes when entering these places. And by all means, if they are taking photos, go crazy and take a few of your own. If they ask you to be in one of their photos with them (as a group of school girls did when I was visiting a Buddhist temple), return the favor.

* Experience the moment. You can't see all of Tokyo in a few days. You can always return for another trip in the future. Benny and I are planning to go back for our wedding anniversary in October. Instead of running from one tourist attractions to another, take the time to enjoy the weather, people and places. Deb, my traveling companion in Tokyo, taught me this lesson.

* Know when it's best to abandon the beaten path. Some of the coolest places aren't highlighted in the guidebook. Don't be afraid to wander in. Benny and I spent 30 minutes looking for a particular sushi place when we were starving because one of his co-workers told me about it. We couldn't find it and kept walking by other restaurants, until we unknowingly wander into a ramen noodle place. That place was an experience. And it was cheap and best of all -- tasty!