Cruise lines operate on a strict schedule and ship captains have no qualms about sailing away without passengers that haven’t embarked at the appointed time. In fact, YouTube is full of videos of people running down the pier while the ship is pulling away. But, I digress…
Arriving in Tokyo a full day and a half prior to the beginning of our cruise on the MS Westerdam, gave us a cushion for embarkation in case of an airline delay as well as an opportunity to spend a full day sightseeing and to pick up a few geocaches.
We hired a guide – Yusiro – to take us to Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple built in 645 CE. We also asked him to teach us how to use Japan’s public transit systems and where to look for a quick and easy lunch. While we were traveling in and around Tokyo, he told us that the cherry trees were at their peak bloom and we should go today if we want to see them.
It was a day to keep the camera in the pack due to the heavy rains. Cell phone pics were the best we could do. Rain poured down all day, but it didn’t stop any one from enjoying this special sight.
Travels with RK Caton 
Love this! So glad your plans are working out (despite the weather)! 🙂
So far so good!
Wait, what happened to my comment!? Sorry about that, LOL.
What I meant to say was you had such a beautiful beginning to your trip…cherry blossoms in Tokyo!
It was raining so hard that we felt totally at home! LOL…
Dearest Cuz’s, looking forward to traveling with & thru you on your latest adventure.
Looking forward to having you along on the journey Cuz.
Looks amazing. Glad you can get back onto the travel trail once again
Thanks! We are too.
But where did Yusiro take you to lunch and what did you eat?
Nothing fancy… We stopped in a shopping area in a large train station and purchased a couple bento boxes and some yakitori sticks and ate in a covered picknick area overlooking one of the sights we visited. It was very tasty!
So excited for you and so jealous at the same time! I can’t wait to see more adventures of your cruise. I watched an OPB series on travels of various people in Japan and it looks so fascinating…