Tyler and I started out our second day similarly to the first - early with the smorgasbord buffet at the lovely hotel restaurant. This time we were more prepared for the heavy humidity awaiting outside. Less clothes. Hair tied up. And more breaks - whether that was a slow walk through the GAP (how anyone would try on clothes in this weather is beyond my imagination), or a stop at a cafe for a cold drink and a blast of AC.

Before delving into our day's adventures, I must mention that we have been sharing our hotel with the entire production staff and cast of GIRLS . It's been a fascinating experience for me, being a fan of the show, and its creator, Lena Dunham. We've been eating breakfast every morning with the staff and Lena herself. It's very interesting to hear them all talk about the day's production and how they're all handling the heat. It's also entertaining to see their Instagram feeds with images from the show and also their own adventures in Tokyo. Tyler has no idea who or what she or the show are, but I've been pretty tickled.

Back to our own adventures - first stop was Harajuku, made famous by the outrageous, gothic and colorful costumes worn by Japanese teenagers that frequent the neighborhood. Tyler and I both commented on how much more authentic this neighborhood felt than the previous day's jaunt in downtown. Smaller streets and much more cafes, eateries and shops. It is a darling place, slightly reminiscent of the Pearl in Portland. The main alleyway can be described in one word - PINK. Every shop, sign or flier here is a shade of cotton candy. We didn't get to see many authentic Harajuku girls, but did visit a costume shop that sold wigs, petticoats, platform shoes and the many different types of frocks that come together to create the look. It was pretty amazing. We ate lunch at a small Thai restaurant where I had fried rice and Tyler had traditional pad thai. Eating here isn't easy being Celiac, but the Japanese people continue to impress me with their kindness and understanding . Luckily I have a card that details what I cannot eat and why and everyone thus far has been able to accommodate me in some fashion, and I haven't gotten sick (fingers crossed that this pattern continues!). Tyler also tried a Harajuku crepe - stuffed to the gills with chocolate ice cream, custard, whipped cream, and fudge. He literally only ate a few bites before proclaiming it way too sweet to consume.

Next up was Meiji Jingu Temple where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken's spirits are entombed (their bodies are entombed in Kyoto). They were responsible for the Westernization of Japan. Emperor Meiji cut off his top knot and started dressing in Western fashion, encouraging the rest of the country to embrace this new way of living. Empress Shoken was a large supporter of women's education. The temple is a center for Shinto, Japan's ancient and original religion, which has neither founder nor holy book, and focuses on love and harmony with nature (my kind of gig) . As soon as we stepped on the grounds, I felt at peace. There are few places on earth that I truly feel a spiritual presence (Nuestra Señora de Pilar in Argentina is one of them), but this place had it. Like a gentle mantle, a feeling of tranquility descended and worries melted away. The temple is also surrounded by a small forest, planted by the Japanese people to remember the Emperor and his wife and for their souls to dwell in. Over 100,000 different types of trees were brought in from Japan and abroad to create a haven in the midst of the city. Each one was planted by hand. It's beautiful. The soft and spicy scent of cedar permeates the grounds and the large canopies create blissful shade to hide from the sun. There was a place to write down your desires and prayers for the coming year and offer them to the spirits for safe keeping - seeing it is a big year for Tyler I made him do it. Of course I filled a page of my own blessings, desires and needs. There was also a place to purchase good luck charms. One of which was a charm to aid in finding a job . I bought it. Anything helps, and I think the aid of ancient Japanese spirits is worth more than most! I should also mention the cicadas here. As Tyler mentioned, if we had not been previously familiarized to the sound that these little guys make, we would be terrified of the unseen beings making such a racket above. These things can SING. They sound ten times bigger than the cicadas we are used to back home and they make several different sounds. There must be whole nations living above us, and they all sing together. Intensely. Expected in the jungles of Maragogi, Brazil - not so in the urban jungle of Tokyo!

A quick subway ride got us back to Shinjuku station and to the hotel for our typical afternoon shower and quiet time. The subways at first glance seem terrifying - filled to the gills with people, noise and an unending maze of tunnels, not to mention the lack of English. I'm thankful that Tyler is such a quick study for how these things work, but in all honesty it's pretty straightforward once you figure out the flow of things. The trains are clean, bright and most importantly, air conditioned. After our down time, we regrouped and headed to the diamond member cocktail hour, and then back to the Shibuya area for more drinks and dinner. Shibuya (booya) is one of the most iconic images in Japan, where four intersections collide with what seems like millions and millions of people crossing all at once. It is the Times Square of Tokyo . Before we joined the throngs at Shibuya we planned on grabbing a drink at the theme bar Alcatraz, where you are handcuffed and put into a cell while "enjoying" your drinks. Finding the place was a bit difficult and, different from previous evenings, it hadn't cooled down. At 8 o'clock, it was still 94 degrees and humid out. When we finally found our way into the dark tunnels of Alcatraz, my clothes were once again stuck to my body, and my hair plastered to my neck and temples (I had planned on it being cooler and breezy and thus hadn't brought a hair clip... tip - NEVER forget your hair clip) and it turns out that Alcatraz, unlike the subway, does not have air conditioning. I was trying to go along with the fun, standing inside a box with my eyes shut while a large siren and lights flashed, pronouncing me "infected," but once our nurse delivered us to our 2nd story cell, where the air was literally heavy and sweat was quickly making a path from the crown of my head to my heels, I threw in the towel. God bless Tyler, as things went from bad to worse, as we tried to find a place to eat, with the results being all restaurants we tried to find being non-existent or now closed ... I faded quickly. Likely very dehydrated and having walked the equivalent of a marathon over the last two days, my body was shutting down. Japan doesn't have gatorade, instead they have a drink called Pocari Sweat. It's not the same. I drank some anyways and was able to make it back to our room, where Tyler devoured his Japanese Kentucky Fried Chicken and I ordered a burger patty (yes, no bun, no bread, yes, just the meat, yes, i'm sure) from room service. By the time I finished my meal Tyler was snoring and I followed suit in a matter of seconds.

As I type, we are on a flight bound for Hiroshima. Today is the anniversary of the terrible bombing and there is a peace ceremony tonight where thousands of colored lanterns are released down the river. I am excited for the beauty and the sentiment. Tomorrow we head to Kyoto, where we will be for the next week. Japan continues to delight and surprise me, and we are having such a great time exploring this country.