Yesterday was another adventure into the city, but this time for something fun, Les Misérables World Tour Spectacular, and it was spectacular!
The day started early, the concert was from 12 o'clock, and of course, getting to the venue meant trains and buses, navigating schedules and busy stations, with me in pain from Thursday. I could walk, but not far and not fast!
We got the first bus of the day at 8am! Just a few minutes from Hannah's apartment. That got us to the train station with just 10 minutes to buy my ticket and get to the platform. Hannah ran ahead to buy my ticket. I tried to keep up, but it was kind of impossible. I wasn't too far behind. I got to the gate just as she got my ticket. Of course, the platform was up a load of stairs, I can manage going up stairs alright, but going down is another matter altogether! We had to change trains, which was okay; we had a good few minutes, and the station wasn't that big.
When we got to the city, it was already very busy! In Japan, a lot of places don't open until 10am. We were there at 9:30, but the station was crowded. I forgot it was Saturday, so of course, people were out shopping, going to different events in the city, or just hanging out!
We decided to get something to eat before going to the venue. Neither of us had been to Starbucks, and Hannah had a 1000yen coupon, so that's where we headed to!
We got a drink, I had a Macha Latte, and Hannah had a Starbucks Latte. We both had a sausage, egg muffin. Very good taste. I was rather surprised at the quality!
Starbucks snack!
Then it was the hunt for the bus stop. So many buses, so many stops, all of them the wrong ones. Of course, ours had to be on the other side of a very busy road! And of course, Hannah spotted the advertisements for Phantom of the Opera.
Phantom of the Opera advert, can you spot it?
We managed to get on the bus, which was absolutely packed! We got the last seats, but there were a lot of people standing! The bus ride was about 20 minutes! Not too bad, at least there was air conditioning! That was another thing that made this trip hard; it was so humid, not too hot, but the humidity made me sweat a lot!
We got to the venue about 30 minutes before the start of the show!
The venue, a massive hotel, conference center, and theater complex on the harbor
There were lines for everything! We wanted to get a photo with the big poster; there was a line for that! The people in front of us asked us to take a photo for them, which Hannah did, they then returned the favor!
Hannah looks cute, but I look all frazzled
We found our seats, near the front and middle! Very good seats!
The stage from the entrance
Live orchestra
From our seats
The show was absolutely brilliant. From the opening notes to the end, it scored on all levels. The orchestra, the singers, the soloists, and the ensemble were all amazing. I cried, Hannah cried, the people around us cried! Even though it was 3 hours long, it didn't feel like it! The children playing Cosette and Gavroche were very good. The actress playing the young Cosette was a Japanese girl. The song she sings has the line "Crying is not allowed," but she pronounced crying as "Clying". Even though that could be seen as a mistake, it somehow added to the vulnerability of the character, making her seem younger and more sympathetic! I honestly didn't want it to end!
At the curtain call, you could take a video or photos. I tried, not great, but you can get an idea of the atmosphere of the theater!
Plus a photo
Jean Valjean and Javar
We left the theater on a cloud, but I was already exhausted, and we had to get back!
The bus back to the station was even more crowded than on the way there! Standing room only, it got to the point that the driver didn't stop at a few stops to pick up people.
At the station, we found a free gospel concert going on. So, of course, we stopped to watch for a bit.
Very good. It was nice to hear gospel music, something I miss!
After that, we had a little walk around, Hannah wanted to check out an accessory shop. The problem was I was so hot and in pain that I really couldn't do much more! We got a drink at another coffee shop. I wasn't hungry but very thirsty, so I got an iced tea. Hannah got this interesting caramel drink. I had a taste, but it was far too sweet for me!
Hannah's very sweet drink
I like the artwork on the wall.
We decided to get the train back after that!
That was an adventure in itself!
The station that we had to change trains at had an accident with its signals. We aren't sure what happened, but all the trains were either canceled or delayed. We wanted to get the rapid train that only stops at a few stations, but it never turned up. We had to get a local train, which takes almost an hour to get to where we had to change trains. On the way, we noticed a lot of people wearing T-shirts for the local soccer team, so not only were the trains delayed, but they were extra busy as there was a local soccer match!
We finally got to the station where we had to change, only to find all the trains going in the same direction as we were delayed by up to an hour; a couple of trains were almost two hours behind schedule. We didn't have to wait too long and managed to get seats!
Once we got back, the first call was to a supermarket for dinner. Neither of us felt up to cooking! We got some sushi and pizza! Interesting combination!
Dinner
I'm glad I got to see Les Misérables in English, maybe the only chance I'll ever have!
One thing I've learnt from the past two trips to the city is that I really do have to lose weight and regain my strength and ability to walk more. Yesterday I did 8000 steps, but it nearly killed me. If I want to travel, I need to be able to do two or three times that much! So that's my determination!
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