Fuji-San, boiling petrol and fish.

What a fab couple of days we've been having.  Fuji was shrouded with thick cloud when we woke up but, as we drove towards it, everything cleared and it put on quite a show.  

The car does not like the volatile petrol and it keeps boiling. Something to do with where the pipes and the carburettor are in relation to each other. As I write, it shaving its insides re-routed. A few other cars are having similar difficulties.  

Getting into Tokyo was surprisingly easy - despite signage confusion, we came straight to the hotel with not one traffic hold up. I wish driving in London was so straightforward. We came in on a very high level road but I don't suppose a flyover at eighth storey level along Marylebone and Euston roads would go down too well. 

Tokyo is a very cool and exciting city and well worth a few days exploration.  We are staying at the fabulous Palace hotel overlooking the Imperial gardens. This morning, the occupants of cars 9 and 14 left at 0530 to go the fish market.  They've clamped down massively since I was last there when it was possible to go everywhere, including the daily tuna auction where each fish can sell for around $500,000 or more.  

However, we enjoyed the outer market, ate amazing sushi and hot sake at 6.00am, and I bought a beautiful cooks knife that was lovingly sharpened for me. Pads and I were brave enough to eat sea urchin sashimi. (As I typed that last sentence my iPad auto corrected "brave" to "grave" - an omen? Spooky).  We seem to have survived although it does have a distinct public lavatory sort of taste.  I wouldn't bother if I was you, quite frankly, we've eaten it for you.  

Mr S left the fuel cap at a filling station a couple of days ago. I can say nothing as I did the same thing in Brazil a few years ago.  The foil around Treacey's famous cake came in handy as it is now stopping our fuel from sloshing out, being held in place with a plastic band.  Thank god for Trecay Reddington. Maker of fabulous fruitcake and provider of a makeshift fuel cap. We're heading north tomorrow.  I just hope leaving Tokyo is as easy as getting in.