Oniko's Travel Diary: The Three Mountains (August 5-31, 1998) |
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Thursday August 13th, 1998
I got up early today and spent more time on this web page before I packed up everything for the move to the next hotel.
I had already decided that I still wanted to spend some more time in the Ikebukuro area, so my original plan was to get some cash at the only ATM I've found so far that will accept my VISA/ATM check card... but said ATM wasn't working this morning. Wheeee... let's see; I've only found one ATM that will cough up cash for my card in all the areas in Tokyo I've visited so far, and it's out of order just two days before the big Comic Market convention that I will definitely need cash for. What fun.
But there was nothing I could do about it so, with about 1500 yen on me -- about $15 American -- I did the only thing I could... set out for the next hotel, which I knew would accept my VISA card. I figured that if I at least had somewhere to dump my stuff, it would make figuring out a solution a bit easier.
Even though I had my JR railpass, the trip still cost me 190 yen (about $1.40) because I had to take a non-JR subway to go from the Tokyo ward JR Station to Nishikasai Ward. This made me a little nervous because it means I'm slowly eating away at my cash as I go back and forth between Nishikasai and anywhere, so it was just that much more important to find a solution to the cash problem. I knew I'd be able to eat; restaurants will take my VISA card. And, eventually, the Ikebukuro ATM would be back on line; but would it be in time for the comic convention? Besides, it's uncomfortable knowing that there's only one ATM in the whole of Japan that I know will give me cash. [Also annoying is the fact that I saw a book I would have loved to have bought at a stall in the subway station, but I can't afford to spend the cash right now... and it's a temporary stall, one that will likely be gone the next time I come through. Oh, well... maybe I'll see it again.]
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