A Tokyo running adventure⁵

I came down to the lobby of the Sun Route Hotel in Tokyo around five o’clock in the morning in order to go running. I wanted to run for forty-five minutes or so. I was determined that I would not make any wrong turns or get lost, because I wanted to come back in an hour.

But God wanted me to run longer! I was running and running and, as usual, I totally forgot my landmarks. So I got lost very nicely.

Finally, at six-thirty, I said, “Now I have to make inquiries.” So I started asking people where the Sun Route Hotel was. When I said, “Sun Route,” they did not understand my English. I had to say, “Sun Routo.” But even then nobody could help me.

I said, “Fine, nobody knows where it is!” So I continued my journey.

Then I saw a taxi driver and I asked him for directions. He spoke English well. He said to me, “It is quite far. You get in.”

I said, “But I have no money.”

He said, “Oh no, you do not have to pay.”

I told him, “But I want to run.”

“It is quite far,” he said again.

I said, “I will enjoy running.”

He was so nice. He took a sheet of paper and wrote down the directions. “You go to the station and make a right turn.”

So I continued running and came to the station, which was quite far. But instead of making a right turn, I made a left turn and got lost once more. Then I saw a policeman, who showed me which was the right direction.

Finally, I got tired and started walking. God knows where I was. Then I saw Projjwal and Pravaha running along the street. I said, “That means the hotel is very near.”

They told me, “Make a left turn and then a right.” Then they continued running.

For me, right and left are all the same! So again I got lost. Finally, I took a taxi back to the hotel because I was tired of running. The taxi ride lasted seven minutes. Altogether, for two hours I was out running and walking.