Pandas! and much more!

On August 2nd, my great-aunt Shizuko and I went to the Ueno Zoo for a second time. The first time we went was coincidentally the zoo's birthday and the entry was free so there was probably double the amount of people there normally is. And when we arrived, the lineup to see the pandas was so long that we were told it would take about 2-3 hours. So we decided to visit the zoo another day (one where the entry wasn't free) and arrive early so that we could be among the first in line to see the pandas.

Which we did on Thursday. And lucky for us, the pandas were just in the middle of eating the breakfast so we were able to see them. However, as you'll see from my photos, we were a bit far and the glass reflected the light so the photos pretty blurry.

RiRi, the male panda

ShinShin: the female panda

We also took a picture with the pandas... well, not the real ones.

Then we went on to see a few other animals. I've always liked animals. When we were young, my brother and me read a lot about animals and even started creating a magazine series that talked about animals, their daily routines, their habitat, etc. I don't think we even finished one magazine in the series but I've always been fascinated by animals. At the zoo, I was like a kid who visits the zoo for the first time. I was running here and there, snapping pictures, and shouting excitedly: "Look! There he is! Over there!". I think I made my aunt walk a lot more than she intended. But I did manage to snap some pretty good pictures.

The lions, resting but breathing heavily (it was quite hot that day)

(The ink of red is the reflection of someone's clothes on the glass)

Pretty neat, right?

A polar bear! I talked about polar bears in my Japanese speech so I was excited to see one at the zoo.

Standing up to catch food

Coming up after a short swim

I really had a lot of fun. Of course, it wasn't my first time visiting a zoo but it almost felt like it. When you go as a child, you don't know that much. You're simply excited to see these animals that are about 5 times your size. But when you visit the zoo as an adult, it's much more interesting. For one, you have a bit more knowledge. For example, we did quite a few class projects on animals in school. And since I talked about polar bears in my speech, I had to do a little research and I know that about 60% of the world's polar bears live in Northern Canada. And then, even though you've grown up, some animals are still about 2-3 times your size. Animals like the tiger and lion are such majestic creatures.

If you're ever looking for a good place for a date or looking for something to do, go to the zoo! : ) As adults, we don't really think about going to the zoo because we've seen it all as kids. But as adults, I think there's much more we can appreciate and enjoy.

Going to the zoo

On Tuesday, my aunt Shizuko and I went to visit the Ueno Dobutsuen. The main attraction we wanted to see were the pandas. I've never seen a live panda and I find them so adorable.

I met my aunt in Shinjuku where we took the Yamanote line to Ueno. The park is just a short way from there and all we had to do was follow the big throng of people exiting the station and making its way in the zoo's direction.

When we arrived at the zoo, we found out the entry fee was free that day because it happened to be the park's birthday that day. Sweet, right? But... because it was free, there were sooo many people that day. And there was a huge lineup to see the pandas, because of course, everyone wants to see the pandas. We asked one of the ladies working there how much time it would take if we decided to line up: 2 hours!!! So we decided not to line up, even though we had come to see the pandas. My aunt is about 80 years old and though standing for 2 hours is not a big deal for me, it's a bit more tiring for someone her age.

Instead, we got to see some elephants and some monkeys. I almost felt like a little kid again, amazed at everything. It's been several years since I last visited a zoo. Everyone goes to a zoo at least once in their life, usually at a young age. But as we grow up, I think we kind of think of zoos as something made for little kids. But I realized that it doesn't matter how old you are, animals are fascinating creatures. The elephants were so big and majestic and the monkeys were just jumping around in their cage, dangling from branches. It was so cool to see.

Some monkeys that look a lot like skunks

Some more monkeys, hanging from their cage bars

A tapir: it has quite an interesting shape, doesn't it?

A very fascinating specimen, my aunt Shizuko : P

We didn't see the pandas this time but my aunt came up with this plan: Next time (on a day where the entry is NOT free), I'll sleep at her house the night before, then we'll arrive at the park just as it's opening so we can be among the first ones to line up to see the pandas. : )