It's Tokyo Time!!!

Today is my date with destiny. Well, actually...destiny's flight doesn't arrive until tomorrow...but my part starts today!


Here I am in the back of the taxi on the way to the Naha Airport. I don't think any of the people who offered me a ride read this blog...but if they do...I'm sorry I told you I already had a ride. I didn't lie (a taxi is a ride, is it not?) but I just really had this whole romantic image in my mind...and for some reason, it involved taking a taxi ride alone...and I didn't want anyone to talk me out of it.

Anyway, the flight to Tokyo was uneventful (just the way I like it!) but once I got there I realized I didn't really know where I was going, which can be problematic, because to say Tokyo is huge is an understatement. I had been there earlier this year, but I was with two more seasoned travelers and just followed their lead. We had arrived late at night and took a taxi all the way to the New Sanno hotel...but it was around $80...not a big deal split 3 ways, but on my own?

Luckily, I came across a tourist information kiosk and ventured inside. I was relieved that the girl behind the counter spoke English and I presented her with a computer printout of my hotel info. First, she busted out a subway map...


and explained to me the 2 transfers I'd have to make from one color line to another to another...which would eventually only land me a little less than a mile from my hotel. My chest started to tighten and suddenly $80 was sounding cheap. I asked her about a taxi, and her eyes lit up. She told me to head downstairs to the airport monorail, take it to Hamamatsucho station and then take a taxi from there because it would be much cheaper (it was about $15!), then she reached into a folder and presented me with a flier that not only had a little computer generated map from the monorail station to my hotel...but also instructions written in Japanese specifically for me to give to the taxi driver. This was her plan B?! Is it just me, or does it sound like it should have been plan A? I'm just sayin!

I bowed and left her with a sincere "Domo arigatou gozaimasu" and headed down the escalator. Once I got to the monorail station, I froze, realizing it sounded a whole lot easier when she explained it, and had to go back upstairs to have her write down a few details.

I got on the correct train and the ride was really enjoyable. I was just stunned at how big the city was...it just went on and on...and this was just one part of it. My stop was the last one (totally convenient) but it let out in a huge building. I followed the crowd in front of me down two narrow escalators...only to discover that they were headed to the subway station below (one of those colored lines I was trying to avoid in the first place). The escalators only went in one direction, so I had no way to get back where I had come from. After making several wrong but unavoidable turns, I ended up back on the monorail platform...on the wrong side.

There seemed to be no way out of this building. I tried to ask the newsstand lady...who was visibly irritated that I was speaking English and "shooed" me. I turned back around and looked at the train that was just arriving. The doors opened, and in an instant it occurred to me that the only exit was going to be on the other side of that train...so I dashed (as much as you can dash with luggage) through the open doors and ran through to the other side...where I saw, to the right of me, a large crowd headed down the stairway leading to the street. Let that be a lesson...don't follow the wrong crowd.


Random picture from my taxi ride to the hotel...


I made it! Just me and all these fluffy pillows...what ever am I going to do?



Order room service...that's what!!


I have never come across anything like this in a hotel...have you? Call me a sap, but it made me tear up a little.



Then this one made me crack up a little...I think I'm going to have to threaten my kids with this one from time to time..."I urge you to clean your room and preclude me from having to make a very distasteful assessment."

I have to wait clear until tomorrow night to meet Cliff...which seems WAY too long. I mean, how much retail therapy can I really get between now and then? Shopping doesn't even sound appealing right now. It must be true love!

Stay Tuned...