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August 5, 2009

Japan 2009

This post will be the start of my vacation recap. I know, it’s nearly a month late, but it’s taken a while to get all the photos edited, write stuff up, and take care of it all while work and school take priority. But for the next week or so, I’ll be making regular updates on this. Let’s go!

Japan (Day 0-1): returning, not just traveling

Date: June 26th
Location: Pacific
Brought to you by ANA

My vacation began before I even left the ground. See, when I booked a flight, I could’ve picked the cheapest one if I took Continental and connected in Houston, or I could pay $300 more for a direct flight with ANA. I picked the latter, and that was definitely the right decision. I flew Continental last time and, while they’re not bad, ANA is such a cut above in service, quality, and timeliness. (The ticket itself was only $1100 round-trip.)

I also sat next to a guy about my same age on his way to Vietnam–really nice fellow, too, so we spent a lot of the flight over conversing. Between that, the 40+ on-demand movies and shows, the food, and the courteousness, that 14-hour flight from Washington to Tokyo flew by.

So yeah, fly either ANA or JAL if you’re ever going to or from Japan. You won’t regret it.

Date: June 27th
Location: Tokyo
Brought to you by Sakura Hotel Hatagaya

I arrive at Narita. Unlike last time, no one’s there to pick me up or anything–in fact, this is when the realization hits me that this is the first major vacation I’ve taken that’s 100% my own planning. I’m liking this.

Now, to take care of getting to the city itself… which means I’m suddenly back to figuring out the Japanese (and Tokyo-specific) train systems. I’ve mentioned years ago how much I like the mass transit here, and it only takes a few minutes to figure out what system, line, and train I need to take. So I’m off.

I’m running on no sleep, I’m carrying my luggage, and the train gradually gets more packed as we near the city. Yet, perhaps due to the nostalgia of the trains and the smell of the air, somewhere on that 2-hour ride into Tokyo, I finally feel like I’m returning, not just traveling.

My hotel is the Sakura Hotel Hatagaya, a small budget hotel near Shinjuku. I check in, call up L (friend from college living in Tokyo), email my family, and rest up for a bit, planning out the next couple of days.

Oh, and regarding the hotel… For $70 a night, given the location, it’s a pretty good deal–especially for folks traveling alone (like myself). The staff were all helpful, they had free internet and complimentary breakfast, and it’s just two subway stops to Shinjuku. I definitely recommend it for budget travel.

Anyway! I’m getting hungry by the evening. There’s a Sukiya around the corner, so for like 600¥ I get some quick eel-donburi and miso soup–which, incidentally, is perhaps the best I’ve had in 5 years. At this point, I figure it shouldn’t be too hard to get reacclimated.