Neil goes East: Day 1 (and 2, technically)
So, I didn't sleep last night. I thought that would be the best way to get my body clock ready to change 13 hours. I also thought that I would be ready to sleep on the plane, thus getting my sleep schedule aligned with Japan.
The Plane:
I didn't sleep on the plane. On the plus side, I got an exit row on a Boeing 777, which means about 6 feet between my seat and the bulkhead. I spent most of the time catching up on e-mail and listening to Stephen King's The Dark Tower 6: Song of Susannah. The food on the plane was good, until they snuck me a meal action-packed with seafood. I guess allergies don't translate in Japanese well. I did get plenty of Kirin Ichiban on the flight over.
On the ground:
I arrived in Japan and found an express train into the city. I learned that the train has reserved seating and I had entered at the wrong end of the train. Thankfully, the train wasn't full. The movement of the train was a bit boat-like, so I started feeling a bit ill. I bypassed taking the subway to the hotel, in favor of taking a taxi there.
The hotel:
The Hotel New Otani: Tokyo is quite nice. I had a 32" LCD in my room and a comfortable bathroom, complete with Toto Washlet 1 toilet. The Waslet 1 has the heated seat, odor venting, and water cleaning jet. I was determined to stay awake and go to sleep at a regular time, but I failed.
The Plane:
I didn't sleep on the plane. On the plus side, I got an exit row on a Boeing 777, which means about 6 feet between my seat and the bulkhead. I spent most of the time catching up on e-mail and listening to Stephen King's The Dark Tower 6: Song of Susannah. The food on the plane was good, until they snuck me a meal action-packed with seafood. I guess allergies don't translate in Japanese well. I did get plenty of Kirin Ichiban on the flight over.
On the ground:
I arrived in Japan and found an express train into the city. I learned that the train has reserved seating and I had entered at the wrong end of the train. Thankfully, the train wasn't full. The movement of the train was a bit boat-like, so I started feeling a bit ill. I bypassed taking the subway to the hotel, in favor of taking a taxi there.
The hotel:
The Hotel New Otani: Tokyo is quite nice. I had a 32" LCD in my room and a comfortable bathroom, complete with Toto Washlet 1 toilet. The Waslet 1 has the heated seat, odor venting, and water cleaning jet. I was determined to stay awake and go to sleep at a regular time, but I failed.