The ANA direct flight took us about 10 hours to Tokyo-Narita. It wasn't too bad compared to the longer haul flights I'm used to. Cathay Pacific took about 12.5 hours to Hong Kong and EVA Airways took about 13.5 hours to Taipei. Thus to me, this flight is a piece of cake. I rarely nap on a plane ride, so I spent most of the time watching inflight movies and excelling Tetris. The flight itself wasn't bad, a couple bumps here and there, but otherwise rather mellow.
On time departure is a good sign of a terrific trip
Collected snowflakes outside of my plane window
When we arrived in Japan, it was 3 or 4ish in the afternoon. Wow, rather late, half a day has been wasted. Plus, I needed to get on the 1.5 hour Narita Express train ride to Shinjuku station, where my friends were already waiting in the hotel. With no Wi-Fi whatsoever, I ventured through Shinjuku, surviving with my printed out hotel map and the directional street maps written in Japanese. Great! When I thought I was lost, I bumped into a couple of English-speaking tourists, most probably Americans coming from their accents. I gave them a shot.
R: "Hello, are you familiar with this area?"
A: "Not really, this is our first day here. What do you need?"
R: "I need to get to my hotel, the Granbell Shinjuku, it shouldn't be too far from here."
A: "Oh! That's where we're staying!"
R: "OH THANK FUCKING GOD. How do I get there?"
They directed me to the hotel, which is about 2-3 blocks away. If it wasn't for them, it would be hurtful enough to try to find Starbucks to borrow their Wi-Fi. Lord knows where the hell Starbucks is. Dragging my luggage around crowded Shinjuku was already a major weightlifting session.
QUEST ONE COMPLETED: ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AND FOUND MY FRIENDS!
We had sushi that night together. I thought they have the best uni I've ever tasted. So sweet yet subtle, soft, luscious and melts in your mouth.
A sushi bar in the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku
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