After catching another early flight out of BKK, we arrived at Narita Airport after a 5 hour flight. Funny thing, on my ticket it says I'm flying to Tokyo. In reality, you land about 60 miles away and it takes 2 hours by train to get to Tokyo. It should be noted that the first 2 things I saw after coming out of immigration was a Starbucks and a jersey of Ichiro. Am I in Seattle?
Perhaps the single worst part of the trip occurred at this time. Carrying my 50 pound pack, along with 2 other heavy bags full of junk I've seemed to pick up along with way, we zig-zagged around the Tokyo Subway Stations in desperate search for the hotel. Terri had a proportional amount of stuff for her small frame, and the people on the trains were looking at us like we were from Mars. Hiking through the Thai junlges with leeches attached to my ankles was nothing compared to the hell that is involved with being lost in Tokyo with 100 pounds of luggage on your back...
As for the local Japanese... The culture was an immediate difference from Thailand. Black and white... Thai's have a laissez-faire attitude about everything, and basically nothing is important enough do complete it in a hurry. Japanese--they can't do things fast enough. People are literally RUNNING through the subway, and I don't just mean a few people. People of all ages in all directions are running like the police are chasing them. The guy at the hotel completed our check-in like he was on a timer, and if it took longer than 20 seconds, electrodes attached to him would zap intensely. You see it on the movies, but it's really crazy to step out of the subway station and see hundreds of people running around like a tornado is coming.
The other obvious difference with Japan is the economy. We had expected the worst, and actually, things aren't as expensive as you may think. An expensive guesthouse in Thailand ran us about $15 per night. The one we stayed at in Tokyo was $75 per night, and it was the most inexpensive one available. It actually was quite pleasant, especially with flush toilets (the toilet paper can actually go into the water!), and a shower head that would blow you away-- even by US standards. The food here also isn't as bad as I've been told. We easily found traditional Japanese meals for $8-$12 in restaurants. My one big sushi meal cost me $20, which even in the US is very easy to eclipse. I imagine the people who talk about Japan being so expensive are on expense accounts and eating in fancy hotel restaurants. Otherwise, Tokyo can be done without breaking the bank.
The next interesting thing is the way people dress. It's like a fashion show all over the place. All men wear black suits. Period. Nothing else. All the women are dressed like they're going out for a night on the town. So naturally, as Terri and I dressed like we were ready for the Thai Jungle in our "safari-wear," my 6'2 frame stood out in the crowd.
We spent the night plodding through Shinjuku, a lively area full of restaurants, bars, and Pachinko Bars. Pachinko, from what I can tell, is a casino game that resembles a cross between pinball and a slot machine. The Japanese hang out in there, smoke like chimneys, and watch little steel balls hopelessly fall into holes. I couldn't quite get it enough to throw my cash away.
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