Tokyo (briefly)

Well I'm now safely ensconced in my rather flash hotel in Tokyo. I'm only here for one night before I head west to Kyoto.

The flight landed on time but then we had to wait for about 15 minutes for our gate to be vacated by another plane. Immigration was pretty busy -- I think as well as our flight ones from Frankfurt, Seoul and somewhere in China had arrived at similar times. It was the passengers from China which were slowing things down for everybody else with their inability to fill out the landing card and customs form correctly. Lots of exasperated immigration officials!

Once I was through immigrations and customs I went straight to the Friendly Limosine Bus ticket counter. After a slight false start I bought a ticket and hurried to the bus stop as my bus was departing in about 5 minutes.

The journey to my hotel was dull and took about an hour and a quarter. I would've really liked to have a nice snooze, but just as I was on the verge of dozing off I would force myself awake as I didn't want to miss the stop at my hotel!

I beat the crowd of other people getting of my bus to reception and was checked-in (and 'upgraded' to an 'executive' room) very quickly.

It was chucking it down with rain when I landed at Narita airport and this had turned in to a persistent heavy drizzle by the time I got to the hotel. I'd defintely be needing my umbrella when I went out for dinner.