Yokoso! Japan He (Welcome to Japan!)

Good morning everyone and welcome to our first morning in Japan!

First off, the plane flight wasn't too bad diregarding the whole heavy unexplained turbulence kind of towards the end (the part where we're actually flying over ocean rather than Canada and the Bering Strait). I was frightened but with Bob's help I was able to stock down a few Solitaire games and distract myself by trying to learn how to bridge.

Getting off the plane the first sensation was like getting into a car that's been out in the sun all day and then blasting the still hot A/C. Japan is fantastically hot! But beautiful. Actually getting around and following the line of blue shirted Orientation Assistants made the whole thing like a sort of dream. Get to one group of blue shirts and be directed to the next just in sight.

Next was getting in the bus and that feeling of nostalgia. I didn't have the feeling, like Bob had, that I had never really left. Rather I had a sense that I had known a lot of what I would be seeing but it still looked way different than I had expected. This sense of things being familiar but also new made me that much more excited to get out into the city for our free night. Although Tokyo and I have never been close, one thing I can recommend about it are the lights. The pure sound and energy of a city bustling with all sorts of creatures and experiences waiting to be discovered.

After we got into our hotel room Bob and I scooted to our showers and ran out into the night. We didn't get too far from the hotel while scrounging for food and eventually found a chain restaurant of noodles, curry, and 'don' plates (dishes usually with meat, egg, and cheese over rice). After that we wandered arond looking at the Japan scene feeling like we had both somehow been here before together.

Anyway, I know it's been rambly but I must be getting off to breakfast. It's 6:37 am Japan time!!