Can we sleep yet?

Sad story.  It looks like we all died in a tragic plane accident, somewhere, I presume, over the northern Pacific.

Okay, so maybe that didn't happen, but if you had been with my sister you might have assumed that to be the case.  It was a weird mix of progressive hysteria and "ghost skin" syndrome; with each portion of our trip leading her to change into a slightly lighter shade of paleness.

Somewhere between take-off and our first patch of turbulence things seemed to calm down, from what I presume to be a coping mechanism similar to what one would use after seeing the traumatic slaying of a close family member.



Well, panic all for naught, we landed quite safely at Narita International Airport somewhere around 4:30 in the PM Tokyo Standard Time.  Security and customs where a cinch, as was getting our train passes, despite the rather long wait.  All in all a very blessed arrival, with everybody maintaining all of the their limbs and digits - in my family that is something to be proud of.

From the airport we boarded the Narita Express bound for Tokyo.  This years model of the train made me feel as if I had traveled by rickshaw the last time.  Rotating seats that changed directions with the train.  Overhead storage compartments that didn't drop things on your head.  Improved GPS tracking and WiFi internet.  If a train could have it this one prolly did.

Where the train had things in excess the train station seemed to lack one all important feature - an escelator.  Instead of changing elevation in style, as we had become accustomed to the last time around, our crew was forced to push forward like a misfit band of mountain goats, scaling several flights of stairs. Thankfully, once we made our way to the top we realized that we only had to take our luggage back down another set to get to our hotel.  It was like running in circles, except you can't run, it's slippery, and you have to carry the weight of 4th grader.

Meh.  Luggage hauling aside the positive is that we have a very nice hotel.  Sure, it's about the same as sleeping in my mini cooper as far as size is concerned, but everything else about it is rather stylish.  From the all marble interiors, to the Zojirushi green tea maker, it makes for a relaxing place.

The picture above is taken from my window.  It's just an intersection, but it's ten times better then looking at the peons, toiling away for 12 hours straight at some tedious desk job, as we did last year.

Well, it's 21:14 and I've been awake since 6:45 the day before, so I think I shall go to sleep.

Goodnight world.