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I'd packed yesterday, and after I showered and finished dressing I stuffed the last few toiletry items into the smaller of my two bags. I zipped up and locked them both, then carried them down the stairs, placing them out on the porch. The airport shuttle ride cost $47, which seems a little overpriced to me, but then again, I'm a frugal guy (some people might think of this as a flaw, but when you're my age and want to travel, it's definitely an asset).
As usual, Lynda and the dogs wished me a safe trip as I made my way out to the Super Shuttle-branded blue Ford van. These shuttles are always a little adventurous. They seem to shake, rattle and roll as we negotiate the arteries of the city at what seems like breakneck speed from the back seat.
LAX's Terminal 5 is Delta's main hub in Los Angeles. Their set-up has changed a little since my last flight in February, but I found the "bag drop," checking two bags (free of charge, since it was an international flight). I got my boarding pass and made my way to the TSA passenger screening area, which was the usual pain in the ass, especially going through the body scan, but it was one of the ways the government has of giving us a totally unrealistic sense of security.
Gate 58A was at the far end of the concourse. After finding it and orienting myself to the facilities, I patronized a coffee shop, purchasing hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll, my usual pre-boarding routine. I also purchased a bottle of water. They never serve enough water on the plane, which I think is one of the major causes of jet lag.
Flight DL283 (also Vietnam Airlines 3015) began boarding at 12:15. The Economy Plus was called just after Business Class, so I was able to get both my bags up in the overhead storage bin. It was around an 11-hour flight and I was hoping to sleep some. I'd splurged on a seat in Economy Plus (an extra $120 each way) in order to get some extra leg room. I was in an aisle seat, 33G, and thought I might have all three seats to myself, but just before they closed the doors a young Japanese couple arrived to occupy 33H and 33J.
About an hour before landing, we were served a very light breakfast snack. The young couple, just awakened, laughed at the little food boxes of dubious nutritional value. I smiled and tried out some of my Pimsleur Japanese on them, and they laughed some more. We exchanged cards and parted on very amicable terms. The big 747 had touched down right on time at 4:25 p.m., and the deplaning was fairly fast. From there I made my way through the immigration maze, where I had the mandatory photo and fingerprints taken. Past that obstacle, I grabbed a baggage cart and headed for the carousel. My bags appeared in the first third of the unloading, and I hefted them onto the cart and headed to customs, where I was given a polite pass-through.
I had done a lot of research on the internet and had the layout of the arrival area pretty well memorized. First thing I did was find the currency exchange. I had intended to exchange a thousand dollars, but the rate was only 73 yen to the dollar, so I only did $500, hoping to find a better rate somewhere else. Jesus, when I was here in the service we got 360 to the dollar. Globalization is really working great for America's working class.
I found the Limousine Bus ticket counter just where the internet diagram said it would be. I had chosen the bus over the train, even thought it was a little more expensive, because my hotel was one of its stops. I figured not having to drag my bags around Shinjuku looking for my lodgings was a great incentive. I purchased the two-day roundtrip bus-ticket and metro pass (¥6,000). It's a good deal, you pay for the round trip on the bus and get two free days on the Tokyo Metro System, for basically no cost.
I was told my bus would leave at 5:40, which was 30 minutes away. They are very strict about reservations and what bus you can board, even though most of the buses I saw left half empty.
At the next bus stop down I saw a couple I'd met waiting to depart in Los Angeles. Rick and Jane were heading to watch a Grand Prix race in Singapore, but for some reason their connecting flight from Narita was cancelled so they were forced to take a bus across Tokyo to Haneda Airport to catch another flight. They were still in good humor, but what a pain in the ass it was to make a change like that.
5:40 arrived, and my bus pulled up. I was first in the queue (which they strictly enforced) and found a seat about midway back on the driver's side of the bus. The bus ride in took a little over two hours, due mostly to heavy traffic. Hotel Sunroute Shinjuku Plaza was the last stop. The hotel has a little driveway out front and the limousine bus took up all of it. After unlatching the baggage compartment doors, the driver lifted out my two bags. The doorman said to wait, as he'd fetch a baggage cart.
For some reason, most of the hotels in Japan don't have bellmen, so you have to haul your own luggage around, which was fine with me. The cart arrived and I piled my luggage plus camera and computer bags onto it and wheeled my way inside to reception. I handed over my passport and Agoda voucher. The very well-groomed young lady behind the counter punched in a bunch of info and handed me the magnetic key card for room 1150 and amazingly didn't ask to take an impression of my credit card for incidentals.
Hotel Sunroute Shinjuku Plaza is a security-conscious place. You need the magnetic room key/card to do anything. From operating the elevators, to turning on the electricity in your room, it's all triggered by a swipe of the little magic piece of plastic.
The eleventh floor was a bit of a maze, and I had to pushed the baggage cart around a bit until I found 1150. I swiped the door knob with the card and unloaded my bags inside. I had been asked to return the baggage cart to the elevator area after I was done with it, and being the good citizen that I am, I did. Back at my room I had to climb over my bags to get inside. The passageway was so narrow that there wasn't room enough to walk around.
Once inside, the first thing I did was use the Gentleman's Convenience to relieve and refresh myself. I washed my face and combed what's left of my hair to try to rejuvenate my psyche. I needed to stay awake until at least 10 p.m. in order to adapt myself to this time zone.
I found that by placing my bags under the desk, it freed up enough space to make the room perfectly adequate. A lot of the reviews of the hotel complained about the room size and hardness of the bedding, but if you are traveling alone, the place is perfect, and I would recommend it highly.
The best thing about the room was that, unlike most high-rise buildings, the window opened. The opening wasn't more than six or eight inches, but at least I could let the outside in. I found the remote and flicked on the TV looking for a local weather forecast, then lay down for a bit to slow my heart rate and clear my head.
After 20 minutes I arranged my belongings in the most secure way I could, and then found that even after I pulled the room card out of the electrical authorization slot the TV kept playing. So I left it on and exited the room, placing the magnetic Do Not Disturb sign on the door. With my camera at my side, I was prepared for my sojourn out into the vastness that is Shinjuku.
Sunset was at 5:38 p.m., so it was near dark as I ventured out. A lot of the guidebooks all give the impression that Shinjuku could be a stand-in for the location in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," but I didn't find it nearly as dour or alienating.
I was out trying to acclimate myself a little and to walk out some of the blood that may have accumulated in my legs after sitting for so long. I also needed to find a convenience store so I could load up my mini fridge with junk. My pre-trip itinerary called for me to find an Italian restaurant to savor the goodness that is spaghetti; but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, so after looking around for an hour without finding the Italian joint, I settled on a Big Mac and some junk from the Family Mart that was catty-cornered from the hotel. I took my purchases back to the room, loaded up the fridge and devoured my dinner.
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