Fly to Tokyo

September 27 6 am

We arose at 4:15 to be able to get to the airport for an early flight to Newark. The new construction at the GR airport was gleaming and we had not trouble. We dozed a bit on the way to Newark. After a small overprised breakfast, we walked only a few feet to our big 777 going to Tokyo. The huge plane was not quite full and I had an empty seat next to me, a neck pillow and other pillows to allow a semi-comfortable positioning against the window. Over the next 14 hours I watched 3 movies and took innumerable short naps, maybe as long as 30 min.

At 1:30 pm we arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda airport and were able to efficiently get our transit cards recharged, get some cash and get on the fast train. But it was confuring and we were going to need to make multiple changes. I convinced Alice that, being exahausted, and having an evening event, we should just take a taxi. I used my new app , Go Taxi, which got a taxi to us , Uber style, in 10 minutes, and to our hotel in the Shibuya district in 30 minutes. It was a good decision as it allowed us to get an hour nap before food and meeting my workshop leader,

We found our way to a little neighborhood ramen joint, so small that there was only on table near the entry. We got oriented to the payment system which requires us to select the food from a vending machine-like intervace just inside the front door, put in cash, and present the resulting slips to our waitress. She has a few clarifying questions which we could have circles on the slips, Salty , creamy , or spicy.

After checking out the active night life around our hotel, we went back and got our things ready for an street photography workshop with Lukasz

It was easy to meet Lukasz at our hotel and we headed out. Alice decided to drop off and do some shopping and I learned the ins and outs of this fascinating neighborhood.

It was a long day…. Or two? The sun had finally gone down after 48 hours. Time for bed.