Tokyo Travels: Day 1 (Part 1)

YAY DAY ONE!

Took a red eye flight out via SQ638 from Singapore to Tokyo, which took about 6½ hours. After enduring 21 hours in the air for our NYC trip last year, anything less than that is a freaking breeze ok! Slightly bumpy flight but that's okay, because we safely touched down at Narita International Airport at 7.30am (Tokyo time).

Heard taxi fares are especially expensive for airport transfers in Tokyo so we considered taking either bus or train out to Shinjuku (where our hotel was). Ended up on the Narita Express (NEX) train because I've always preferred trains and their seats and space look bigger in pictures. Plus boleh feeling feeling tengah recording music video for lagu Adele sedih la while pensively staring out of the train windows hahaha.

Just realized we didn't take any photos on NEX haha dua dua ngantok gila ok from the flight. We paid ¥4000 (SGD48.00) per person for a round-trip - you can get more information from their website here. 

But before we proceed cerita, can I tell you what happened before we boarded the train?

Actually...............  We almost missed our train ah hahahahaha. Kelakar tak kelakar.

Laki aku la ni!!!!! You see, when the NEX counter staff offered us tickets for the 9.30am train, I looked at his watch, which showed 8.15am, and decided that was more than enough time for us to lug our luggage bags down the escalators, orientate ourselves with the station layout and figure out which platform to go to so we can board the correct cabin assigned to us.

Bought the tickets and leisurely made our way to the basement level where the train lines were. By the time we arrived at the area sebelum masuk ticket, it was 10 minutes later. I saw a Starbucks and was just asking Saliheen whether "he wants to sit and wait at this Starbucks until it's time to go to the platform" when he yelped, pointed out at electronic clock at the station's ceiling WHICH SHOWED THAT IT WAS 9.25AM ALREADY WTF

Rupa rupanya he didn't change his watch to Japan timing, which is one hour later!!!!! Kita lagi boleh lenggang kangkong, thinking it was only 8.25am. Apa lagi, lintang pukang ah kita lari, dah macam Amazing Race beb. Panic ah siol, we knew trains in Japan are notoriously on time and at that point of time, we didn't even know how to put in the ticket at the gantry and we didn't know how far out our platform was! Nasib baik it was just an escalator ride down, and our cabin platform was two minutes' sprint away. Kalau tak sempat, siapa mau layan sak bayar $50 (x2) for another ticket?!?! Book ticket balek Singapore sudah.

Anyway. We made it just in time as the train pulled up into the station, and after confirming that we were entering the right cabin (the number is stated on the ticket), we spent the whole train ride looking out of windows, daydreaming and taking mini naps... sampai tak ingat nak ambik gambar haha

[Pictures are from Wikimedia]

You can pay more for first class seat (which is in leather and looks like this) but the ordinary seat (as pictured above) is comfortable enough la. Arrived at Shinjuku Station 1½ hours later, and made our way out of the station's Southern Terrace exit. (Shinjuku Station is huge and has several exits leading out to different parts so be careful about this if you're heading that way) Part ni kita tak sesat sebab kita dah recce the station on Google maps and realized that the Southern Terrace exit is the nearest to our hotel. 2 to 3 minutes walk away only.

Don't think I've mentioned this in earlier entries but we decided to stay at JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku for the whole trip after reading largely good reviews on Agoda and TripAdvisor. Again, we forgot to take pictures!!!!! Masuk bilik je terus crash. By the time we remembered, the whole room was a freaking mess already hahahahaha. Tak handsome. So I'm just going to chong kong gambar from TripAdvisor:

[Pictures from TripAdvisor. You can see more here, including a 360° tour of the rooms]

We booked the twin room with single beds because despite the belief that married couples like us are joined at the hip (which we are la, 98% of the time, hahaha), we didn't mind sleeping in separate beds if it meant the hotel room was within our budget. And especially if it meant we could smoke in the room *jelings kat Saliheen*

Yes, we actually chose the twin room because it was the only available one on Agoda which was a smoking room. Which Saliheen insisted was very penting *rolls eyes* But the good thing that came out of it is the fact that we got a room on a high floor! We were on Level 13 out of 16. And I love love love the actual hotel room itself! The single beds were huge by normal standards and so comfortable, and despite being a smoking room, ours did not smell musky or stinky at all. Power gila ah their air purifier! Air purifier Ultraman agaknya #takdelink

I especially love the bathroom because the bathtub was SEPARATE from the shower area! As much as I love bathtubs, I really don't like having to stand in one to bathe properly, which is what you have to do in other hotel rooms yang pasang shower head right above bathtub. And you know how some hotels provide generic body soap in their bathrooms??? This hotel provides premium stuff ok. Body soap, shampoo and conditioner all comes with royal jelly one!!! The smell was sooooo good and the conditioner made my hair so soft! Pair them up with the strong water flow from the hotel's shower head and every bath will feel damn heavenly. Shiok.

And of course, the bathroom was equipped with the famous Japanese-style bidet toilet too!!! Best gila sak tu benda. Why is this not a thing in Singapore ah????? Senang siol nak istinjak.

I love the aesthetics of the room too, it's in line with what we personally like for our own home - lots of white and wood, with warm light for maximum cosiness. Another plus point of JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku is its prime location! Only 2 to 3 minutes walk from the main Shinjuku station, Lumine 1, Lumine 2 and Lumine Est (major shopping centre), there is a Lawson convenience store right beside the hotel and surrounded by many makan places. Walking distance to Takashimaya and Kabukicho too. Don't know how many times we ulang alik.

I shall now end this post abruptly and split Day 1 into 2 entries because cerita aku pasal almost terlepas train je dah makan suku abad (which means quarter of a century, for those whose Melayu not very strong)