Winter 2016: Day 1

Among the clouds again

I went for a "Smash & Grab" Trip to Tokyo. It was one of the few trips that happen so early in the year. It was just a 3-night adventure because

#1 - Air ticket was relatively cheap
#2 - I had spare time
#3 - A friend asked me to go along

Tickets were booked and purchased on the 7th Jan for a flight on the 21st.

It was the first time for me on Delta Airlines. Return flight ticket price was $540 (could be cheaper at $500 if I had stayed longer in Tokyo). Relatively cheap because it is not a budget carrier, the flight times were perfect and it was a direct flight.

For comparison sake, here are the airlines that I took to Tokyo before and their respective prices:

I had some observations about flying Delta. Their security checks were more stringent. It started right from the time you need to obtain your boarding pass at Changi Airport Terminal 1. A handful of questions were asked by the security officer. Probably because it is an American airlines.
I always thought Asians give better service, but the one I got up on board Delta was very good, if not better.
I was really entertained by their flight safety instructions. I even watched it a second time on my flight back!
They serve Starbucks coffee on board.
Their flight entertainment system had a library of movies and programmes, and most were given complimentary. Yes, this is something I always assumed was a given. But this changed when I read the T&C on Delta's website.

"We Proudly Serve Starbucks"

So we arrived Tokyo's Narita International Airport and this time we got a pocket wifi router for our internet fix. I normally don't. Should you pay for internet? If so, should you get a pocket router or a sim card?

We chose the router over the sim card wifi because with the router, both of us can use the internet at the same time. The router can connect up to 10 devices at one time. It cost us an average of $10.00 for 500MB a day. There was an option to buy insurance for it, in case something untoward happens to it. We didn't. Simply because we know we are adult enough to return what we borrowed in the same condition when we receive them.

Pocket Wifi

Next is the journey from Narita to Central Tokyo. I considered my options and the cheapest for me will be the Keisei Limited Express. It is not the fastest, but looking at the options I had, paying double to reach 10min - 30min faster was not worth it. Of course, i'll be paying more for the comfort (maybe wifi too) as well, but low price appealed more to me than luxury/comfort. Here's a table of 3 rail lines and their specs. Prices quoted are the prices in general. They may differ from time to time due to seasonal promotions.

General Narita Airport - Tokyo Central Train Prices

So we went straight to our hotel to unload our stuff. The sun has already set, so the order of the day was only dinner and a small window for shopping. We chose to head to Ikebukuro where we knew there will be a Halal eatery and that I can buy something someone asked me to help get.

Asakusa Hotel Hatago

Dinner was at the Manhattan Fish Market. Here's a picture I took of their brochure.

Of course, after those boxes were ticked, it was random window shopping in the Ikebukuro area before heading back for a well needed rest.