Trip to Tokyo and
Hawaii Big Island
Flight
- JAL 1 year ticket to Kona
HK$7000+tax.
- Join JAL mileage bank instead of using Asiamiles. JAL is much more generous and can claim BA, AA, AF, KA and CX flights at a better
rate (esp to Japan).
- Unfortunately, 35-day promotion ticket cannot be used as I
want stopover in Tokyo during outbound.
- See Century
Travel Co. for info on hot promotion price tickets, but you can ask your
agent instead, as promotions are usually available from any local agents.
Japan Hotels
- I booked some cheap hotels in Japan directly through their
home pages (in Japanese language only) and saved substantial $$$.
There are so far so good. Some Japanese portals are as follows:
- Some English portals are as follows:
- Hotels that I stayed:
Local Japan Transportation near Tokyo
- Japan Railway (Only few
free-seated fast trains to Yokohama/Tokyo, i.e., most need reservation fee)
- Keisie 京成 Railway
(from Narita Airport to Tokyo/Yokohama) - more fast trains at ordinary price
- No need to buy JR pass for staying near Tokyo/Yokohama/Hakone/Fuji
- Tokyo 営団 subway
day-pass ￥710(single journey ￥160/190)
- JR East
- Maps
- Train Transit Guide
Local Web Sites (near Tokyo)
Journey Record
- Dec 28 - Flied to Tokyo on JAL, arrive around 3pm. It took me several hour
and numerous train transfer to 甲府市
湯村温泉.
Take the Keisei line 京成本線快速
and change at 日暮里 to JR山手線内回
to 新宿 and then a fast train JR中央線中央特快
to 高尾 then a slow train JR中央本線
to 甲府, where there are a lot of bus to the hotel at
湯村温泉.
(￥1000+2210
no express fee)
- Dec 29 - walk around 甲府市,
the base of the warrior 武田信玄 with a famous temple
神社 and a walled
city 甲府城, together with numerous smaller temples.
- Dec 30 - gentle hiking at the "royal" range 御岳 昇仙峡
(See also: here). There is a
cable car up a hill, where I saw the Fujiyama in a distance. It was cold up
there (with some ice around). So it was excellent to have a hot spring bath
back the hotel.
- Dec 31 - went to a quiet small city 韮崎市
for a walk, before the journey back to Tokyo. I bought a bottle of cheap red
wine (around ￥400) manufactured there to celebrate the new year. The
region is a grape growing area.
- New year's eve - Returned to Sun Hotel Asakusa,
checked in, and had a seafood hot-pot dinner nearby. Then went to the nearby
famous temple 浅草寺 for 除夜の鐘 and
temple fair. There were lots of *extra* food and souvenir booths (like those
outside Wong Tai Sin) specially for the New Year. People queued up for their
first temple visit of the New Year.
- Jan 1 - went to the old city 川越市,
around 30 min train (東武東上線 池袋－川越
450円) for the temples and traditional snacks. Shopping and dinner back to
池袋. Now many shops still operates on Jan 1.
- Jan 2 - went to the royal palace to view the emperor. The palace only
opens to the public for several days in a year. After taking a big mac (they
took the big mac to you after preparation, therefore much better than that
of HK), went to the notorious temple of 靖國神社,
and then the lying museum 遊就館
nearby. They was monkey show before the temple and folk song singing
in the temple.
- Jan 3 - Went around the city to various temples, including 明治神宮
and shopping nearby.
- Jan 4 - Visited the Tokyo National Museum
at
上野 park, which is big because they robbed a lot from
neighboring countries. There was Japanese big drum performance in front of
the museum. Before going to the airport, shopping at 上野
阿美橫丁 for cheap local (food) products.
- Jan 4 - Kona, Big Island, Hawaii (yes, Hawaii is -18 hours). Go down town
for lunch. There are no bus and therefore transportation is expensive and
inconvenient.
- Jan 5 - round-island tour. Saw the volcano, coffee makers, orchid gardens,
etc.
- Jan 6-9 conference.
- Jan 10, returned to HK via Honululu and then Japan.