Our three weeks in Japan finished on a (literal) high note with a visit to the top of Tokyo Tower with commanding views over the whole city and surrounding area (including the sea) and rather inevitably a great view of an approaching rain storm (Typhoon number 10 apparently) in the far distance.
The viewing platform was on two levels and our visit also included access to the “secret room” which had been kitted out as a library with portraits of the original owner and the architect he had commissioned to build the tower (to withstand earthquake and typhoon) on the wall - all fairly conventional until the portraits started to talk to each other (a la Harry Potter!) giving us a brief history of the building of the tower as a tourist attraction.
By the time we had made our way down the rain well and truly arrived and so we grabbed some food in the basement food court and headed back to the hotel through the downpour to complete our packing.
We had a truly terrific trip to Japan - the food, service, and cultural attractions were particularly memorable and I cannot wait to go back again. We were helped by the fact that the Yen was at a low ebb against most major currencies so that eating, accommodations and transportation were all very reasonably priced but even putting that to one side, the level of service and the sheer ease of getting around (despite having no Japanese save for google translate) was exemplary.
Our journey from Narita to Hawaii was however particularly stressful. I was aware that as UK passport holders we did not need a US Visa but what I had not appreciated until I got to the front of the check in queue was that both A and I would need a visa waiver (ESTA) - which as it turned out (with a 13 page form to complete) was pretty much the same as having to get a visa.
We were told that we could apply on line but that they could only guarantee that the application would be processed in a maximum of 72 hours! This was not good news given our flight was due to take off in 2 hours and we then had a very uncomfortable wait whilst our applications were processed.
In the event, A’s application was turned around in around an hour and his ESTA was issued. However, there was no sign of mine and when I checked the online website there was no indication that it had even been received. The ANA check in staff were lovely but in the end they said that we would need to make a decision as to whether A should fly or wait with me for the approval to come through.
As it transpired, there was another ANA flight to Honolulu around 1.5 hours after our flight was due to depart - very odd indeed (given there was only 2 flights a day) so we agreed A would go on ahead and hopefully I could catch the later flight and meet him later.
There then followed a very stressful wait whilst I continually refreshed the ESTA website having made a new application) for signs of progress. However, when my flight departure time arrived there was still no sign of approval so I made my somewhat mournful way back to check in to see if I could move the flight to the following day. However, when the ANA team re-checked the status of my passport they found that the application had just been processed and after a sprint to the gate I just about managed to get onto the flight!
Unsurprisingly, given the proximity of the earlier departure, the flight was almost empty - we were in an A380 - so I had my pick of row upon row of vacant seats.
As we had crossed the International Date Line on the flight, I arrived the same day I had departed - in fact despite an evening departure, our arrival was early the same morning (took a little while for me to get my head around that…) and so we started the day all over agin but this time in a very pink, very colonial Hotel nestling amongst the swaying palm trees (and a giant banyan tree) on Waikiki Beach with spectacular views towards Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean (see pictures below).
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