LA to Tokyo to Kyoto (Day 1)

Oh yes... the moment Ingrid and I have been waiting for had finally arrived. It was time to go on our honeymoon! Two days after we became husband and wife, Ingrid and I packed our bags for what would be one of the most amazing trips of our lives. First stop: Tokyo.



Having the stress of the wedding behind us was wonderful, and we couldn't wait to literally leave it all behind.



Surprisingly, we arrived at the gate with plenty of time to spare. Is it possible that now that Ingrid's married she'll be punctual?!? With countless planes, trains, cars and boats to catch in the next couple of weeks, I'm sure we'll find out whether that's the case.



Time to put that cell phone away, Miss Bride, or more like Mrs. Bride. No cell phone for you on this trip, and more importantly, no work for me on this trip. It's been over a year since I took a vacation, and with an entire month off, I was going to live it up.



Of course no trip would be complete without a ham and cucumber sandwich, specially prepared and packed by my mother. Thank goodness we had those, because not surprisingly, the airplane food was terrible and the flight was long. Thumbs up for sure!



Eventually the pilot announced we would be landing in Tokyo, and Ingrid peeked out the window to get her first glimpse of Japan. For those of you who don't know, Ingrid has been wanting to go to Japan for years and has even tried to convince me that we should move there. So for our honeymoon, we decided to spend a few days there and enjoy the sights....



... and also meet some of my relatives. One thing I forgot to mention is that we were going to meet my dad and some relatives upon arrival. That's right. My dad. On our honeymoon.



Before you go getting any crazy ideas, my father had flown to Japan a day ahead of us and planned to meet us at the airport to help us get on our way, and was not going to spend the entire honeymoon with us (although I honestly wouldn't have minded having him around)!! High five to an awesome father, and now father-in-law to Ingrid.



Our travel juices were flowing and we couldn't wait to see Japan, but first, we had to pass customs... and we weren't the only ones.



Going through customs is always a pain, especially when you're entering a foreign country, but that pain was alleviated slightly after reading this guy's funny shirt, which was quite appropriate for Japan. It says the following:

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator

Heh heh...



After customs, we picked up our baggage and I brushed Ingrid up on proper greetings in Japanese so that she could make a good impression on my relatives. After finally getting it down, we located my father, only to find him there alone. Apparently, we'd be seeing relatives upon departing Japan instead. According to my dad, that was the plan all along. Oh well, I guess Ingrid will have a couple of days to practice her Japanese greetings.



I gave my dad a bit of grief for joining us on our honeymoon, but it was great having him there to greet us and get us started in the right direction. In all honesty, he's a wonderful man and the best father in the world...



... especially when he purchases us tickets for the train that runs from Narita Airport to Tokyo. He even gave us some spending money to go along with the tickets. Geez, if this is how he's going to act, maybe we should've brought him on the entire trip!



Oh don't worry Japan travel bureau, we'll enjoy staying in Japan. There's not a doubt in my mind.



I had been telling Ingrid about how prevalent vending machines are in Japan. And there in the airport, the vending machine madness began. I got some yen from my dad and let Ingrid make her beverage selection.



Unfortunately, Ingrid's first experience with the vending machines was a let down, as she unwisely selected Ion Water thinking it was plain water enriched with ions and minerals. Ion Water isn't plain water, Ingird... it's more like Gatorade. Whaaa whaaaaah.



I love Japanese beverages, Ingrid, so give it to me. In fact, let me take a picture with my dad and the Ion Water. Mmmmmm.



Without much time until our train, we decided to grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the station, which made these two people very happy, as you can see.



In Japan, it's also common for a restaurant to display plastic replicas of the dishes it serves to allow potential patrons to literally see what's on the menu.



After spending a few minutes "window shopping", we finally decided on a place to eat. My father and I ordered a beer to enjoy together (I've actually got a similar picture taken in Japan the last time the two of us were in Vegas). And as I sit here and think about it now, how awesome it is to have enjoyed a beer with my father, in Japan, on my honeymoon.



Ingrid ordered the unagi, and I must have ordered some oyakodonburi (although I can't exactly remember). Welcome to Japan, Ingrid!!!... we're just getting started!



After eating we headed to the airport stores, where Ingrid engaged in the activity she knows best -- shopping.



I think my dad always wanted a daughter, and now he finally has one. I feel so lucky that Ingrid and my dad get along so well.



On the way to the train, I was surprised to see this Starbucks, but I was even more surprised to see Ingrid willing to wing it with the Japanese barristas. I told her to go ahead and try ordering something...



... and leave it to Ingrid to do exactly that. Here she is coming back with her order.



The train ride to Tokyo is a very scenic one, but it was dark by the time we departed, so Ingrid would have to wait a couple of days to catch the sights on our way back to the airport. By the way, I'm front-loading this trip with pictures of the both of us together because after my father exits the honeymoon scene, there are very few pictures with the both of us in them.



After arriving in Tokyo, it came time to part ways with my father, so we reluctantly said our goodbyes, knowing we would once again rejoin each other in a couple of days. Thanks for welcoming us to Japan, dad.



By the time we finally arrived in Tokyo, it was around 8:00 pm (or 20:00 in local talk), and we we scheduled to catch the next train destined for Shin-Osaka to transport us to our next destination -- Kyoto.



After a two hour train ride, we arrived at the Kyoto train station and walked to our nearby hotel. Ingrid's pointing to the sign outside our hotel entrance that says "My Brand Wedding -- Make me 'Luxe'". We already made you Luxe, Ingrid -- super Luxe -- at the wedding,... remember?



All these lovely orchids tell me that someone's going to be made "luxe" there very soon.

We stopped for a moment to admire the cool walkway above the train station before checking into our room.

From our hotel room we could see Kyoto Tower.



Before the night was up, we decided to head out and take a walk around the city. With the weather being so warm, we dressed lightly and headed out.



Ingrid did her best Japanese tourist pose in front of Kyoto Tower, and looked super cute doing it. We walked the streets of Kyoto briefly, but soon realized that the night life was a cab ride away, and we had done enough traveling for the day.



So instead, we opted for the hotel bar, where Ingrid enjoyed a cup of green tea, and I enjoyed what was referred to as a "martini". Not only did it not taste like a martini, but it was in the smallest cup ever. After taking this picture, we were told us not to take any more pictures. This must be the place where Japanese businessmen misbehave. More importantly, if this is any indication of how large the martinis are here in Japan, I'm going to be spending a lot of money on drinks.



Close to 1:00 in the morning, we called it a night and got some rest in anticipation of our first full day in Japan. We couldn't wait!