Japanese Travelog Part Two
Michael Taylor is flown to Tokyo, Japan, by ANA InterContinental Tokyo, where he spends two nights as part of a press trip of journalists and travel writers from Hong Kong. Today he discusses his departure and arrival and the excitement of press trips.
Excitement of Press Trips
OMG! Forget about, “Early to bed, early to rise!” Do you think I got to bed early last night? Do you think I slept a wink? I was so scared that I’d oversleep that I kept waking up every 10 or 20 minutes! That’s the bad news. The good news is, I made my flight!
There really IS something exciting about press trips. I’m not sure if other journalists or travel writers feel that way, but I do! There’s the excitement of arriving at the airport and looking for that person that you’ve exchanged emails with and spoken to on the phone – but not actually met.
Awkward Moments
You survey the crowd. Do you know anyone? Awkward moments as you introduce yourself and exchange name cards – as is the Asian tradition. You make sure to examine them carefully and appear to be interested …
It’s a nice touch if you can think of an appropriate question to ask …
“OIC!” you say.
“You’re a travel writer, too! And whom do you you write for?”
At some point you scatter, meeting at the gate – or on the plane.
Cathay Pacific Airways
We’re flying Cathay Pacific Airways, usually a good choice. It’s flight CX520, departing Hong Kong International Airport at 10.20 am, arriving roughly four hours later at Tokyo Narita International Airport at 3.15 pm (Tokyo is one hour ahead of Hong Kong).
But we’re not there yet! It’s a lengthy trip from the airport to downtown Tokyo. We arrive at our hotel, the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, at 5 pm.
We are met by the hotel’s PR team in the lobby. We check in. We are taken to our rooms and given time to freshen up.