@CHAPTER # = Chapter 1

@CHAPTER TITLE = The Adventure Begins

@FIRSTPAR = This trip really began in September last year when Gerry 
won first prize in a raffle at the fashion show which Rush-Presbyterian-St. 
Luke's Medical Center holds every year.  The prize was two round trip 
tickets to Hong Kong on United Airlines, and ten nights in the Hong 
Kong Hyatt Hotel.  Analyzing our good fortune, we concluded that we 
wanted to do more than spend ten days in Hong Kong and return, but 
at the same time, United, having just gotten its routes and equipment 
from Pan American, had not yet received authority to fly to other 
destinations or between points in the Far East.<><$&Map[v]><>

On February 10th, United acquired this authority, and on February 
11th Debbie began putting our trip together.  We left on March 2nd 
and returned on March 26th.  We entered seven countries, traveled 
over 25,000 miles on four airlines, made over 500 Kodachrome<M^><190><D> 
slides, almost 200 Kodacolor<M^><190><D> prints, and 5 1/2 hours of 
color and sound videotape.

@MAJOR HEADING = Chicago to Tokyo

11:03 P.M. Chicago time.  39,000 feet somewhere over the Western Pacific, 
we are 8 hours and 42 minutes out of Los Angeles with about 2 more 
hour to go to Tokyo.  We were about an hour and ten minutes late out 
of Los Angeles. 

@MINOR HEADING = Travel Log

So far, it's been a long and interesting day and I guess it's just 
about half over.  We did the following:



@BULLET = Arose at 5:30 A.M.

@BULLET = Left the house at 7:00 A.M.

@BULLET = Arrived in Los Angeles at 12:35 P.M.

@BULLET = Arrived in Tokyo at 11:46 P.M.

@MAJOR HEADING = 11:31 P.M. Tuesday, March 4th

It's been a long day, but in many ways really quite fabulous.  Let's 
go back to the beginning.  As related above, our trip yesterday was 
a good one with fine weather, accompanied by underlying clouds much 
of the way.  Our 5400 mile<><$FNautical miles><> flight from Los Angeles 
took us north almost to the Kurile Islands and then down into Tokyo. 
Letting down through the clouds over a rough sea we saw many fishing 
boats and other vessels all headed into Tokyo.  Our approach into 
the Narita Airport involved a long, slow descent which, after passing 
the shoreline (strangely reminiscent of the West shore of Lake Michigan 
although with some sandy beaches), gave us an opportunity to see many 
small patches of cultivated ground.  Tiny houses, and even small factories. 
Everything seemed miniature.

At 4:25 P.M.<><$FLocal time><> the sun was fairly high in the sky, 
but due to what appeared to be smog visibility was probably not more 
than 5 miles.  Quarantine and customs proved no problem, but immigration 
was slow with much attention to detail.  Our 5:15 P.M. limousine<197>really 
a rather large bus departed promptly and carried us on our hour and 
fifteen minute, 66 kilometer trip into the center of the city and 
the Imperial Hotel.  Much of the super highway into town is screened 
by noise abating walls.  Traffic moves steadily at about 50 miles 
an hour and we observed no speeding.  The new Imperial Hotel is every 
bit as good as its reputation<197>somewhat more elegant than the Ritz 
Carlton.  Our room in the new tower looks exactly like the picture 
in the travel folders.  It's not exceptionally large.  It has a bay 
window overlooking the Ginza with the ocean in the background, very 
nice furniture, and a well-appointed onyx and plastic bathroom.

<169>Extras<170> abound: Toothbrushes, terrycloth bathrobes, kimonos, 
slippers, coffee making equipment, etc.  There are eleven separate 
restaurants in the hotel, all<197>as we have found by inspection (reading 
the menus that is) very expensive.  To settle later discussion by 
the way, the price of our room is 34,000 Yen per day plus 10% gratuities 
and 10% on the whole thing.

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