Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower
Transportation
Tokyo's highway system seems to be organized and well labeled. They drive on the other side of the street like Britain, so look LEFT when you cross the street! From the Airport, you can catch taxi, JR train or airport shuttle. Some taxi drivers do not understand English, so it's helpful to print a copy of the hotel's name and address in Japanese. The subways are owned by different companies, so the costs are different and they're not interchangeable. However, you can usually get from one place to another within the same system. Tokyo's main subway is called Tokyo Metro. They have an One-Day Open Ticket for 710 Yen, but we didn't use it since we didn't have to go to that many destinations in one day to be worth individual fare.
Currency exchange
Chase credit card charges you 3% transaction fee, or you can exchange currency. Be sure to call your credit card company ahead of time to let them know you're travelling overseas so not to flag your account for suspicious charges.
Tips
In general, tipping is NOT required in Asia. Tips are usually included in hotel and restaurant bills; otherwise, tipping is not expected, but I'm sure appreciated.
Lost in Translation
Google has a good translation tool. Unlike Europe, many of the signs do not have English translation, but if you can read kanji, it'll help. We were able to travel on our own in Tokyo since it's a modern city. Similar to other travel experiences, we got a little lost, but eventually we made it to our travel destination. If you need help with the direction, usually young Japanese can speak some English.
After research, we like Villa Fontaine Shiodome the best! or Toyoko Inn. It's NEW and you don't have to break your bank to stay in the Tokyo city. It's by Shiodome (pronounced She-Oh-Doh-May) subway, newest part of the town, or Shimbashi subway. Villa Fontaine is right next to Conrad Tokyo, which is a larger landmark if you're catching the airport shuttle/limo. The hotel was just built in 2004, so it's pretty new and modern. The room is small, but so is everywhere in Japan. They have special rates or promotions in the Japanese section of their website, but you can use the google translator and make a reservation on-line. you can find a clean and nice room with free breakfast and free Internet in the room (just bring your laptop and RJ45 cable). In Asia, the pillow and bed are harder than the soft ones I'm used to in the States.
In the Ginza district with lots of shops, Sony Building Showrooms open daily 11:00 to 19:00. Admission Free. Also, in the Ginza district there's an Apple store.
In the Akihabara district (electronics and animations), the Tokyo Anime Center was interesting and free. We didn't get any electronics since the price and the selections seem to be better in the States. Free tour if you need it.
Shinjuki has a lot of people on the street and lots of lights at night. By Shinjuku, you can have views of Tokyo completely free on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Center. The North Observatory is open daily from 9:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Tour office - 1st floor 9:30 AM to 6 PM daily. There are many building there and it was kind of confusing to get there. when we got closer to the area, we followed people to the entrance, looks like the lower level of a parking garage.
Via the Yurikamome line, we went to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. It was very interesting. We saw the walking ASIMO robot on the Discovery channel.
Also on the Yurikamome line, Ariake stop, is the Panasonic Center, where they showcase their latest products, which was really cool for gadget lovers. They have the world's largest plasma HDTV (103V, as of July 14, 2006), we wanted to get one!
On that line, they also have other cool buildings, the Fuji TV Building on the Daiba stop and the Telecom Center.
A good place to eat and shop after touring is the Venus Fort - Palette Town on the Aomi stop. Also, there's a Toyota/Lexus Showcase center for free where you can sit in the cars like the car show which is really cool.
The Sensoji Temple was a nice destination. After walking through the modern city with tall buildings and technologies, it was nice to visit a place of culture and something old. Notice when the local people arrive, they waft the burning incense toward their body as an act of purification and to seek health and wellness.
By the Ueno subway stop, there are many good museums such as Tokyo National Museum with many worthy exhibits.
At the end of the trip, in order to get to the Narita airport, we took the Airport Limo at the Conrad Hotel stop next to our hotel. It costs a little more, but we don't have to lug our luggage around the subway and find our way. It was a long drive as we say goodbye to the city. We definitely want to come back again and visit!
Beijing
When we first arrived the airport, all we saw was people, people everywhere. Apparently the easiest way of transportation was via taxi. The line to catch taxi was fairly long, but it moved quickly. It seemed chaotic with cars and people everywhere, but looks like they try to implement some kind of system to streamline the process. The city is large. There are five beltways that loop around with cross highway so you can go from inner ring to outer ring. The pollution was very bad, it was very muggy and you can't see the blue sky. Apparently, they're furiously trying to get ready for 2008 Summer Olympic.
Forbidden City, the imperial palace, is in the city, so you don't have to travel too far. It's right across from the Tienanmen Square. Forbidden City (built 1420) was as impressive as the Versailles (from 1682, King Louis XIV lived there). It was just fascinating to see where emperor and empress lived through the dynasties, where they held their official functions, and what it was like 600 years ago. The place has so much history, I wish I know the stories better. Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Ci'an lived there.
I could spend the whole day in there. The audio tour that comes with the admission is pretty good. The area is so large and everything is within the wall. Seems like every placement has a meaning. The number or the placement of each structure symbolize good luck, harmony, and grandeur of the emperor. The words they name the palaces are so mystical, such as Earthly Tranquility, Heavenly Purity, and Supreme Harmony.
This civilization was organized. There were many rituals and ceremonies they had to follow. Events were meticulously documented. Each building has its purpose - military, official greeting, official affairs, imperial wedding, garden, residential. Forbidden City is where the emperor rule the land. The architecture alignment from the center axis, the art works, the calligraphy, and the military weapons suggest various stages of the civilization. They were very spiritual, everything had to be harmony with heaven and earth.
About 30 mins walking distance from the Forbidden City, there's a modern mall, The Malls at Oriental Plaza. Hyatt is near by there. There are many modern buildings. I heard Holiday Inn Lido is another good place to stay. By Lidu, I love the Pure Lotus Vegetarian restaurant and the Oriental Taipan massage (with complimentary drinks and snacks) after a long flight. CNN has a review of the place and a traveler has a pretty accurate description of the experience. I found woman masseuse is better than man. Woman's hands are softer and gentle, but they massage as hard. If you need to charge batteries/laptop/cell phone, be sure to bring a really good electricity adapter, and beware of the voltage even though the shape looks like it's the same. We fried our battery charger.
One of the seven wonders of the world is the Great Wall of China (built since the 5th century BC). World's longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles). To prevent the barbarians from attacking the country, it's really out there by the mountains , so the drive seemed really far, maybe 1.5-2 hrs away. Beware of the fake great wall (believe it or not), which is closer. You have to go a little farther to get to the real one. It goes miles and miles and loop around the mountains. Badaling section is the closest to Beijing and the most popular one. It has a cable car to take you to the higher point. beware the toilet is not too clean there. get your souvenirs down at the base level. you'll need to bargain with the vendors. but as you walk to the next vendor, the price comes down. they pretty much sells the same stuff. there's a museum and movie at the busy part of the base level.
We've been wanting to visit Great Wall at least once in our life time, but once we got on the Great Wall, it was a lot of walking and very hilly on the mountains. There were a lot of people and it was hot. We took lots of pictures and then left. I guess it's one of those places, you just want to say I've been here.
I heard the tomb of Qin_Shi_Huang, of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC), is interesting, where there are Terracotta Army. There are many historic places to visit that'll have to be another trip.
If you're looking for a decent meal before your flight, the Celestial Restaurant is good. It's all the way at the end of the airport before you go through the visa/security line. It's at the quiet end and there are no sales ladies trying to bring in the business. they have good Chinese meal before your flight.
Washington Post Online has an interesting series to how the economic transformation has changed family and lives in China through the eyes of women, elderly, and migrant workers.
