Caledonian Sky in the port of Ulsan, Korea   Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Arrival in Tokyo and the start of
our tour "The Treasures of Japan"
Saturday 30th April / Sunday 1st May 2016
Waiting to depart from Heathrow - Geoff looks very calm ahead of the 12 hour flight!
 
We arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport on schedule. Unfortunately we were then delayed by more than an hour, because one of the people expected to travel with us hadn't arrived. The lady who met us understandably didn't want to leave without her until a full search had been made. We later found out that she had arrived the previous day!
 
It is some distance from Narita airport to central Tokyo, so we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
 
 
 
Finally , we arrived at our hotel, The New Otani...
 
...and had time for a stroll before dinner.
 
 
The hotel is vast and has several annexes. Even the corridors are huge.
 
Our room.
 
 
 
We remembered the Japanese toilets from our previous trip. Now we want one at home!
 
We were invited to attend a cocktail reception followed by dinner, in the hotel. We enjoyed the experience immensely and it set the tone for the rest of the tour.
 
After the champagne and cocktails had been served, we were ushered into a very long dining room. Once we were all seated, a signal was given and all the blinds were opened simultaneously to reveal the hotel's beautiful illuminated gardens beyond. It was all so theatrical! The Japanese banquet which followed was a delight to the eyes and to the palate.
This was the first course.
 
Second course - Sashimi.
 
Third course - Abalone, which was excellent. The champagne and wines were rather fine too.
 
Fourth course - Beef.
 
Fifth course - Noodles, rice and more fish - some cooked, some raw.
 
 
Dessert
 
The dining room; Our expedition leader welcomed us during dinner and introduced the rest of the team.

The view of the dining room from the garden,
where we strolled after dinner.
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble