Arrived in Japan comfortably and in Style!

Konnichiwa (Good Day!)

Greetings from Kyoto Japan! I arrived feeling a little tired and yet, now energized after 24-28 total hours of travel. Business Elite (Delta's First Class) is an amazing experince. The Delta flight from Atlanta to Tokyo was the new AirBus B777-200 with 48 "spacious cubicles" in First Class. It almost looked like an office with four seats across (one on the window, two in the middle, and one on the other window. Each "cubicle" had a video screen larger than the new netbooks, your choice of over 50 plus movies. The best part is that the seat fully reclines to a FLAT bed and you are given a comforter and fluffy full size pillow. There is a foot bench and a place for items underneath. The seat had multiple controls and a massage back roller. Each area is very private and creatively designed! I hope to attach a picture to give you the visual.

A delicious meal with a choice of four entrees was served, along with the "dessert cart" complete with ice cream sundaes, brownies, fruit, cheeses and more. The non-stop flight from Atlanta to

Tokyo is approximately 14 hours and we arrived early! After a short layover in the Delta Crown Room, I slept on the short flight to Kyoto.

By the way, if you travel on a business elite ticket, the Delta Club Lounge is normally complimentary. If you are an AX Platinum card holder, you can enjoy the Lounge complimentary when flying a variety of airlines in coach, business, or first class.

I am staying at the Hyatt Kyoto Hotel. The people are very gracious, and the hotel is modern, contemporary complemented with striking architectural elements throughout. My room is very spacious and is not the traditional rectangular hotel room. The main wall is at a 30 degree angle and divides the bedroom area from the spacious bathroom. It has a minimilistic and yet contemporary feel.

Kyoto is home to 1.5 million people. I am meeting three (3) of my colleagues from the Travel & Leisure Advisory Board in about 7 hours for a full day private and customized tour of Kyoto. We will have the opportunity to go to market with a talented chef from a fine local restaurant. He will show us how he makes his selections and then we return to his restaurant where he will show us the art of Japanese cooking. The chef has closed the restaurant for lunch so we can have this private experience! After what promises to be a delicious and savory dining experience, we will then continue our journey to the Dion District, home to the Geishas. After reading the "Memoirs of a Geisha" and seeing the movie (one of my favorites), this will be an exceptional treat! I won't spoil it now, so be sure to read about my day in Kyoto.

We are 14 hours ahead of Central Time. Simply take the time of day it is now, and change it to "am" or "pm" and then add 2 hours. That will then represent the current time here in Japan.

Enjoy an outstanding day and weekend ahead. I look forward to journaling this authentic travel experience and sharing it with each of you.

Oyasumi nasia (Good night) - It's 1233am here!

Liz