Prologue: New Haven, CT -- Thursday, August 1, 2002
Done! Pen down and bluebook closed. Two months of brutal work and endless tedium had ended in three days of torture, but now, I was free. Leaving the testing room with a big grin on my face, I was ready for the trip of a lifetime. I did not know how I did, but I did my best and now, the New York and Connecticut Bar Exams were over. As I would not know my results for several months, I resolved not to worry about it. The World was my oyster and, over the next month, I was going to go a long way toward seeing it.
Join me as I circumnavigate the globe on a Oneworld Explorer First Class ticket. We will be visiting Japan, Hong Kong, Bali, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. We will fly in First Class on some of the world’s premier airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Lan Chile. We will stay in some of Starwood’s premier hotels, including the Sheraton Grand Sukhumvit in Bangkok, the Westin Miyako in Kyoto and the Sheraton Laguna Nusa Dua in Bali.
Most important, we will see some amazing sights and have some great adventures along the way.
“Roam if you want to. Roam around the World. Roam if you want to. Without Wings, without wheels.”
Part I: The First Third (March – April 2002
By the time my August 2002 travels began, I had already used the first third of this ticket. At the time I ticketed this trip in September 2001, the cheapest place to begin a First Class RTW that was reasonably accessible to someone living in the United States was Sweden. As such, I began the trip in Stockholm over my Spring Break in March 2002. My routing thus far had been:
ARN-LHR-DXB-LHR; FRA-DFW-SCL-IPC-SCL-LAX-ORD-SEA-ORD-SFO-ORD
Thus far, Easter Island had been the true highlight of this trip.
I posted much of the first third of my travels on this Oneworld Explorer ticket last year. Here are the links for the reports I did from these flights:
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002607.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002608.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002651.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002882.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002887.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002892.html
Note that I did not do a report for the Chicago to/from Seattle and San Francisco as there really wasn’t much noteworthy about them. Just your basic AA domestic First Class travel experience.
Part II: New York to Kyoto . . . The Long Way (August 2 – August 4, 2002)
The ritual of packing is one of my favorite parts of getting ready for a trip. You are taking your life on the road and need to fit as much as you can, keeping in mind that whatever you take, you have to lug. As I would be experiencing both an Asian summer and an Australian winter on this trip, packing would be a challenge. I decided to take two roll-ons and a carry-on. I would check one roll-on, a 25 incher, which would contain most of my clothes and would carry-on the second, a 22 incher, with me along with my carry-on. I would have two days of clothes in the 22 incher, so that if a bag got lost (not out of the question seeing as I had 15 flights ahead of me) I would not be out of luck.
American Airlines flight AA 17
Departs: New York (JFK) @ 5:00 PM
Arrives: San Francisco (SFO) @ 8:20 PM
Boeing 767-300ER
First Class Seat 2J
My car service sedan arrived at 2:00 PM, three hours before my 5:00 PM departure to San Francisco. There was no traffic, and we got to JFK by 3:00 PM. Although I knew my flight would be leaving from Terminal 8, it was a domestic flight, so I had to check my bag in Terminal 9. The agent was able to tag it all the through to Osaka and included a priority tag and a Oneworld transfer tag. I then hiked back through the temporary wooden walkway to the Terminal 8 Admirals Club. At around 4:15, I headed through security, which was effortless despite TSA having taken over at JFK the previous week. Having access to the priority security lane helped!
I boarded the plane and settled into Seat 2J. I believe that you can tell how a flight will be within the first minutes after boarding. I could tell from the attitude of the cabin crew that this would be a great flight. The purser was very enthusiastic about his job and it rubbed off on the rest of the SFO based crew. I took a glass of champagne and felt the weight of the past months lift off my shoulders. For the first time in a while, I felt truly relaxed. Before departure, an AA Special Services representative came on board and chatted with each of the six First Class passengers.
We pushed on time and, despite it being the height of the summer, were airborne from runway 13R ten minutes later. I had never seen JFK so quiet. I guess it was still a little too early for the evening rush, but still, JFK in the summer usually means an hour plus wait to take-off. I suspect the schedule reductions post 9/11 had some thing to do with this. We made a sharp bank to the right and those of us on the right side of the plane got a good view of Manhattan passing below. I perused the menu that was handed-out before push-back. Here is a transcript:
DINNER
APPETIZERS
TO START
Warm mixed Nuts or fresh Vegetables and Dip to accompany your preferred Cocktail or Beverage
SALMON APPETIZER
Smoked Salmon with Capers, Red Onions and Sour Cream, garnished with Lemon wedges and served with Toast Points
THE SALAD CART
Seasonal mixed Greens with roasted Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette or creamy Basil Dressing
Lobster Tail and Claw with Lemon wedges
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Salad
BREAD BASKET
Assorted warm Breads
ENTREES
FILET MIGNON
Fillet of Beef enhanced by a Kalmata Olive Demi-Glace, served with a Red Onion, Fennel and diced Tomato Sauté and Asiago Garlic Mashed Potatoes
SEARED PORK TENDERLOIN
Tender Filet of Pork accented by a Mango-Barbecue Sauce accompanied by Cherry-Apple Compote and Tamale Cakes
PAPPARDELLE PASTA
Pappardelle Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms enhanced by a Cream Sauce
Roasted Chicken can be added to this Entrée upon request.
BREADED CHICKEN SALAD
Breaded Chicken served over a Salad of Mixed Greens, Tomatoes and Corn Relish accompanied by Honey Mustard Dressing and Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
DESSERT CART
TIRAMISU
Sponge Cake with Coffee Liqueur and Italian Cream Cheese
-or-
Vanilla Ice Cream with a choice of Hot Fudge, Butterscotch or seasonal Fruit Toppings and fresh Whipped Cream
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Freshly baked on board, OtisSpunkmeyer Cookies
And the wine list:
WINE LIST
SPARKLING WINE
Domaine Chandon Napa Valley Brut
WHITE WINES
Rusca Gavi di Gavi 2000
Penfolds Koomunga Hill Chardonnay 2001
Santa Rita Valle de Lontue Sauvignon Blanc 2001
RED WINES
Villa Mt. Eden “Old Vines” California Zinfandel 1997
Chateau Los Boldos Requinoa Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
Rosemont Diamond Estate Bottled Shiraz 2000
DESSERT WINE
Graham’s Six Grapes Port NV
-----------------------------
I ordered a Diet Coke with lime and the filet mignon. I did not realize that the meal service on this flight would be so extensive. Essentially, it is the same dinner service as offered on an International Flagship Flight minus the cheese and fruit course. The drinks were served with both the nuts and vegetables and the salmon and salad were served from the cart in separate courses. The filet was actually very good and cooked to a perfect medium rare. For dessert, I chose the ice cream sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts. A truly excellent meal. In fact, it was the best I have had on AA.
First Class passengers on these flights get the DVD players that Premium Class passengers get on international 767 flights. Business Class must suffer through the main screen AAtractions and CBS Eye on American. As no-one was sitting next to me, I was able to set the DVD player up on the table of the seat next to me and watch while I ate. I watched the Royal Tennenbaums and a Globe Trekker DVD.
Our flight tracked along a northerly route as it plied its way across the North American landmass. We took off from JFK to the east and made a sweeping turn over the Rockaways to take a northwesterly heading. After passing over Manhattan, we tracked over New Jersey and Pennsylvania and overflew Cleveland. We tracked across northern Indiana (very close to a certain Catholic university in South Bend) through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and, finally, into California.
The remainder of the flight passed quickly as we chased the sun across the American Heartland. Forty minutes out of SFO, we had milk and cookies (sadly, this service has since been cut from all but the breakfast transcon flights). We landed at about 8:00 PM and were at the gate five minutes later. I said goodbye to the crew and headed to the Admirals Club.
Saturday, August 3, 2002
Cathay Pacific flight CX 873
Departs: San Francisco (SFO) @ 1:30 AM
Arrives: Hong Kong (HKG) @ 6:45 AM
Boeing 747-400
First Class Seat 2A
My next flight on Cathay Pacific was not scheduled to leave until 1:30 AM local time (4:30 AM according to my body). I was too early to check-in for the CX flight and, I hadn’t heard good things about the JAL Sakura Lounge that CX uses at SFO, so I hung-out in the Admirals Club for about ninety minutes before strolling over to the International Terminal.
Being in no rush, I walked to the International Terminal slowly and arrived at CX check-in around 10:30 PM. There was no wait at the First Class line and I was helped immediately. Despite being issued boarding passes for my next two flights at JFK, the CX agent reissued them on CX stock. I asked the agent to confirm if my bag had yet been transferred from AA, and it had not. She recommended that I check in the lounge later. She gave me my priority security pass and sent me on my merry way.
There is no separate priority security line at SFO. Rather, you proceed to the front of the line and hand over the card. Then you wait in the shorter line to get to the screening point. As it turns-out, there was no line to get to the security entrance, so I did not need the pass. I was through security in no time and headed for the Sakura Lounge.
As I mentioned earlier, the JAL Sakura Lounge does not have the best reputation. While it is large, new and clean, it is dreadfully boring. This lounge is more notable for what it doesn’t offer than for what it does. There is a separate First Class area, which is nothing more than a small room, packed with chairs and end tables. The chairs appear no different than those in the Business Class area. There is no separate food or drinks, it is literally just a place to sit (and a claustrophobic place at that). All the food and drinks are on the Business Class side. There isn’t much in the way of food on offer, just some pre-packaged snacks and a self-serve bar. While there are workstations with Internet access, there are no computer terminals available. While I understand that CX cannot be responsible for the infrastructure of this lounge, it could at least offer more in the way of food, especially since the CX 873 departs at such a God-awful late (or early, depending on your perspective) hour. I will give props to the lounge staff, who were CX employees. The women working the front desk were very helpful and really worked hard to confirm that my bag had been transferred into CX’s custody from AA. It was.
I survived my three hours in this lounge without committing hari kari, so I’ll consider it a successful wait. At 12:45 AM, I had had it, so I left the lounge and strolled the concourse. There were a few other flights departing to other Asian destinations, including China Airlines to Taipei, Philippine Airlines to Honolulu and Manila and Asiana to Seoul. The concourse is quite interesting, as the shops and some airline lounges are on one level and the departure gates are on the level below.
I was able to get a view of the CX aircraft that would be my chariot for the next fourteen hours. To my pleasant surprise, it was the “Asia’s World City” aircraft, which had been repainted in a dragon motif to advertise what was then a new Hong Kong tourism initiative. I also knew that this aircraft featured the new business class seats and, more important from my perspective, StudioCX, Cathay’s new on-demand audio and video entertainment system. Here is a picture of the exact plane:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/253391/M/
Boarding began at 1:00 AM, with a call for both First and Business Class. After letting a few of the more eager passengers barrel their way onto the plane, I boarded. As I settled into Seat 2A, a team of flight attendants swung into action, offering libations and a small canapé. I ordered a glass of champagne, which was Krug served in a real glass and tucked into the small smoked salmon savoury. As we approached departure time, the cabin filled-up to capacity, yet it did not feel at all crowded. The flight attendants provided amenity kits and pajamas to those who wanted them. Many passengers changed into the pajamas before departure.
CX has twelve First Class seats on its 747-400s, which are arranged as individual suites that recline fully flat. There are four rows of single suites along the windows and two sets of double seats (which have dividers so that they can be single seats) in the center opposite the Rows 3 and 4 window seats. Row 1 is probably the coziest and most quiet area, but it leaves you a bit close to your neighbor, in my opinion (it would be a good choice for a coupe who do not want to be in the middle seats). The suites in Row 2 are spaced far apart and before the center seats, making them, in my opinion, the most spacious and the preferred seats. The seats are green with wood accents on the paneling. Here is photo of Seat 2A on the exact plane on which I flew:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/263239/M/
We pushed a few minutes prior to our 1:30 AM departure time and had no wait to reach the Runway 28L threshold. It was a long take-off run as we were full and carrying enough fuel for a 6900 mile flight. As we slipped Earth’s surly bonds and climbed into the California night, I reclined the seat a bit and waited for the legendary CX service to begin in earnest. The flight attendants passed-out the menus and took supper orders. Here is what was on offer:
SAN FRANCISCO – HONG KONG
Welcome aboard Cathay Pacific’s First Class. We are delighted to offer you a variety of tasty seasonal dishes and a fine selection of wines and beverages to complement your meal. Our flight attendants look forward to making your flight as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
CAVIAR AND BALIK DELIGHT
Oscietra Caviar
-and-
Fine Smoked Salmon
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche
“A La Carte Menu”
Create your own menu from our “a la carte menu”, which gives you the choice to eat what, and when, you like. Our cabin crew will be happy to assist you in taking your order at any time during the flight.
SUPPER
LIGHT OPTION
Asparagus Cream Soup served with Cheese Straws
Grilled Herb Chicken with Seasonal Salad served with Balsamico Vinaigrette Dressing
MAIN COURSES
Char-grilled New York Steak with Minted Rose Wine Sauce and Café de Paris Butter served with Potato Wedges and Fresh Vegetables
Seafood Fettuccine Pacifica
SNACK SELECTION
Sun Blushed Tomato, Pepper and Goat Cheese Tart
Assorted Tea Sandwiches
CHEESE SELECTION
ICE CREAM
CHINESE FAVOURITES
Stir-fried Chicken with Black Beans and Shallots served with Steamed Rice and Stir-fired Pak Choy with Garlic
Noodles with Wontons and Shui Gaw in Soup
Plain Congee served with Dried Pork, Fish and Preserved Vegetables
Hot Pot Rice with Daily Soup
Bean Curd with Shiitake Mushroom served with Steamed Rice
TEA AND COFFEE
PRALINES AND COOKIES
And here is the wine list:
WINE LIST
CHAMPAGNE
Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne
RED WINES
Louis Max Gevery Chambertin La Justice 1995
Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Merlot 1996
Chateau Lynch Bages 1993
WHITE WINES
Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay 1999
Louis Max Chablis Grand Cru 1996
CX SIGNATURE DRINKS
Pacific Sunrise
A refreshing combination of champagne and Drambuie with the zest or orange and lemon
Cathay Delight
A Kiwifruit based non-alcoholic drink with coconut juice and a touch of fresh mint
-----------------------------
I elected to partake in the caviar and salmon course and then move strait to the stir-fry chicken as I’m not a fan of asparagus. I fired-up StudioCX and sampled the audio selections available. U2’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” album started my listening experience, but I also sampled the Beach Boys’ “Greatest Hits” album and a Pink Floyd selection. There was plenty more to choose from.
The caviar and salmon course was served from a trolley and was served with all garnishes, including toast points and warm new potatoes. The potatoes were an interesting choice, but they actually worked quite well with the caviar. I got a good size mound of caviar and two thick pieces of salmon. Absolutely delicious. As CX has a reputation for offering excellent Chinese food, I decided to try the chicken. Aside from the caviar and salmon courses, all the food was a la carte and served directly from the galley. The chicken was great and it was obvious that the rice was freshly steamed on board. I followed this up with a cheese plate and a small carton of Haagen Das vanilla ice cream.
At this point, I was exhausted as it was nearing 6:00 AM according to my body time. My plan worked. I pushed to stay awake for the layover in SFO and the meal service, so that I would crash for the bulk of the flight. I changed into the pajamas in the special changing room that CX features on the 747s that have been converted to the new Business Class seats. This little room featured mirrors and seats and, best of all, one did not run the risk of putting one’s foot into the toilet when trying to wrestle into and out of one’s clothes.
The CX 873 followed the great circle route over North Pacific Ocean en route to HKG. We first tracked north off the California, Oregon and Washington coasts, before heading further out to sea. We passed south of the Aleutian Islands and then took a southerly route just off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula (probably not too far from where Korean Air 007 had its fatal run-in with a Soviet Mig). Our 747-400 then skirted the eastern coast of Japan, passing very close to the city of Yokohama. From there, we tracked on a course to Taiwan and into the South China Sea before approaching HKG from the south.
For the remainder of the flight, I slept with my duvet underneath me acting as a mattress. It was warm on board, so I didn’t use a blanket. I awoke once in the middle of the flight and had a plate with some finger sandwiches. I then went back to sleep. When I awoke, we were four hours out of HKG and I fired-up StudioCX and watched “We Were Soldiers,” a Vietnam War movie starring Mel Gibson based on the book “We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young” that I had read in college. The flight attendants took breakfast orders. Here is the breakfast menu:
BREAKFAST SELECTION
JUICES
Fresh Orange, Grapefruit Juice or V-8 Vegetable Juice
APPETIZER
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
YOGHURT SELECTION
Natural, Fruit or Low Fat Fruit Yoghurt
CEREALS
Granola, Corn Flakes or Rice Crispiest
MAIN COURSES
Freshly-Made Eggs: Fried, Scrambled or Boiled
Omelette with Creamed Mushrooms
Assorted Chinese Dim Sum
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Grilled Breakfast Sausage, Hash Brown Potatoes, Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Green Onions and Bean Sprouts
Grilled Tomatoes and Broiled Mushrooms
FROM THE BAKERY
Croissants, Muffins, Bagel, Bread Roll and Fresh Toast served with Preserves, Honey and Butter
TEA AND COFFEE
-----------------------------
I elected to have the fruit, some Corn Flakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and hash browns. When the meal was served, I further elected to have a blueberry muffin and some toast. It was all really good.
About ninety minutes out of HKG, light appeared on the horizon and soon, the rest of the cabin awoke. As we began our descent into HKG, I couldn’t resist the temptation to play U2’s “Beautiful Day.”
“See the world in green and blue. See China right in front of you.”
We landed on HKG’s Runway 7L at 6:25 AM. We appeared to be the first CX arrival of the morning as all the other gates were empty. Parking at Gate 21, one of the CX “preferred” gates, meant that I had a short walk to The Wing, a good thing as I opted not to change back into my street clothes as I planned on immediately hitting The Cabanas. Don’t worry, I wasn’t wearing the CX-issued pajamas, but rather a pair of warm-up pants and a t-shirt, so I was decent. Interestingly, the previous evening’s CX 255 to LHR had been delayed and our aircraft was going to be making a rapid turn-around before heading out to LHR.
The Wing was empty at this time of the morning and I had no problem getting a Cabana. Although there is no shortage of discussion on The Cabanas in Flyertalk, I will briefly describe the experience. The Cabanas are essentially a large bathroom with a “patio” in the back overlooking a babbling brook. There is a shower with a large rainmaker showerhead and a large bathtub. The décor actually reminds of what the bathrooms of new Westins look like, with lots of blacks and greys, giving it a modern, yet elegant look.
After a revitalizing Cabana experience, I checked my e-mail. In the lounge section of the First Class side of The Wing there is waiter service for beverages, so I took advantage of this and ordered a Diet Coke with, you guessed it, a lime. There is also a luggage check, so you can leave your belongings in the lounge and be comfortable that it is being watched while you stroll the airport (or take trip into town if on a long layover). I took advantage of this and went for a little walk and converted some U.S. Dollars into Japanese Yen. Let me say it now, I love Chep Lap Kok airport. It is so nice with big windows giving a great view of the tarmac and the striking hills of Lanteau Island beyond.
Sunday, August 4, 2002
Cathay Pacific flight CX 506
Departs: Hong Kong (HKG) @ 10:05 AM
Arrives: Osaka (KIX) @ 2:45 PM
Airbus A340-300
First Class Seat 2A
After returning to The Wing to get my bag, I headed to Gate 3, another CX “preferred” gate, to board the A340 that would take me on my final leg to KIX. Upon boarding, I was pleased to see that this aircraft was equipped with the new Business Class seats and StudioCX. The cabin filled to its capacity of eight passengers and we left on time. Once airborne from Runway 7R, we were offered menus and the two flight attendants dedicated to the First Class cabin took lunch orders. Here is a transcript:
LUNCH
SAVOURY
APPETIZER
Salmon Pastrami
SOUP
Roasted Capsicum Soup garnished with Mini Garlic Baguette
MAIN COURSES
*Sautéed Prawn with Kung Po Sauce
Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Natural Gravy and Forest Mushrooms
Garganelli with Olive, Caper and Tomato Sauce
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Fondant Potatoes, Steamed Rice, Stir-fried Shanghai Pak Choy, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables
CHEESE BOARD
International Cheese Selection
FRUIT
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
DESSERT
Rhubarb Crumble served with Ice Cream
BREAD BASKET
Assorted Bread and Rolls
TEA AND COFFEE
PRALINES
*A special creation by Mr. Kinsen Kam of “Yung Kee.”
JAPANESE MEAL
Cathay Pacific is pleased to offer a Seasonal Japanese meal, in traditional Kaiseki Style, as an alternative to our Lunch menu.
CANAPES
Chicken Meat Cake with Soya Beans
Quail Egg Eggplants Shape
Stewed River Shrimp
Steamed Baby Abalone
Sea Tangle Roll with Fish
Okra Roll with Egg
Jelly Fish with Conger Skin
LIQUEUR
Ume-shu Plum Wine with Soda
APPETIZER
Cuttlefish Roe with Seaweed
Seaweed Roll with Red Tuna
Scallop
Baby River Trout Sushi
CLEAR SOUP
Fish Cake with Soya Beans
Seaweed
Dried Gluten Roll
BRAISED DISH
Eggplant Ball with Fish Cake
Pumpkin Sauce
NOODLES
Arrow Root Starch Udon Noodle with Garnish
HOT DISH
Broiled Goby Fish and Sea Eel Roll with Chicken Meat
VINEGAR DISH
Cold Shabu Shabu
Vinegar Sauce with Sesame Paste
RICE
Rice
Miso Soup
Assorted Pickles
FRUIT
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
BEVERAGES
Ginjyo-sake
Green Tea
Mineral Water
And here’s the wine list:
WINE LIST
CHAMPAGNE
Cuvee William Deutz 1995
RED WINES
Chateau Lynch Bages 1993
Louis Max Gevrey Chambertin La Justice 1995
Henry Bouachon Saint Joseph Roquebrussane 1998
WHITE WINES
Louis Max Chablis Grand Cru 1996
Voyager Estate Margaret River Chardonnay 1999
CX SIGNATURE DRINKS
Pacific Sunrise
Cathay Delight
----------------------------------
CX was featuring meal creations from Hong Kong’s famous Yung Kee restaurant this month on flights out of HKG. Unlike the previous red and white menu from the SFO flight, all the menus out of HKG were green in color and prominently advertised the Yung Kee connection. Although CX’s Japanese meal service on its KIX and NRT flights gets rave reviews on Flyertalk, it was too exotic for me, so I opted for the Western lunch service. It was quite good. I had the salmon, the soup and the prawns with rice and pak choy. All were excellent. For dessert, I just wanted ice cream and the flight attendant was able to serve me a dish of ice cream with a caramel sauce. Interestingly, the ice cream on this flight was served in a proper dish, while on the SFO flight, it was just a single serving tub of ice cream. I guess that is a difference between the supper and lunch/dinner flights.
After the meal, I had about an hour to relax before we arrived in KIX. I just listened to more music on StudioCX and watched some short video programs, including a Jamie Oliver cooking show. We arrived in KIX on time and were at the gate a few minutes later. KIX is an interesting airport. It is built on a man-made island that apparently is sinking, but the terminal was strong-enough to survive the Kobe earthquake a few years ago. To get to immigration, one must take a train, which was annoying to me as I like to walk on my own power and beat the crowd to the queues. As it turned-out, I need not have worried as there was no line at immigration and I was through in a matter of minutes. My bag was already on the carousel when I got to Baggage Claim and I was out of the airport in minutes. Interestingly, CX had added a priority First Class tag to my bag in addition to premium tag that AA had added at JFK. That is what I call attention to detail!
One of the reasons I chose to fly into KIX as opposed to NRT is that Kyoto was my destination and there is direct train service from KIX to Kyoto Eki via central Osaka. I bought a ticket for the Green Car (first class) and managed to catch a train almost immediately. In about a hour, I had reached Kyoto Eki and was in a taxi (driven by a driver wearing white gloves) on my way to the new Westin Miyako.
PART III: The Westin Miyako, Kyoto
(August 4 – August 7, 2002)
The Miyako Hotel is a venerable name in the Kyoto hotel business, but only became a Westin earlier in 2002. At the time of my visit, it was the only American luxury chain hotel in Kyoto (I am not sure if this has changed). It is located on the outskirts of central Kyoto on a hill overlooking the city, but it is only a few minutes’ walk from a subway station and is within walking distance of some of Kyoto’s more famous tourist attractions.
At the time of my stay, the hotel was in the process of converting the rooms to Westin standards, including adding Heavenly Beds and Heavenly Showers. Although I had booked a room on the executive floor, a mix-up had me initially assigned to a standard room that had not had been renovated. Fortunately, I had the reservation print-out from Spg.com, so I could prove that I was entitled to a room on the executive floor. While I am sure more (if not all) of the hotel has now been converted, at the time I was there, the only way to guarantee a room with Westin amenities was to be on the executive floor.
The room I got on the executive floor was great. It was on the top floor of the hotel and provided a spectacular view of the city and the mountains beyond. As it was a western view, I was treated to a spectacular view of the sun setting over the city and mountains each night (being in Japan, a view of the rising sun would have been more appropriate, but so be it). I would describe the room’s furnishing as being a mix between typical new Westin décor (modern, almost W hotel looking) and Japanese design. It made for an interesting combo. The bathroom sink was particularly distinctive. The sink was in the shape of a bowl with the faucet in the shape of a spout coming-in from the side. The Heavenly Shower did not feature the typical Westin two-headed showerhead, but rather a hand-held “Shower Massage” style showerhead. While I would have preferred the traditional Westin shower, this one was fine. The shower curtain did not feature the typical Westin bowed-out design.
There was an executive lounge offering continental breakfast and hors d’ouerves each evening. The hors d’oueves were really works of art. You could tell that a lot of work went into each one, which is typical of Japanese cuisine. The view from the lounge was to the north and was almost as stunning as the view from my room with several pagodas in view. Food and a view. It just doesn’t get any better!
During my visit, I saw Nijo Castle, with its famous “nightingale floors” (as a security measure, the Shogun designed the floor to creek like a nightingale when walked upon). I also visited the Kinkaku-ji, better known as the “Golden Pavilion.” Although not Cherry Blossom season, I did the Philosophers Walk and took the time to stroll through the Gion District, famous for its Geishas (who are NOT prostitutes).
[This message has been edited by PresRDC (edited 08-27-2003).]