On Fri, 1 Sep 2000 13:56:23 -0400, Reef Fish
<[log in to unmask]> wrote in response to:
Charley >[snip standard Reef Fish ramblin]


>In a WORD ... Tokyo is EXPENSIVE.

>Will save non-standard ramblin till I get home.  <BWG>

Well, here's my non-standard ramblin.

If you plan to stay in Tokyo, for scuba reasons or otherwise,
the ONLY thing you need to remember is to bring PLENTY of
dollars, mark, franc, lira, bhat, pesos, or whatever currency
you have to squander, after it's converted to the Japanese YEN.

Relative to prices in other countries for COMPARABLE items,
the LEAST expensive price we found in Tokyo was our specially
discounted ROOM rate at the Tokyo Hilton, at merely 27,142 YEN
(or $270 USD) per night.

But the price of FOOD at the Hilton (or most other dining/eating
establishments in Tokyo) could make you lose your appetite.  For
example, a ROOM service menu of dinner for ONE (nothing fancy),
with a good bottle of wine, could set you back $700 USD. :-)  We
did not eat any meal at the Hilton except for our complimentary
buffet breakfasts (because of our Honor Program status).  For
the American breakfast plus a fruit slice plate, our breakfasts
would have cost over $100 (per day) if we had to pay for them.

So, if you're going to Tokyo, just forget about the cost and
try to enjoy the rest of it! :-)  Except for the COST, I cannot
think of anything negative to say about Tokyo, its people, or
everything about it.  The PEOPLE are the most courteous and
helpful souls I've had the pleasure to meet in my years of
globe-trotting. VERY few Japanese speak English, and of those
few who could barely speak it, they were genuinely friendly and
eager to help.  It was worth every penny of the cost of this
trip to have a little of my faith in humanity restored.  :)


My MOST unforgettable impressions on this visit (my previous visit
was almost 40 years ago :-)) were:

1.  That the English language is almost entirely USELESS in
    Tokyo. So is any other languages that is NOT Japanese.

2.  The American credit cards or U.S. dollars (CASH) are
    USELESS until converted to the YEN.  I was almost up
    the shita creek without a paddle when the banks were
    closed on the weekend and I was about 70,000 Yen (about
    $700) short in purchasing the "bullet train" tickets. :-)

3.  No tipping was necessary nor accepted.  I made the Gringo
    faux pas of tipping the bell belle who carted our luggage
    to the hotel room.  She bowed and politely refused.  The
    Japanese bow to everyone about everything.  My back hurt
    just watching the store clerks bowing to every entering
    customer.  :-)

4.  I never thought my knowledge of WRITTEN Chinese would be
    of any use anywhere except in China.  In Tokyo, it turned
    out to be the MOST useful of all the languages I know.
    I was able to read many signs and billboards concerning
    things vital to travellers -- I would have been totally
    lost had I not been able to READ those characters that are
    common in the Japanese and Chinese languages!

It was a most enjoyable trip (diving no deeper than the 1.5 meter
heated pool in the hotel :-)).

A Tokyo NEDfest is definitely OUT of the question!  :-)

-- Bob.