Greetings from Tokyo

I just landed in the Tokyo airport after a 10 hour flight from LAX (which followed a very turbulent but short flight from Oakland).

I'm feeling kinda grimy and sweaty. I believe its near midnight in California, but here in rainy, gray Tokyo, its only 5 PM.

When we were landing, the clouds were so low, I didn't see any land until we emerged at about 500-600 feet above ground. I don't know what I was expecting, but after all the movies I've seen about Japan and Tokyo, I guess I was expecting some Blade Runner-like megalopolis, skinny skyscrapers stacked tightly together and blinking neon lights.

Turns out the area around the Tokyo airport looks more like rural Michigan. Woods. Highways. Just land. I guess we're nowhere near the Blade Runner stuff.

But I still had this tight feeling of nervous excitement when we were coming out of the clouds - and then it was like..."oh".

Still, I'm that much closer to Thailand and getting more excited by the minute.I read the Lonely Planet Thailand section about food and my mouth started watering. Curry, pad thai, pad see ew, pad kee mow! Can't wait! It all sounds amazing.

Next stop...Bangkok.