Tokyo Tour

My trip (now barely a month out) starts with 1.5 days in Tokyo. To maximize my Tokyo experience and minimize my time trying to figure out where restaurants are (apparently they are often hidden innocuously in office buildings...) I've signed up for this:

http://www.tokyofreeguide.com/

Nathan, who travels often to Tokyo for business, turned me on to it, and it looks really fun. I exchanged several emails with my guide-for-the-day, Noriko, who sounds very nice (and I'm not just saying that because I gave her the link to my blog). We are planning out my "perfect day" in Tokyo now. She will show me around for free; I just need to cover the expenses of our day (meals, train fees, admission fees, etc). Really looking forward to it. What a neat opportunity to get to know and be shown around by a local. (Note: picture here is one that Noriko just sent me of a place recently visit on another tour she gave...)

In other brief trip updates:

• Booked flight from Bangkok to Phuket (fairly major tourist island...) that leaves appox 2.5 hrs after my Tokyo to Bangkok flight lands, so I won't be in Bangkok at all (shoot, no Bangkok reunion with Michael). Flight only cost $43 (including the tax and fuel surcharge). I'm pretty sure it's a real airline though and that ticket allows both my baggage and me to board.
• Booked fairly plush hotel in Phuket for my first few days so I can settle in in style. (At $50/night, it better be plush!) Plan to probably get scuba certified right off the bat in Phuket (over 100 dive shops there...)
  
• Bought several new travel toys including a new backpack, light weight non-cotton clothes and a new camera. I am still planning on travelling uber-light. Found this cool site for help. http://www.onebag.com/. My favorite line from it: There are two types of luggage: carryon and lost.
• Katie is definitely gonna come now and probably meet up with me in Bali/Lombok for 2 weeks in the beginning of September. Probably book her flight this weekend.
• My job at the CLTC is finally over for real (ahhh...) and I've signed 2 contracts for consulting work that I will finish before I leave for my trip (July 12). These 2 jobs should more than pay for my entire 3-month trip plus Katies 2-weeker. I like consulting...

Guess that's it for now...