93 the Japan trip 5 (1/2)
When Xiu Ling and Joann landed at the airport, there were already people waiting for them. The man had a placard that had the words 'Xiu Ling & Joann' written on it. He was a courier sent by the hotel they were going to stay at.
Speaking of which, when the two women arrived, they were taken aback by the scale and size of their lodging. It had all the necessary amenities imaginable from gym to spa, from sauna to both outdoor and indoor swimming pools. Such was the scale of a five star hotel.
The surprises did not stop there. The room Xiu Ling and Joann had booked was the presidential suite and the 'room' itself took up an entire floor. There were separate bedrooms, each with their own attached bathrooms, a central bathroom that had a Jacuzzi, an entertainment room with a pool table, a large television, karaoke machine, and a balcony that provided an amazing view of the city, Kyoto.
Even Joann, who had always been treated well on the account of her celebrity status, was impressed by the amount of luxury she had had the fortune to experience on this trip.
The first thing the ladies did after tipping the bellboy who helped them with their luggage was to lie down for a rest before even unloading their stuff. The plane ride was long and they were tired.
That was how Xiu Ling and Joann spend their first few hours at Japan, napping in the room that was impossibly large for two people to share. This was a good decision because they woke up all refreshed and prepared to tackle the world.
Xiu Ling and Joann took turns taking the shower and unloading their suitcases. There were pretty everyday activities but somehow, doing them in a foreign land just had that exotic flair to it.
When they were done with everything, it was almost time for dinner. Since they did not feel like going out that late at night, the ladies decided to dine at the hotel.
Joann put on a simple dress blouse and a skirt while Xiu Ling donned a white dress before they departed for the rooftop bar.
Kyoto was a city where Japanese culture was most preserved, be it in terms of the people's culture or their architecture. Sitting at the rooftop bar that overlooked the city, it felt like they had stepped back in time to feudal Japan. Instead of modern streetlights, lighting fixtures in the shape of traditional lanterns lined the roads. There were not many skyscrapers and the several buildings that were higher than others were temples and shrines which were an interesting attraction at Kyoto. They added to the place's sense of history.
The atmosphere at the rooftop bar was private and intimate. This was on two accounts, one, the bar was only open to the hotel's clientele and two, the period of Xiu Ling and Joann's visitation was not close to any huge holiday. They were practically the only customers the establishment served that night.
Even though they were by no means, a couple but Xiu Ling and Joann had a candlelight dinner because that was what the chef recommended. It was apparently some kind of promotion the restaurant was having.