Day one. Las Vegas to Tokyo

This is the view from my "Day hotel" room.  My plan for the day was to wake up in Las Vegas, fly to LAX where I had a 90min lay over, and then onto Tokyo.  What did Robert Burns say?

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

My flight was delayed by 2 hours.  Unfortunately the next flight I could get rebooked on was 12 hours later, on All Nippon Air, a codeshare partner with United.  That meant that I had to collect my bags in Los Angeles and rebook at the ANA counter.  But ANA would not allow me to check them in until 9pm tonight.  What do you do when you haven't slept much for 4 days (remember, I was in Vegas!) and have two, good sized suitcases.  I could go to the United Lounge, but that is behind security.  Or I could store them in a bag storage.  NOPE.  Those were all removed after 9/11 for "security reasons".

I was told that a few hotels will take "day rates" for people like me.  So here I am.  I had a nice nap, ate lunch/dinner (what is the meal that you eat at 4pm?) and did my first two entries.  In an hour, I have to check out (this is a somewhat seedy hotel) and will camp out at the airport until my flight.  Tomorrow at 5am, (or Monday since I cross the International Date Line), I will be at Haneda Airport in Tokyo to start my adventure.  I hope the next pictures are more colorful.