And what a visit it's shaping up to be! Thanks to Tyler, I had the incredible privilege to upgrade to business class on both flights. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to economy after experiencing the hot towels, bottomless champagne and the sundae bar. Yes, there was a sundae bar with hot fudge, caramel, fresh whipped cream, nuts, cookie crumbles... the list could go on. By far the best thing though, was the lie flat bed. I slept for six hours. SIX HOURS. It made such a difference in amount of jet lag. Miraculously, I haven't really felt much. Which is such a blessing, as we were able to start off our trip fresh faced and ready to explore right out of the gate.

Another privilege was being upgraded once again to a beautiful suite at the elegant Park Hyatt Tokyo . We're perched atop the world on the 44th floor, with breathtaking views of the bustling city below. Our room is basically the size of my house. No joke. We have a foyer. A literal foyer. And a living room, complete with dining table and sitting room for four. Our front door is flanked by a pair of Japanese ducks on pedestals. It's a bit much to take in, but believe me, I'm writing this cocooned in my fluffy robe in that very sitting room, happy as a clam. I could get used to this.

After checking in we cleaned up a bit and went for a quick bite at the local sushi restaurant in the basement of the hotel. This was interesting. They spoke no English, and right off the bat the guy next to me was taking my picture... We also ended up with two trays of sushi when we just wanted one. I'm not a huge sushi fan, even if it's in rolls, so to receive a large plate of mostly sashimi was daunting. But, when in Rome, right? I tried to eat as much as I could, but after four pieces I was more than finished . It was nice to have a full stomach and quickly after we poured ourselves in bed and slept like logs.

For breakfast we were treated to a complimentary buffet straight out of Willy Wonka (think food rather than candy). There was fresh ricotta cheese with nuts drizzled in honey dripping off the comb, espresso with steamed soy milk, an entire boulangerie of crusty pastries (one gluten free!), bowls and bowls of fruit - fresh and dried, an immense charcuterie board, all in addition to the usual suspects such as eggs, bacon and potatoes. Needless to say, we ate well. Still fresh faced and rather full, we ventured outside to begin our first day of adventure. On the itinerary was the Imperial Palace and the upscale shopping district, Ginza. Within 10 seconds it was VERY clear that our fresh faces would literally be melting off into a puddle at our feet. My god, it is humid here. I've never experienced anything quite like it. We made it to the palace relatively cool, but once we got off the subway and made our way to the formidable gates, we were dripping . Due to the suffocating heat, we didn't last very long in the lovely, manicured gardens of Japan's imperial family. We meandered as quickly as we could out of the palace grounds and back towards the city, passing the rivers of Japanese business professionals in the process.

Japanese people have struck me as very interesting. Impeccably polite, crisp, polished and professional, they have been very kind to us. The men all look similar, dressed in white, short sleeved button ups and black slacks. The women though - what beautiful little jewels. Most are dressed very fashionably in skirts or dresses. Not just summery, cotton dresses, but tailored little numbers, many with matching sweaters. Very few wear pants. Considering the heat, I am baffled how they all don't become wilted flowers. They must have some secret because they don't seem to be affected by the humidity minus a bit of a glow on their perfect, porcelain faces. Their clothes don't have any marks of moisture, their hair remains straight, their make up unmarred and some even wear pantyhose. PANTYHOSE in this weather! I don't know how they do it, but I am clearly jealous as over the day I became a hot mess. My shirt is now three sizes larger, my hair clumped together from the sweat and my pants stuck to me like a second skin. A shower has never, ever felt that good.

All in all, I'm enjoying Japan very much aside from the oppressive weather and look forward to a full two weeks of exploring this side of the globe!