I was thankfully greeted by not only my new co-workers but my commanding officer, Lt. Mark Murriel, as well! What a nice surprise to set off the bus and see friendly faces!
My company had booked me a room at the only available off-base hotel with rooms, the Hotel New Yokosuka.
Looks impressive, huh?
Upon checking in at the front desk, I was offered their "options"......I could opt for the single "standard" room that included daily breakfast, laundry service and 5 weekly drink tickets good for free cocktails at the hotel bar....or I could upgrade to a larger room with options that included up to 10 DAILY drink tickets......and oh yes, the minimum price was 13,650Y (about $170) with the price increasing by $15-20 for each "upgrade". I opted to stick with the single (I'm such a sucker for keeping business related costs down??)......this was not such a great idea as I was now shown what truly is the world's smallest $175.00 per night hotel room!!
This is the view from the hallway looking into the door of the room......
This is the view once you take a SINGLE step inside the door......the entire room measures about 8 foot by 6 foot....just large enough to hold a single bed, a shelf desk and a wall unit with a "closet" and shelves that house a mini-refrigerator, a micro-microwave oven and a 17 inch television!! In keeping with the amenities, the television offers both Japanese programming as well as 5 "American" channels....of course, the American channels are analog so the reception is a bit iffy....and let's not forget the pay-per-view option! For the low, low price of 600Y (about $8.00) I can have 60 minutes of viewing-choices include 2 Japanese porn channels or an American premium pay-per-view movie channel!
The bathroom is a modular unit...think RV-sized. It also includes a step UP into the bathroom which I am sure has resulted in more than one emergency room visit due to broken toes or head-dives into the tub. It truly is the model of efficiency as I believe you can take care of all of your bathroom functions....at the same time!
The hotel is within walking distance of the CYA (Commanders Fleet Activity...fancy name for the Navy camp) and it's located in an area called the "honch". Wikipedia has this to say about the Honch - The Honch is home to dozens of different bars, eateries and nightclubs. These establishments range from traditional Japanese-style bars to American-oriented hang-outs that cater primarily to American sailors. Additionally, there are several "buy-me-a-drink" bars located in the area, typically staffed by Filipina women. There are also a number of "Japanese only" bars in the area.
Yes, my hotel is deep in the "entertainment district" a polite term for restaurants, bars and whorehouses.......YAY!! There is an aircarft carrier in port when I arrived......and business is booming in the Honch, LOL!!!
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