I'm back in Britain! It's so strange to be back! But of course it's lovely. I arrived at Heathrow yesterday and my family picked me up. It was such a nice reunion. We went to a restaurant and had a British roast dinner, which was amazing. It was exactly what I'd been craving - oven cooked food! And despite what the world may say, traditional British food is amazing.
Pretty much everything went smoothly for my last day, except for the beginning and the end. I got up at 5am to leave in time for my 6.30am bus from Kichijoji, which is 10 minutes by train. Wynne, Katy and Hime-chan came with me, and Rob got up to wave me off from the guesthouse. But when we got to the station, we found that there was a 55 minute delay on trains going into Tokyo! It said "Accident", but it's common knowledge that that usually means suicide.
So I had to get a taxi to Kichijoji station, and had a quick but sad goodbye to the girls. It really didn't hit me that I was leaving them. It took about 15 minutes to get to Kichijoji, but cost Y3,000 (£20) so I was very unimpressed!
I met Rei, the leader of Soul Run who had come to wave me off, at the station. He waited until my bus was out of sight to stop waving, which was really nice of him. It hit me then how much I'm going to miss everyone.
It took about an hour and 40 minutes to get to Narita Airport, and there I paid the rebooking charge for my flight. It was very easy to do, I just went to the JAL Ticketing Counter and showed them my e-ticket, and then paid the Y15,000 for it. After that I could check straight in at the check-in counter, and that went smoothly as well. Even though I had two pieces of hand baggage, and my suitcase was 3.5kg overweight, the woman who checked me in didn't say anything about it, and just chatted to me about my time in Japan and about ICU. I was really grateful, she must have known I'd have more luggage than the average passenger, having been in Japan for nearly a year. Even though I sent stuff home with my brother when he visited I still had a lot of things to bring back.
Then the flight went fine, until we were coming into land at Heathrow, and were about to touch down when the plane pulled up suddenly and started to circle the airport! They announced that there had been a plane on the runway that hadn't moved yet, so that could have been nasty! But we landed safely 10 minutes later.
Then immigration and baggage claim went very smoothly, and I was reunited with my family at arrivals. It was so nice!
We drove to a nearby pub and had our roast dinner, and then drove back to Birmingham. Everything was exactly as I remember it, and it was a very nice feeling when my house came into view.
It's weird being back, because everything is the same, and everything feels the same. Seeing my local area isn't special now, because I've come and gone so many times it just feels normal. Which is good - I suppose that means I'm growing up!
I haven't really reflected back on my time in Japan yet, I'm too tired! But it's already nostalgic, and I miss my friends and just being in Japan. I have lovely memories of that trip to Japan, and I know that it was one of the best times in my life so far. Let's hope that there are many more in the future!
Showing posts with label aeroplane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aeroplane. Show all posts
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ready To Go!
I'm pretty much all packed and ready now. My suitcase and everything is on my bed, my room is spotless and sparkling (kind of...) and almost empty!
It really hasn't hit home yet that I'm leaving tomorrow, but it definitely will when my alarm goes off at 5am tomorrow morning and I have to get to Narita Airport. Some friends are going to come with me to my bus and wave me off, which I keep telling them there's no need to do, but they're adamant they want to come. I'll take a pack of tissues, just in case.
This is the end of an incredible year and I will never ever forget it. I definitely need some time to reflect on everything and let it all sink in. Maybe the 12 and a half hour plane journey will help!
My next post will be from Britain, so this is goodbye to Japan for the second time. Goodbye and see you again soon!!
It really hasn't hit home yet that I'm leaving tomorrow, but it definitely will when my alarm goes off at 5am tomorrow morning and I have to get to Narita Airport. Some friends are going to come with me to my bus and wave me off, which I keep telling them there's no need to do, but they're adamant they want to come. I'll take a pack of tissues, just in case.
This is the end of an incredible year and I will never ever forget it. I definitely need some time to reflect on everything and let it all sink in. Maybe the 12 and a half hour plane journey will help!
My next post will be from Britain, so this is goodbye to Japan for the second time. Goodbye and see you again soon!!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Arrival in Japan
First things first - wooo, I'm here!
It's lovely to be back in Tokyo! I hadn't realised how much I missed it until I got on the train and started seeing places I remembered. Especially when we passed the Shinjuku skyscraper district - I love those buildings!
But anyway, I should start at the beginning. My family and I drove down to London Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning. It took about an hour and a half, despite part of the motorway being closed due to a gas leak. We parked and walked up to Terminal 3, where I heard my name shouted by Rob, one of the other students going to ICU. Katy, the other one of the three of us, was already there, along with another student going to a different University we were flying out with. There was one other too, but we decided not to wait for him before we checked in. There was no queue at the JAL desk, and we all got in with no problems. I'm sure our bags were overweight, but the woman didn't say anything - maybe she took pity on us!
I met my family upstairs and we had lunch. My stomach was churning like crazy, with that bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. I managed to eat a jacket potato and the hour passed very quickly. It was too quick! Suddenly I was saying goodbye to my family again, with tears in my eyes. We had done it before, and we knew what goodbyes are like. But of course that doesn't make them any easier!
I waved until I had passed into the security check with the other four. I was okay then, because I started focussing on the next section of the journey. I didn't beep at the metal detector, which was surprising! All my stuff was okay, despite being overweight, but of course they don't weigh hand luggage.
We made our way down to Gate 27 and had our boarding passes checked. I realised that I'd meant to ask if there were any aisle seats available, because my long legs are awful in cramped seats. I asked at the gate if there were any aisle seats available, and they said that a party hadn't turned up, and I could have their seats if they didn't arrive in time. I waited for about 15 minutes and the party didn't check in so I moved four rows back, so not too far from the rest of my group, who were spread across two rows, but where I could sit more comfortably. I'm very glad I asked!
The 11 hour 45 minute flight went much quicker than I thought it would. I watched one and a half films, and then tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sleep for the rest of the time. I think I got about 3 hours in the end, but it was very hard to tell because I kept waking up to readjust my position.
I wasn't nearly as worried or stressed as when I first arrived in Japan. I knew where everything was, and that I was with other people, and we were being met by locals. Everything felt much safer and more secure than last time!
We went through the swine flu check and immigration like a breeze. Narita Airport is so quiet and calm, it's the exact opposite of British airports. They took my fingerprints and photo at immigration, just like last time, and checked my visa. I think the inspector was a little perplexed at seeing two visa stamps in my passport, but he didn't ask any questions.
We left the customs check with no problems (you have to fill out two forms on the plane, one for immigration, and one for customs) because we weren't carrying any prohibited or restricted items. Then we met Rob's good friend and a couple of students from ICU who I'd been in contact with. They were all really really nice and helped us all with our heavy baggage. We bought tickets to 東小金井 (Higashi Koganei), which is where the head office of our guesthouse company is. From Narita Airport (outside Tokyo to the east) to the western suburbs where we're living, it took about two hours, and three trains. It was quite hot (around 30C) and humid, especially as we weren't used to it, but not as bad as I remembered it being. Maybe it was because it's the end of August, rather than the beginning, which is when I left last year. But Rob's friend said that Japan's summer this year had been cooler overall than average. That's not a problem with me!
Watching the scenery flash by as we made our way through central Tokyo was amazing. I recognised so many places, and just looking at the train map brought back fond memories of last time. We were all very tired, and everything seemed a bit like a dream, I think particularly for Katy, who has never been to Japan before. But we got to Higashi Koganei station with no problems, thanks to our local guides. We thanked them very much and were then picked up in a brightly coloured van and taken to the office. The office was right by a small wooded area, and there was a deafening roar of cicadas! I'd never heard anything like it. I really hoped I wouldn't be able to hear any from my room. We were talked through the contract and the rules of the guesthouse, and we paid our deposits and first month's rent.
That took just over an hour, and then they drove us to our guesthouse. I was glad we could go straight there even though it was late afternoon, because they had said that if we didn't arrive by 15:30, we might not be able to check in that day, and would have to stay in temporary rooms in the head office. We were shown to our rooms, and we sorted everything out, and then were left to it.
We were all a bit dazed and confused, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, as it was only 6pm, so we met Rob's friend again in the town near the station, and went for some dinner in an izakaya (Japanese pub). We got back at about 21:30, and I was dead to the world by half past 10, and I slept dead through until 6:30am this morning, when I woken up, either by the bright sunlight (the curtains here are just as transparent as in Sakura House last year) or the gradual heat as the room warmed up.
Today we did some shopping and bought some food while exploring the local area, and I'm feeling quite comfortable here. We made our first group meal this evening, noodles with beef in a tomato sauce. I think that's a really good way to save money, as the meal split between the three of us was only Y380. We'll definitely be doing that a lot!
I'm fully unpacked now, and I'm feeling much more like it's a home now. Everything has its place and I'm getting used to the layout of the house. Tomorrow we're going to try to figure out the best route to ICU. Wish us luck!
It's lovely to be back in Tokyo! I hadn't realised how much I missed it until I got on the train and started seeing places I remembered. Especially when we passed the Shinjuku skyscraper district - I love those buildings!
But anyway, I should start at the beginning. My family and I drove down to London Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning. It took about an hour and a half, despite part of the motorway being closed due to a gas leak. We parked and walked up to Terminal 3, where I heard my name shouted by Rob, one of the other students going to ICU. Katy, the other one of the three of us, was already there, along with another student going to a different University we were flying out with. There was one other too, but we decided not to wait for him before we checked in. There was no queue at the JAL desk, and we all got in with no problems. I'm sure our bags were overweight, but the woman didn't say anything - maybe she took pity on us!
I met my family upstairs and we had lunch. My stomach was churning like crazy, with that bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. I managed to eat a jacket potato and the hour passed very quickly. It was too quick! Suddenly I was saying goodbye to my family again, with tears in my eyes. We had done it before, and we knew what goodbyes are like. But of course that doesn't make them any easier!
I waved until I had passed into the security check with the other four. I was okay then, because I started focussing on the next section of the journey. I didn't beep at the metal detector, which was surprising! All my stuff was okay, despite being overweight, but of course they don't weigh hand luggage.
We made our way down to Gate 27 and had our boarding passes checked. I realised that I'd meant to ask if there were any aisle seats available, because my long legs are awful in cramped seats. I asked at the gate if there were any aisle seats available, and they said that a party hadn't turned up, and I could have their seats if they didn't arrive in time. I waited for about 15 minutes and the party didn't check in so I moved four rows back, so not too far from the rest of my group, who were spread across two rows, but where I could sit more comfortably. I'm very glad I asked!
The 11 hour 45 minute flight went much quicker than I thought it would. I watched one and a half films, and then tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sleep for the rest of the time. I think I got about 3 hours in the end, but it was very hard to tell because I kept waking up to readjust my position.
I wasn't nearly as worried or stressed as when I first arrived in Japan. I knew where everything was, and that I was with other people, and we were being met by locals. Everything felt much safer and more secure than last time!
We went through the swine flu check and immigration like a breeze. Narita Airport is so quiet and calm, it's the exact opposite of British airports. They took my fingerprints and photo at immigration, just like last time, and checked my visa. I think the inspector was a little perplexed at seeing two visa stamps in my passport, but he didn't ask any questions.
We left the customs check with no problems (you have to fill out two forms on the plane, one for immigration, and one for customs) because we weren't carrying any prohibited or restricted items. Then we met Rob's good friend and a couple of students from ICU who I'd been in contact with. They were all really really nice and helped us all with our heavy baggage. We bought tickets to 東小金井 (Higashi Koganei), which is where the head office of our guesthouse company is. From Narita Airport (outside Tokyo to the east) to the western suburbs where we're living, it took about two hours, and three trains. It was quite hot (around 30C) and humid, especially as we weren't used to it, but not as bad as I remembered it being. Maybe it was because it's the end of August, rather than the beginning, which is when I left last year. But Rob's friend said that Japan's summer this year had been cooler overall than average. That's not a problem with me!
Watching the scenery flash by as we made our way through central Tokyo was amazing. I recognised so many places, and just looking at the train map brought back fond memories of last time. We were all very tired, and everything seemed a bit like a dream, I think particularly for Katy, who has never been to Japan before. But we got to Higashi Koganei station with no problems, thanks to our local guides. We thanked them very much and were then picked up in a brightly coloured van and taken to the office. The office was right by a small wooded area, and there was a deafening roar of cicadas! I'd never heard anything like it. I really hoped I wouldn't be able to hear any from my room. We were talked through the contract and the rules of the guesthouse, and we paid our deposits and first month's rent.
That took just over an hour, and then they drove us to our guesthouse. I was glad we could go straight there even though it was late afternoon, because they had said that if we didn't arrive by 15:30, we might not be able to check in that day, and would have to stay in temporary rooms in the head office. We were shown to our rooms, and we sorted everything out, and then were left to it.
We were all a bit dazed and confused, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, as it was only 6pm, so we met Rob's friend again in the town near the station, and went for some dinner in an izakaya (Japanese pub). We got back at about 21:30, and I was dead to the world by half past 10, and I slept dead through until 6:30am this morning, when I woken up, either by the bright sunlight (the curtains here are just as transparent as in Sakura House last year) or the gradual heat as the room warmed up.
Today we did some shopping and bought some food while exploring the local area, and I'm feeling quite comfortable here. We made our first group meal this evening, noodles with beef in a tomato sauce. I think that's a really good way to save money, as the meal split between the three of us was only Y380. We'll definitely be doing that a lot!
I'm fully unpacked now, and I'm feeling much more like it's a home now. Everything has its place and I'm getting used to the layout of the house. Tomorrow we're going to try to figure out the best route to ICU. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A Year Ago Today...
...I left for Japan!
That is not possible. That amazing year has just slipped away from me!
I can remember leaving my family in Heathrow so clearly, waving goodbye through the gate, as I queued for the metal detectors, for as long as I could see them. Then praying the flight would last forever, so I wouldn't actually have to land. And then the amazing feeling of seeing Japan, which I had only seen in photos or dreams, and breathing my new reality in as I left Narita Airport. One thing that has stuck in my mind is walking to customs from the gate, and stopping to go the toilet. For some reason, I was thinking that if the toilets weren't compeletely different from Britain's, and were normal, everything would be okay. How illogical is that?!
Then there was the incredible journey as I, bleary-eyed and confused, made my way across Tokyo to the Sakura House main office in the centre of Shinjuku. And after that, finding my guesthouse and collapsing onto my new bed for the next seven months of my life.
How do you fit so many memories into one day? I am overwhelmed by it. And now, finally, it starts to feel like a dream. I tell people about it and explain how I did it and what I did, and yet it doesn't feel real.
I have photos and videos of everywhere I went, and the friends I made, and the memories I keep, but it's like someone else took them and then superimposed me onto them.
And now, as I sit in my home in England revising for my exams next week, looking outside at the coldest winter Britain has had for decades (seriously, -11C!), I realise I can't wait to go back to Japan.
That's my motivation. I must pass this year of University and go back to Japan. And then I can record even more memories, and have as many new experiences as I can.
Hopefully, this time in eight months, I'll be back on a plane heading for Tokyo again. What a dream...
That is not possible. That amazing year has just slipped away from me!
I can remember leaving my family in Heathrow so clearly, waving goodbye through the gate, as I queued for the metal detectors, for as long as I could see them. Then praying the flight would last forever, so I wouldn't actually have to land. And then the amazing feeling of seeing Japan, which I had only seen in photos or dreams, and breathing my new reality in as I left Narita Airport. One thing that has stuck in my mind is walking to customs from the gate, and stopping to go the toilet. For some reason, I was thinking that if the toilets weren't compeletely different from Britain's, and were normal, everything would be okay. How illogical is that?!
Then there was the incredible journey as I, bleary-eyed and confused, made my way across Tokyo to the Sakura House main office in the centre of Shinjuku. And after that, finding my guesthouse and collapsing onto my new bed for the next seven months of my life.
How do you fit so many memories into one day? I am overwhelmed by it. And now, finally, it starts to feel like a dream. I tell people about it and explain how I did it and what I did, and yet it doesn't feel real.
I have photos and videos of everywhere I went, and the friends I made, and the memories I keep, but it's like someone else took them and then superimposed me onto them.
And now, as I sit in my home in England revising for my exams next week, looking outside at the coldest winter Britain has had for decades (seriously, -11C!), I realise I can't wait to go back to Japan.
That's my motivation. I must pass this year of University and go back to Japan. And then I can record even more memories, and have as many new experiences as I can.
Hopefully, this time in eight months, I'll be back on a plane heading for Tokyo again. What a dream...
Friday, January 11, 2008
Packing and the Flight
I am now at the end of my fifth day here in Tokyo, and I have been so busy sorting things out and settling in that my blog has had to take a bit of a back-seat. But it's finally taken up it's back-seat driving ways and has reared his head again. So I'll start from where I left off...
My last few days at home in the UK were really quite manic. There were so many last minute things to sort out, so many jobs left unfinished, so many bags needing to be packed...
But I got it all done, through the magic of lists and planning each day's activities (very sad I know but it gets the job done).
For anyone planning to do something similar, the following list should be useful, if not, then it's probably best just to skip it.
What I packed:
In my laptop bag:
Webcam
Headphones
Ethernet cable (for wired connection at Sakura House)
Laptop and power supply
Memory stick
In my rucksack: (my rucksack was my hand/ cabin luggage. BA gave me a limit of one (they changed it to two the following day) bag weighing 5kg and measuring 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. The weight wasn't really an issue, as long it fit the size restrictions and you could lift it into the overhead storage space without help, it was fine)
Japanese course (see How to Teach Yourself Japanese)
Japan: A Working Holiday Guide by Louise Southerden
DK Japan Travel Guide
Leaflets about Japan (I collected these from the Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) in London - in particular a fold-out map of Tokyo, a Limousine bus guide, NTT Docomo information and a Tokyo subway guide.
Game Boy (very retro but it will keep me entertained)
Slumber mask
Ear plugs
Pens & paper
Handfan (for the heat and humidity of summer)
Smints
Photocopies of important documents (e.g. passport, visa, flight itinerary)
Laptop bag
Suitcase: (this was over BA's limit of 23kg per bag but because of their baggage restrictions, you can check a piece of hold luggage in if it's up to 32kg. From November 2008 there will be a charge of £25 if you go over 23kg but for me it was free! You can't check in a bag (only one allowed) if it's over 32kg though so I'm glad mine was 26kg. The maximum dimensions could add up to 158cm at the most.)
3 casual tops
5 casual T-shirts
3 casual shirts
3 casual trousers
2 work jackets (I bought these in the Christmas sales)
3 work shirts (long-sleeved as the Japanese only wear short in August)
3 work trousers
1 pair of shorts
8 pairs of socks
5 pairs of underwear
Toothpaste
Japanese-UK plug adaptor (doesn't alter voltage, you'd need a transformer to do that - they are expensive and bulky, so I didn't bother. Japan operates on 100V so UK appliances (240V) run very slowly (my mobile needs 13 hours to charge here) but North American appliances (110V) should be fine.
Torch (in case of earthquakes/ powercuts)
2 belts
4-way adaptor for all my gadgets
Business cards (these are not essential but it has been said that you don't exist in Japan if you don't have a meishi/ business card and mine are very pretty!)
2 toothbrushes
Comb
Mini-shampoo, body wash etc.
Body puff
Shaving stuff
Deoderant (apparently this is hard to get hold of in Japan)
2 towels
Waterproof trousers (rainy season (tsuyu) is from mid-May to mid-June)
Gloves, scarf and hat (I haven't needed these so far and it is mid-January so maybe not needed if you're sticking to Tokyo or the South/ West, but definitely recommended for higher altitudes and any further North/ East)
Lightweight coat (Japan is generally quite humid so light clothes will do well)
Batteries
Tissues (although don't blow your nose in public, sniff yes, but do not blow!)
Plasters and medicine (you might not be able to get hold of medicines you want in Japan)
3 business ties
Sunglasses (I thought it would be wishful thinking to bring suntan lotion but apparently it is difficult to get high quality stuff here in Japan and anywhere South/ West of Tokyo can hit 40C in summer so be prepared!)
Swimming shorts
Penknife (make sure it's in your HOLD luggage, not your hand/ cabin luggage - it will be confiscated!)
Copies of my CV/ resume
Books
Sentimental things to remind you of home e.g. family photo, favourite toy (these can also be good conversation starters in English lessons!)
What I wore on the plane:
Jeans
T-shirt
Comfortable zip hoodie
Trainers
Coat
Well that concludes the first half of this post. Now, on to the flight!
My family all drove down to London's Heathrow airport to wave me off. Another contingent drove up from Wiltshire as well so I had a full entourage at the departure gate.
I had checked-in online the previous day on BA's website, but other airlines probably offer the same service. I heartily recommend that you do this. At first I thought "No, it's too much hassle. Too many things to do before you've even got to the airport!" But if you don't do it online, then you have to do it at a touch-screen with a queue behind you anyway. Plus, as you can check-in from 24 hours before your flight, you can see what seat you've been allocated and change it if you want to. You then print your Boarding Pass, it can be in black-and-white or full colour, or if you don't have a printer, you can still check-in online and they print it for you at the airport!
So we arrived and I was extremely nervous. I kept going over everything that could go wrong in my mind, every little detail, but most of all, the thought that I WAS LEAVING HOME! I was leaving my family, friends and country for the first time in my life. I'd said my goodbyes the night before; if any of you have seen the episode of 'Friends' where Rachel says goodbye to the group the night before she was going to fly to Paris, then you'll understand.
I collected the yen I had pre-ordered online from the Travelex desk. Money Saving Expert.com says that this is one of the best rates on foreign currency exchange you can get so it's worth it.
Then we sat in Wetherspoons and waited for more of the family to arrive. They came soon after we did and we all had lunch (I only had a little bit, my stomach was all over the place) and drinks. They gave me some letters and a couple of extra lovely sentimental things, which I have on my desk or in the bookcase.
All too soon, 13.30 came and I knew it was time to leave them.
We went down to the departure gate and my Aunt asked someone if this was the right one for Tokyo. It was. My nerves close to imploding, I turned to them all. I knew I couldn't say goodbye again, it would cause too much of a scene. I hugged every one of them tightly and I think everyone had at least a tear in their eye. Some had several! But, as hard as it was to leave them, I knew I had to do it. So I picked up my bag and went through the Boarding Pass checking gate. Then I wound my way through the barriers until I reached the end of the queue for the Security Checks. I turned back and waved to them every time the queue's path allowed me to. And they were there, waving, until the last corner, and then they (or I, depending on your viewpoint) were gone.
Security went without a hitch for once, I always set those things off! I had to take my shoes, belt and coat off and put them in separate trays. I also had to remove my laptop bag from my rucksack and put that in its own tray. Everyone had quite a few trays each!
Then, it was a hurried walk to Gate 30, where my flight was on its Last Call. I spent as much time as possible with my family, and it turns out that I timed it just right. Except I didn't think I had time to buy a bottle of water, when in fact I did. The man in front of me was upgraded and I crossed my fingers (wouldn't that be a great start to a gap year trip?! "Excuse me Sir, we've upgraded you to First Class. Champagne?") Only in my dreams...
There was no problem getting on and I found my seat easily - 30C, an aisle seat. I wanted an aisle seat because I'm quite tall (6'2'') and, although I enjoy the view from the window, I enjoy the use of my legs more. I sat down and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't too bad. My coat and rucksack were stored safely in the overhead compartment and I was ready for take-off. Unfortunately the plane wasn't. My 14.35 flight left at about 15.15 so I had plenty of time to text family and friends to let them know I was on the plane safely and would let them know how I got on when I landed in 12 hours. I knew it would be the last time I used that phone to ring or text for quite a long time because only 3G quad-band phones work in Japan. Check with your retailer if you're unsure if it will or not. Although someone said mine would, and they were wrong... Dead wrong...
I hope that person hasn't randomly died, otherwise I'm probably going to prison...
Then the flight commenced. We were off and everything was fine. I tried not to think about the upcoming hardships and trials. I knew there would be many, and probably quite soon, but I didn't want to worry myself. I wanted to live in the moment (easier said that done I know, but I've tried to adopt that here and it's worked well so far). So I enjoyed being able to watch Ugly Betty, The Simpsons, Joey and Casino Royale on my personal touch-screen TV. I tried to sleep halfway through but it just wasn't happening. I was too worked up and my bodyclock wasn't right to sleep then. So I rested my eyes for a few minutes.
All the toilets on the left-hand side of the plane were out of order due to the extreme cold conditions outside in the air and on the ground. In the air it was about -60C. Which is COLD! I enjoyed plotting our progress on the moving interactive map on the screen too. But I'm a bit of a Geography-geek like that.
All too soon for my liking, we were over Northern Japan, and then Kanto, and then Tokyo, and then Chiba, and then we were descending on Narita Airport.
Narita is easily the strangest airport I've ever been in. It was so calm and quiet. There were hardly any people. Immigration was very easy. They took my fingerprints and photograph, as they've started doing with all foreigners now and stamped my visa and did all the things they had to do, then let me through.
Then I made my way down to the carousel to collect my bag. I was dreading seeing it split open because, despite re-arranging the contents a couple of times, the zips appeared to be quite strained when we did it up, but it was absolutely fine. I wheeled it over to one of the Customs desks (I wasn't sure which one to go to so i queued for a green 'In Duty-free Limit' one and that seemed fine). We had been given landing cards and a Customs card to fill in on the plane so I just handed that over.
Then I wheeled myself and my bags out of the doors and into Japan.
My last few days at home in the UK were really quite manic. There were so many last minute things to sort out, so many jobs left unfinished, so many bags needing to be packed...
But I got it all done, through the magic of lists and planning each day's activities (very sad I know but it gets the job done).
For anyone planning to do something similar, the following list should be useful, if not, then it's probably best just to skip it.
What I packed:
In my laptop bag:
Webcam
Headphones
Ethernet cable (for wired connection at Sakura House)
Laptop and power supply
Memory stick
In my rucksack: (my rucksack was my hand/ cabin luggage. BA gave me a limit of one (they changed it to two the following day) bag weighing 5kg and measuring 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. The weight wasn't really an issue, as long it fit the size restrictions and you could lift it into the overhead storage space without help, it was fine)
Japanese course (see How to Teach Yourself Japanese)
Japan: A Working Holiday Guide by Louise Southerden
DK Japan Travel Guide
Leaflets about Japan (I collected these from the Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) in London - in particular a fold-out map of Tokyo, a Limousine bus guide, NTT Docomo information and a Tokyo subway guide.
Game Boy (very retro but it will keep me entertained)
Slumber mask
Ear plugs
Pens & paper
Handfan (for the heat and humidity of summer)
Smints
Photocopies of important documents (e.g. passport, visa, flight itinerary)
Laptop bag
Suitcase: (this was over BA's limit of 23kg per bag but because of their baggage restrictions, you can check a piece of hold luggage in if it's up to 32kg. From November 2008 there will be a charge of £25 if you go over 23kg but for me it was free! You can't check in a bag (only one allowed) if it's over 32kg though so I'm glad mine was 26kg. The maximum dimensions could add up to 158cm at the most.)
3 casual tops
5 casual T-shirts
3 casual shirts
3 casual trousers
2 work jackets (I bought these in the Christmas sales)
3 work shirts (long-sleeved as the Japanese only wear short in August)
3 work trousers
1 pair of shorts
8 pairs of socks
5 pairs of underwear
Toothpaste
Japanese-UK plug adaptor (doesn't alter voltage, you'd need a transformer to do that - they are expensive and bulky, so I didn't bother. Japan operates on 100V so UK appliances (240V) run very slowly (my mobile needs 13 hours to charge here) but North American appliances (110V) should be fine.
Torch (in case of earthquakes/ powercuts)
2 belts
4-way adaptor for all my gadgets
Business cards (these are not essential but it has been said that you don't exist in Japan if you don't have a meishi/ business card and mine are very pretty!)
2 toothbrushes
Comb
Mini-shampoo, body wash etc.
Body puff
Shaving stuff
Deoderant (apparently this is hard to get hold of in Japan)
2 towels
Waterproof trousers (rainy season (tsuyu) is from mid-May to mid-June)
Gloves, scarf and hat (I haven't needed these so far and it is mid-January so maybe not needed if you're sticking to Tokyo or the South/ West, but definitely recommended for higher altitudes and any further North/ East)
Lightweight coat (Japan is generally quite humid so light clothes will do well)
Batteries
Tissues (although don't blow your nose in public, sniff yes, but do not blow!)
Plasters and medicine (you might not be able to get hold of medicines you want in Japan)
3 business ties
Sunglasses (I thought it would be wishful thinking to bring suntan lotion but apparently it is difficult to get high quality stuff here in Japan and anywhere South/ West of Tokyo can hit 40C in summer so be prepared!)
Swimming shorts
Penknife (make sure it's in your HOLD luggage, not your hand/ cabin luggage - it will be confiscated!)
Copies of my CV/ resume
Books
Sentimental things to remind you of home e.g. family photo, favourite toy (these can also be good conversation starters in English lessons!)
What I wore on the plane:
Jeans
T-shirt
Comfortable zip hoodie
Trainers
Coat
Well that concludes the first half of this post. Now, on to the flight!
My family all drove down to London's Heathrow airport to wave me off. Another contingent drove up from Wiltshire as well so I had a full entourage at the departure gate.
I had checked-in online the previous day on BA's website, but other airlines probably offer the same service. I heartily recommend that you do this. At first I thought "No, it's too much hassle. Too many things to do before you've even got to the airport!" But if you don't do it online, then you have to do it at a touch-screen with a queue behind you anyway. Plus, as you can check-in from 24 hours before your flight, you can see what seat you've been allocated and change it if you want to. You then print your Boarding Pass, it can be in black-and-white or full colour, or if you don't have a printer, you can still check-in online and they print it for you at the airport!
So we arrived and I was extremely nervous. I kept going over everything that could go wrong in my mind, every little detail, but most of all, the thought that I WAS LEAVING HOME! I was leaving my family, friends and country for the first time in my life. I'd said my goodbyes the night before; if any of you have seen the episode of 'Friends' where Rachel says goodbye to the group the night before she was going to fly to Paris, then you'll understand.
I collected the yen I had pre-ordered online from the Travelex desk. Money Saving Expert.com says that this is one of the best rates on foreign currency exchange you can get so it's worth it.
Then we sat in Wetherspoons and waited for more of the family to arrive. They came soon after we did and we all had lunch (I only had a little bit, my stomach was all over the place) and drinks. They gave me some letters and a couple of extra lovely sentimental things, which I have on my desk or in the bookcase.
All too soon, 13.30 came and I knew it was time to leave them.
We went down to the departure gate and my Aunt asked someone if this was the right one for Tokyo. It was. My nerves close to imploding, I turned to them all. I knew I couldn't say goodbye again, it would cause too much of a scene. I hugged every one of them tightly and I think everyone had at least a tear in their eye. Some had several! But, as hard as it was to leave them, I knew I had to do it. So I picked up my bag and went through the Boarding Pass checking gate. Then I wound my way through the barriers until I reached the end of the queue for the Security Checks. I turned back and waved to them every time the queue's path allowed me to. And they were there, waving, until the last corner, and then they (or I, depending on your viewpoint) were gone.
Security went without a hitch for once, I always set those things off! I had to take my shoes, belt and coat off and put them in separate trays. I also had to remove my laptop bag from my rucksack and put that in its own tray. Everyone had quite a few trays each!
Then, it was a hurried walk to Gate 30, where my flight was on its Last Call. I spent as much time as possible with my family, and it turns out that I timed it just right. Except I didn't think I had time to buy a bottle of water, when in fact I did. The man in front of me was upgraded and I crossed my fingers (wouldn't that be a great start to a gap year trip?! "Excuse me Sir, we've upgraded you to First Class. Champagne?") Only in my dreams...
There was no problem getting on and I found my seat easily - 30C, an aisle seat. I wanted an aisle seat because I'm quite tall (6'2'') and, although I enjoy the view from the window, I enjoy the use of my legs more. I sat down and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't too bad. My coat and rucksack were stored safely in the overhead compartment and I was ready for take-off. Unfortunately the plane wasn't. My 14.35 flight left at about 15.15 so I had plenty of time to text family and friends to let them know I was on the plane safely and would let them know how I got on when I landed in 12 hours. I knew it would be the last time I used that phone to ring or text for quite a long time because only 3G quad-band phones work in Japan. Check with your retailer if you're unsure if it will or not. Although someone said mine would, and they were wrong... Dead wrong...
I hope that person hasn't randomly died, otherwise I'm probably going to prison...
Then the flight commenced. We were off and everything was fine. I tried not to think about the upcoming hardships and trials. I knew there would be many, and probably quite soon, but I didn't want to worry myself. I wanted to live in the moment (easier said that done I know, but I've tried to adopt that here and it's worked well so far). So I enjoyed being able to watch Ugly Betty, The Simpsons, Joey and Casino Royale on my personal touch-screen TV. I tried to sleep halfway through but it just wasn't happening. I was too worked up and my bodyclock wasn't right to sleep then. So I rested my eyes for a few minutes.
All the toilets on the left-hand side of the plane were out of order due to the extreme cold conditions outside in the air and on the ground. In the air it was about -60C. Which is COLD! I enjoyed plotting our progress on the moving interactive map on the screen too. But I'm a bit of a Geography-geek like that.
All too soon for my liking, we were over Northern Japan, and then Kanto, and then Tokyo, and then Chiba, and then we were descending on Narita Airport.
Narita is easily the strangest airport I've ever been in. It was so calm and quiet. There were hardly any people. Immigration was very easy. They took my fingerprints and photograph, as they've started doing with all foreigners now and stamped my visa and did all the things they had to do, then let me through.
Then I made my way down to the carousel to collect my bag. I was dreading seeing it split open because, despite re-arranging the contents a couple of times, the zips appeared to be quite strained when we did it up, but it was absolutely fine. I wheeled it over to one of the Customs desks (I wasn't sure which one to go to so i queued for a green 'In Duty-free Limit' one and that seemed fine). We had been given landing cards and a Customs card to fill in on the plane so I just handed that over.
Then I wheeled myself and my bags out of the doors and into Japan.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Barcelona (Part Five)
Well, it's finally here. The final episode of my trip to Barcelona.
I was woken several times during the night, particularly at 5.45 when someone was watching loud TV next door. My alarm went off at 8.30 and I got up at 8.40, after snoozing for a while. I then discovered that if all the lights are off, then all electricity in the room is off so my phone hadn't been charging all night and now had low battery. Great. I'm going home with no phone. I had egg, bacon, BAKED beans, toast (mmm), tea and juice (gonna need to lose weight soon), picked up my packed lunch and said goodbye to the mother and daughter I shared a transfer with when I first arrived. Thank you for keeping me company!
I then discovered that the reason there was no music last night was that when I was in Barcelona the previous day, a father and son had been killed while posing for a photograph at Tossa beach. The family had been staying at the hotel. It was a very sad event. I later heard the full story on GMTV morning news. You can read the full story here which corrects what I was told at the hotel. 
I had noticed on the day when I walked round Tossa de Mar that the waves seemed extremely strong around the beach. I am very sorry for the family's loss.
I went back to my room and packed, checking items against my original list as they went into my bag. Hoping I had everything, I left the room and returned my keycard at Reception, five minutes before check-out at 10.
I walked back to the shop where I bought postcards and my camera and browsed for a little while. I went back to the hotel and rang Resorthoppa to confirm the pick-up time and place. It then began to rain. It had been forecast to rain every day I'd been there but it had held off until I left. Obviously Spain was sad to see me go.
I sat and waited, praying that everything went okay to get me back home. I went outside and stood under the hotel's canopy at 10.55, waiting for the taxi transfer. 
About 2 minutes later, a taxi pulled up and a man came out and shouted 'Girona Airport', mainly to me. I nodded and ran forward, putting my suitcase in the boot.
About 2 minutes later, a taxi pulled up and a man came out and shouted 'Girona Airport', mainly to me. I nodded and ran forward, putting my suitcase in the boot.We were off, and I double-checked that, a) we were going to Girona airport, b) we'd get there in time for my flight, and c) I wasn't paying him! He muttered something about not being able to control the meter.
I kept my eyes peeled for roadsigns along the way as soon as I realised I didn't recognise the road, I ain't being kidnapped!
But I arrived at the airport at 11.40. I checked my bags, passport and flight details, and then thanked the driver. I made a note of the gate number and sat down, watching the clock, and my bags.
The queue for checking-in was huge, it spanned the length of the airport. Forget that, I thought, no magic queue-destroying toilets here. So I sat and waited for the queue to dwindle before joining it a few people behind the desk. At 12.50, I checked-in and went into the departure lounge. I bought some food for the flight and saw a big queue already at Gate 8, and as that one actually determined the seat I got on the plane, I joined it straight away. And I'm glad I did, as soon that queue was the length of the departure lounge. I waited for 20 minutes and then got through. I went round to the back entrance of the plane as there was a big queue for the front and there was no one round at the back. Isn't the public smart? I turned my mobile off and got a window seat. This time, two people sat next to me but I didn't mind. I wasn't in the middle seat.
The pilot announced that there might be turbulence over France, great, I LOVE turbulence. The plane left on time and I looked down at the dramatic landscape, Spain is much more mountainous that I thought.
The seatbelt sign went off and I ate my food. I found that if you relax and read or eat then the flight is much more comfortable. Usually I just sit there stessing about claustrophobia etc but I was fine going back. Another lesson learned. The Pyranees looked lovely, covered in snow. The air clouded up until we reached France, and then there was no turbulence.
Well, I thought, I've broken my last food links to Tossa Beach, unless I vomit up breakfast, or something equally as bad, like last night's dinner.
The descent started at 14.30, thankfully my head wasn't as painful that time. I saw my bottle of water crumple up under the pressure change and thought, that's what my head is trying to do.
We landed 25 minutes early at 15.00, which is good. I found that I didn't particularly like RyanAir, apparently they're the worst airline environmentally, I read that somewhere. But this article doesn't improve my thoughts on that airline. I might even avoid flying with them in the future, despite arriving early on both journeys.
There was a huge queue at Passport Control but it was quite fast moving. I came out to the carousel and the very first bag I saw was mine, I ran to catch it before it disappeared and left the airport quickly. How painless was that! I hoped that my luck would continue. I went to the toilet (nothing I can miss now) and then went outside to the Derby bus stop. Hmm... there's just a dot where it should say how long til the next bus. I asked at the Information desk and they said it should arrive any minute. A few minutes later, the screen changed and said Derby - 30 mins. But the bus actually arrived 8 minutes later. I bought a ticket to Derby train station (£2.80). The bus got very crowded but I had a seat. The driver seemed very friendly, no bus driver in Birmingham is as friendly as that.
There was a nice woman behind me helping a foreign family out, who were going to the train station too. I think I heard the bus driver call her Dot. But she asked the driver to let the family know when they were at the station, which he did do. I bought a ticket to my closest station for £10, back to the land of extortion. Two minutes wait and then a train to Cardiff Central, next stop B'ham New Street arrived. My luck continued.
Forty minutes later, at 17.30, I got to Birmingham New Street and there was a 4 minute wait for the next train to my house. It all worked well in the end.
I got home at 18.10, with a sausage casserole and my family waiting for me.
It was a great trip, and I did it all for under £230, I had just over 1 Euro left in change. I was so glad to be home after a successful holiday.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Barcelona (Part Two)
Last time you saw me, I was sitting in Ritazza near the security check in East Midlands airport, and now... I'm still there.
There was absolutely no chance of sleep near the cafe, it was manned solely by a boy probably not much older than me, who was obviously not very happy about working the night-shift. He played pumping music throughout the whole night, ignoring being asked to turn it down several times. But I didn't mind, I didn't plan to sleep. (You can check out how people rate airports to sleep in here).
I just felt sorry for the people lying on the seats nearby who definitely did want to sleep. And he kept going for cigarettes outside, leaving the whole cafe to me! If I was the manager there, I would've had his head.
I had had a painful shoulder the night before which had kept me up for several hours so I was armed with Ibuprofen, as I knew it would not be a particularly comfortable night, spending over eight hours sitting until I got to Spain.
Overnight, I amused myself by reading, re-drafting my novel, wandering around to find my check-in desk and the toilets. Surprisingly, this vast array of activities made time pass quite quickly. Maybe it was because I was slightly nervous about checking-in and everything - I've never done this before on my own!!!
I got up to check-in at 4.30am and realised that the queue was huge, the whole length of the hall. Forget that! I went to the toilet and came back, it was half the size. Magical queue-destroying toilets.
There were no problems at check-in, but the woman was very moody - as I worked at Cadbury World, I could have taught her a few things about customer service.
Lesson One - don't look like your about to stab yourself in the head because you can't stand serving one more happy family.
I was bleeped at security but I expected that, I've never gone through one and not set it off. I was violated, then made my way to the departure lounge. Another Ritazza! But it wasn't open. I saw the spot where my family had sat earlier this year when we went to Venice but didn't go there. I wandered up and down through the shops, listening to Gwen Stefani over the radio. There was some interesting stuff, including a stand full of 1,000-pack cigarettes so as I approached I was bombarded with 'Smoking kills', 'Smoking causes lung cancer', 'Smokers die younger' in letters the size of my head.
I stopped for a bacon roll and cup of tea, which I later realised was caffeinated. Damn, no sleep on the plane for me then. At about 6.00am, I checked the screen and I was told to 'Go to Gates 1-5'. There was a massive queue and slowly got massiver and massiver as it wound its way through a cafe (Ritazza again), past Gates 4, 3, 2 and 1 and back towards 5. Great. I joined it at virtually the end, the only people behind me were a group of 19-ish year olds who were talking about plane crashes. Wonderful. The queue was quite fast-moving and I was out in the freezing morning air. A man had stopped at a barrier a few people ahead of me and was waiting. The queue built up behind me until a flight attendant came out and showed him that he had to turn left and follow everyone else.
Lesson Two - don't roll your eyes at customers, they might fall out. Messy.
There was then a long, cold walk to the plane in the dark. I climbed aboard and asked a man in an aisle seat about 6 rows back from the front if either of the two seats next to him were taken. He said no and moved aside for me so I got a window seat. Woo! I like window seats for short plane journeys but for Japan I should probably try to get an aisle seat for my abnormally long legs. Obviously, the ideal situation would be a free row so I could get all the benefits but that's a long shot. I suppose it depends on how many Japanese people came here for New Year or how many British want to go to Japan at the beginning of the year. I would expect Japanese people to flight with JAL (Japan Airlines) though.
No one sat in the middle seat next to me, which I was pleased about.
I like taking off. It's one of the best parts of flying. Although for the last few trips I've taken, I haven't been great on planes. There's something about being trapped in a metal tube with a hundred other people suspended thousands of miles above the ground that makes me a little worried. But it went fine. There was nothing to see once we'd taken off because it was dark outside, and they'd turned the lights off inside, which was lovely as I started to drop off to sleep. But, alas, they turned the lights back on and the sun started to rise, blinding me. But I pulled the window blind down and looked down at some beautiful cloud formations. The snow had left a nice coating on the ground and, while it was still dark, cities that I caught glimpses of looked lovely all lit up. I watched the scenery until we'd passed over the Channel and France, then lay on the tray in front of me (albeit very uncomfortably) and had broken sleep until descent about 90 minutes later.
On the descent, my head was very painful. Not just a popping in the ears, but full on pain in my temples for 20 minutes. I looked down and saw my water bottle scrunching up and thought, that's what my head is trying to do.
We landed, in typical bumpy style, but with no problems (and 10 minutes early) at Girona airport. We stepped out into Spanish atmosphere (not my general experience, usually I step out in 30C, that time I stepped out into about 3C). With my breath condensing in front of me, I hurried into the arrivals lounge. I stood by the carousel for about 15 minutes and my bag was one of the very last ones. It couldn't have happened any other way.
I put the time on my phone forward 1 hour then followed the instructions I had received from Resorthoppa (hotel transfer company). I left the arrivals hall and found a woman and driver with a sign saying 'Resorthoppa'. I told them who I was and it turned out they were only waiting for two other people and I got straight into a taxi and then a mother and daughter (daughter in early 20s) followed me. Within two minutes we were off. That was far too easy, I thought. I checked I had everything with me and then rang home, letting them know I had landed safely.
The route was very windy, it went up into the mountains and followed the track cut sharply into the rock. The view was lovely, forested hills rolling in which ever direction I looked. There were so many examples of crazy Continental driving, not to generalise, but the car was either far too close to the edge, risking plummeting to a rocky death, too close to the middle so the car rocked as other vehicles passed, or just plain speeding and overtaking. The driver was listening to Flaix FM, which seemed to be a 'cool' English-music station and, to my joy, we passed a van full of Bimbo *****!
We pulled up to my hotel, Tossa Beach, and got our bags and everything out.
It looked nice from the front, I made my way up into the reception and stepped in. It's dark and cold!
I enquire at the desk and am told that the entire town is in blackout and they can't let me have my room until it is sorted.
Will the power come back on? Will I get my room? Find out, in Barcelona & Bimbo ***** Part Three, coming soon...
There was absolutely no chance of sleep near the cafe, it was manned solely by a boy probably not much older than me, who was obviously not very happy about working the night-shift. He played pumping music throughout the whole night, ignoring being asked to turn it down several times. But I didn't mind, I didn't plan to sleep. (You can check out how people rate airports to sleep in here).
I just felt sorry for the people lying on the seats nearby who definitely did want to sleep. And he kept going for cigarettes outside, leaving the whole cafe to me! If I was the manager there, I would've had his head.
I had had a painful shoulder the night before which had kept me up for several hours so I was armed with Ibuprofen, as I knew it would not be a particularly comfortable night, spending over eight hours sitting until I got to Spain.
Overnight, I amused myself by reading, re-drafting my novel, wandering around to find my check-in desk and the toilets. Surprisingly, this vast array of activities made time pass quite quickly. Maybe it was because I was slightly nervous about checking-in and everything - I've never done this before on my own!!!
I got up to check-in at 4.30am and realised that the queue was huge, the whole length of the hall. Forget that! I went to the toilet and came back, it was half the size. Magical queue-destroying toilets.
There were no problems at check-in, but the woman was very moody - as I worked at Cadbury World, I could have taught her a few things about customer service.
Lesson One - don't look like your about to stab yourself in the head because you can't stand serving one more happy family.
I was bleeped at security but I expected that, I've never gone through one and not set it off. I was violated, then made my way to the departure lounge. Another Ritazza! But it wasn't open. I saw the spot where my family had sat earlier this year when we went to Venice but didn't go there. I wandered up and down through the shops, listening to Gwen Stefani over the radio. There was some interesting stuff, including a stand full of 1,000-pack cigarettes so as I approached I was bombarded with 'Smoking kills', 'Smoking causes lung cancer', 'Smokers die younger' in letters the size of my head.
I stopped for a bacon roll and cup of tea, which I later realised was caffeinated. Damn, no sleep on the plane for me then. At about 6.00am, I checked the screen and I was told to 'Go to Gates 1-5'. There was a massive queue and slowly got massiver and massiver as it wound its way through a cafe (Ritazza again), past Gates 4, 3, 2 and 1 and back towards 5. Great. I joined it at virtually the end, the only people behind me were a group of 19-ish year olds who were talking about plane crashes. Wonderful. The queue was quite fast-moving and I was out in the freezing morning air. A man had stopped at a barrier a few people ahead of me and was waiting. The queue built up behind me until a flight attendant came out and showed him that he had to turn left and follow everyone else.
Lesson Two - don't roll your eyes at customers, they might fall out. Messy.
There was then a long, cold walk to the plane in the dark. I climbed aboard and asked a man in an aisle seat about 6 rows back from the front if either of the two seats next to him were taken. He said no and moved aside for me so I got a window seat. Woo! I like window seats for short plane journeys but for Japan I should probably try to get an aisle seat for my abnormally long legs. Obviously, the ideal situation would be a free row so I could get all the benefits but that's a long shot. I suppose it depends on how many Japanese people came here for New Year or how many British want to go to Japan at the beginning of the year. I would expect Japanese people to flight with JAL (Japan Airlines) though.
No one sat in the middle seat next to me, which I was pleased about.
I like taking off. It's one of the best parts of flying. Although for the last few trips I've taken, I haven't been great on planes. There's something about being trapped in a metal tube with a hundred other people suspended thousands of miles above the ground that makes me a little worried. But it went fine. There was nothing to see once we'd taken off because it was dark outside, and they'd turned the lights off inside, which was lovely as I started to drop off to sleep. But, alas, they turned the lights back on and the sun started to rise, blinding me. But I pulled the window blind down and looked down at some beautiful cloud formations. The snow had left a nice coating on the ground and, while it was still dark, cities that I caught glimpses of looked lovely all lit up. I watched the scenery until we'd passed over the Channel and France, then lay on the tray in front of me (albeit very uncomfortably) and had broken sleep until descent about 90 minutes later.
On the descent, my head was very painful. Not just a popping in the ears, but full on pain in my temples for 20 minutes. I looked down and saw my water bottle scrunching up and thought, that's what my head is trying to do.
We landed, in typical bumpy style, but with no problems (and 10 minutes early) at Girona airport. We stepped out into Spanish atmosphere (not my general experience, usually I step out in 30C, that time I stepped out into about 3C). With my breath condensing in front of me, I hurried into the arrivals lounge. I stood by the carousel for about 15 minutes and my bag was one of the very last ones. It couldn't have happened any other way.
I put the time on my phone forward 1 hour then followed the instructions I had received from Resorthoppa (hotel transfer company). I left the arrivals hall and found a woman and driver with a sign saying 'Resorthoppa'. I told them who I was and it turned out they were only waiting for two other people and I got straight into a taxi and then a mother and daughter (daughter in early 20s) followed me. Within two minutes we were off. That was far too easy, I thought. I checked I had everything with me and then rang home, letting them know I had landed safely.
The route was very windy, it went up into the mountains and followed the track cut sharply into the rock. The view was lovely, forested hills rolling in which ever direction I looked. There were so many examples of crazy Continental driving, not to generalise, but the car was either far too close to the edge, risking plummeting to a rocky death, too close to the middle so the car rocked as other vehicles passed, or just plain speeding and overtaking. The driver was listening to Flaix FM, which seemed to be a 'cool' English-music station and, to my joy, we passed a van full of Bimbo *****!
We pulled up to my hotel, Tossa Beach, and got our bags and everything out.
It looked nice from the front, I made my way up into the reception and stepped in. It's dark and cold!
I enquire at the desk and am told that the entire town is in blackout and they can't let me have my room until it is sorted.
Will the power come back on? Will I get my room? Find out, in Barcelona & Bimbo ***** Part Three, coming soon...
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