Returning to Japan

You’d think that having to get up at 4:00 in the morning to drive to LAX to catch an International flight at 7:40 out of one of LAX’s more getto terminals would suck--right. Well you’re totally wrong. What a great flight. I took Air Canada flight from LAX to YVR (Vancouver, BC) then YVR to KIX (Kansai Int’l) and loved it. Many reasons come up, and some short comings. Some of this might just be luck. While the flight out was in one of LAX’s least nice terminals it was close to the runway, no long taxi times, also it wasn’t like super Jammed up either! Yea the line for the baggage check lagged, but that happens in every baggage check line. The flight to Vancouver was basic, nothing special. I read some of my book, newspaper and watched the Canadian news on the TV’s. I love the CBC. Then I arrived in the beautiful Vancouver airport. I’ve heard good things about the airport but not seen many photos. Wow. Giant waterfalls, smells, great shops, beautiful signs, bright lighting due to the nearly endless windows. I’ve never been in a better designed airport ever. It would be worth it to fly this route to Kansai just to stop over at this airport. On to the flight to Kansai, what the plane lacked in a personal entertainment system it made up with great service and really great food. The flight attendant who was serving my drinks seemed very happy to share with me the different types of Canadian beers they had on board. Two of which I tried for the first time, Pacific Dry an Asahi-esque beer I didn’t care much for, and Sleemans Cream Ale which I found really tasty. The food was great, I mean they had things like capers and rosemary in the dishes. What made the flight even better was that it was a little empty and I had a two seat row next to the window all to myself, so I took a sleeping pill after the food service laid down and passed out till right before the second food service.

Getting through the customs and stuff in Japan was a breeze, I got asked a few more questions than usual, but everyone was very nice. Actually, somehow, I was able to be like the second person to the visa check people no long line though customs.

It was raining pretty hard, and rather humid in Kansai yesterday. I got the brunt of it too. Without an umbrella, or elevators I got all my luggage from the airport to my hotel changing trains four times. I took Nankai instead of JR out of the airport and that was a mistake. Lugging one suitcase at at time up the stairs then leaving it there as I lugged up the second was the theme of my trip to my hotel. I must have done that five or six times. Bleh.

Well I got to my hotel fine and what a hotel, it’s like the Happiness Hotel from The Great Muppet Caper. There’s writing and paintings on all the inside halls in many languages. The guests are from like everywhere. Everyone says hi in the halls. The owner has a fro and wears hawaiian like shirts. Yea, it’s a bit out of the way, and not too clean, but it’s got a great atmosphere. Oh yea, there’s a long bit of CAT-5 hanging from the wall for the free internet. For ~170USD a week, how can I go wrong!

Anyhow its like 4:00AM local time, I’m going to try to head back to sleep for a bit.