Tokyo bound

Count down over, yeah I'm that nerd that counts down the days until they go away.....but doesn't everyone? I try to not be annoying about it....but I'm sure I was, my FB statuses often just had a number and most people knew that meant how many days to go....and I'll probably do the same my next trip away :)

OMG what was I thinking booking an evening flight? And of course because I'm excited I'm up at the crack of dawn so I have to fill in the hours before I go otherwise I'm going to drive everyone insane and I don't need Samara to be irritated with me, it'll be a long month if she's p'd off before the trip even starts (and besides I don't want to be at home to see if she repacks her bag for the 10th time because she's not sure she's packed properly and I don't know if she really needs two winter coats...but she may have left one at home...I guess I will find out when we start unpacking)

Thankfully karate with my youngest daughter Jenna and coffee and lemon meringue pie (I told you I like food) with Jenna and my friend Anita fills in some of the time before I have to get ready, but I'm not sure if it's enough. So back home to shower, change into comfy travel clothes, pull on those damned flight socks and double/triple/quadruple check that we have passports, tickets, vouchers, maps I'd downloaded of the Tokyo trains, oh yeah don't forget the JapanRail vouchers so we can pick up our Railpasses at the airport etc. It's a ritual before we are ready to leave for Melbourne airport. Driving to the airport was a good idea (the car is going home with the family) because it kept me occupied, and stopped me checking my passport, travel money card for the xth time, if I can't text and drive, rummaging through my paperwork and driving is definitely out of the question.

Did I say that every trip away I take feels like the first one? I have those flutters of excitement, the nervous anticipation, I love that feeling and I hope it never goes away, I'd hate to think that traveling would ever become a humdrum affair. I can't see it somehow, there is always something that keeps me excited, whether it is a scent or a sound I know I just want to experience it all.

Farewells over (yes there were tears, and I know, shock horror I am going to miss the other kids) Customs cleared, and I think thank goodness for slip on shoes and oh crap...a laptop...that's going to be fun every customs check we go through.

Singapore Airlines is awesome and I think a great airline for Samara to experience her first (of many) long overseas flights. The food is great and I can't resist a good movie, and I choose movies over sleep (although I know I will regret that later on in the trip) but I also love to watch that little plane blip across the screen showing me where I am and how far I have to go, so I divide my time between those and it makes the time go faster then I thought it would. Samara survived the first leg of the trip, so all good.

Enjoyed the stopover in Changi airport it's been awhile since I have been here and I have to say it's great. There is a lot to see and do, and for a really busy airport I felt like we could still get away from the crowds and find some peace and quiet during our layover (and thanks to wifi I can get started on my blog and a quick FB to let people know we'd survived the first step of the journey.

Loved the second flight to Tokyo on the A380 and grateful that I booked seats upstairs, okay it's not first class (one day when I win the lottery :) ) but having just the two seats at the window felt like it, neither Samara or I had to annoy anyone (except each other) when we got up to go for a walk and it seemed a little quieter then the first leg of the trip so I was thrilled.

The excitment builds up as we get closer to Tokyo and even the rain pelting against the plane windows doesn't dampen my spirits, WOOHOO we've arrived.

Love, love, love Japan and I'm only at Narita airport, already I have noticed that people are so friendly, polite and welcoming. Our first experience of Japanese toilets at the airport, both kinds, the traditional and the 'Western' toilets, and I'm thinking I like the idea of a seat that warms up in the middle of winter.

Fears about how the hell we were going to negotiate our way to the train and into town where soon disappated as signs in both Japanese and English make it easy to find our way.

We took the Narita express into Shinjuku station and I think is the second biggest in Tokyo and one we will travel through a lot so I better get used to it (note to self....when I buy new luggage get four wheels instead of two) especially if you have to pull your suitcase from one end of Shinjuku station to the other as we change to the Yamonote line (the green circle line). The Suica/Nex pass we got will do us for the next few days in Tokyo until our Japan Rail Pass kicks in and also for our return trip to the airport.

Shin-Okubo station is one up from Shinjuku and one we are going to get used to as a five minute walk away is our home while we are in Tokyo, the Tokyo Plaza Hotel. The hotel is cute, small, and clean, and the staff seem really friendly. The only hiccup is that there is no lift to reception and it is one the first floor and after fourteen hours of flying and I guess 38hrs since I leapt out of bed yesterday morning I don't have the energy to lug my bag up the stairs but I got lucky there was a young guy from Canada who obviously took pity on my and helped me carry it up the stairs.

It's funny though how once you throw the bags on the bed, quickly freshen up and look out the window that you just want to get out there and explore, no matter how tired you are, and that's what we've just done. Okay it was only a quick walk up the street to take a few photos and soak in the fact that no we're not in Melbourne any more. Across the road from the hotel is a small Shinto shrine and there is something about that small sanctuary in the middle of a busy little street that makes me feel at peace.

I love the street our hotel is in and notice that apart from our hotel sign, the slot machine sign , the gold old golden arches and the 7-11 (we stocked up on breakfast supplies and the best pork buns ever, if all else fails we can survive on pork buns :) ) that yep, we're definitely in Japan and I think I'm going to love it.

#tokyo #jApAN