Aaaaand We're Back!

The trip this year snuck up on us so fast, we realized on Monday that we were leaving in six days. Between school and the band touring, I haven't really had a day off in months. Luckily for us, we're pretty good at packing for these trips. This year, we will be finally traveling to the southernmost islands of Japan, Okinawa!

But first things first, the trip down to O'Hare and the flight to Japan were surprisingly smooth. Just, you know, 22 hours of travel door-to-door. We're staying tonight at the Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Haneda, which is a hotel on the same man-made island that the airport is located, just on the southwestern tip of the island. It has an observation room on the 10th floor where you can watch the planes take off and the whole hotel is a weird combination of upscale business and... plane nerd. The hotel restaurant has $150 steaks and everything is hardwood and marble. But then you get to the hallways leading to the rooms.

Sumi and I were so burnt by the time we got to the hotel, all we wanted to do was get some food from a konbini and collapse. Fortunately, as this is Japan, than meant an 8 minute walk to the nearby Family Mart, which was just over a bridge to the "mainland". The bridge was also full-on plane nerd, with artwork depicting a history of air machines in Japan

Starting with 18th century balloons

To early 20th century planes

I love the fact that there is a blimp, too.

Ans up through the Boeing 747

There were also REAL plane nerds on the other side of the bridge taking pictures of the planes taking off

While the other side of the bridge was typical Japan, with river boats and a vermillion bridge. Red bridges are traditional in Japan, vermillion being a color that wards off evil and prevents disasters. Traditional ones, called soribashi, were fairly steep foot bridges that symbolized the transition from the physical to the spiritual worlds in Shinto and Buddhist traditions.

Typical view from a bridge in Japan

Traditional soribashi

As we walked back we saw a plane taking off and realized just how close we were to the airport. One of the runways for domestic flights is literally across the street from the hotel, and the planes are just taking flight when they go over the building.

Anyway, that's it for our first check-in of the trip. By this time tomorrow, we'll be on a tropical isalnd in Okinawa!

P.S. Japan never fails to amuse with their products and their signage.

Think Corn Chex with chili and....cod roe...flavor <shudder>

I so wanted this to be a specialty amphibian waxing salon or something.
It's an airport logistics company.
Very disappointing.