16 October 2016
Landing gets you half way there
Taking the cheaper Kesei mainline from Narita airport
The second flight was great, despite being in economy it was only half full and I had the middle block of 4 seats to myself.
Qantas actually did a very good job of the service as well, lots of drinks offered, the weiss bar ice cream was the highlight, I turned down the second meal which was actually a Gozleme.
Anyway, heres my top tips for flying in economy -
1. Dont be a fat person because I have no trouble fitting and never even recline my seat.
2. Sit in an aisle seat in the middle block, this is your best bet to have no one next to you.
3. Do everything in slow motion, do not multi task, you have time! Spend 20 minutes eating your meal rather than 20 seconds.
4. Drink everything on offer, and use the bathroom at least 10 times during the flight, getting up out of your chair is key!
5. When you go to the bathroom, assuming others are not waiting, waste time in there looking at stuff, standing and stretching.
6. Assuming theres no turbulence, walk around the long way back to your seat, do a figure of 8 around the plane.
The flight actually arrived 45 minutes early, the only movie I watched was dirty harry, because its fantastic.
Because we were early, there was nowhere to park the plane. So the pilot literally cruised around Narita airport looking for a park, and then once we found one the baggage and service cars and people to operate the aerobridge all had to get to us to let us off, so this changed being early to being on time.
Then the great news was there was literally no one in the customs line, the guy did not even look at me and let me through (previously have had many questions), my bag was there waiting, the green inspection guy did not even want to look in my bag. This despite all the new audible warning that Japan is on high alert and everyone will be searched many times before leaving. Please accept our apology, drop your pants and bow.
However, this is not Tokyo, this is Narita, there is a couple of hours to go yet! I had no issues collecting my wifi device or getting money out, and decided on the slightly longer taking Kesei main line limited express for about $12 compared to $40 for the JR NEX train or the limo bus.
This meant changing trains at Nippori to get to Shinjuku, all very boring details about trains, but it did take nearly 2 hours in all to get from the airport to my hotel.
The best news of the day, despite being very tired and looking like death, after checking in I went out and made sure I got to my 25,000 steps goal, got to maintain my graph and 'goal streak', its all I have.
I dont have anything funny to say unfortunately.
Me, in Japan. I dont look as tired as before.
The train did not have many people on it at all. This is a pointless photo of a train platform I am waiting on.
My hotel room is brand new, cheap, small, but in the greatest location ever, right next to the big cinema complex in Kabuchiko.
I am on the 27th floor and have an amazing view, photos of that coming on another day when I remember and need to pad this nonsense out a bit with more boring photos.
The bathroom and its multi function plumbing art installation piece.
The bed is quite comfortable, TV has BBC news as its token English channel.
This is the outside of the hotel, I cant get it all in. Theres a large open area in front of it popular with skateboarders. Despite the noise and commotion downstairs, the room is silent.
My hotel is at the end of this street, also first photo of neon madness, expect more.
The Japanese have kindly renamed this street Godzilla Street for silly foreigners like me to understand and take photos.
New Shinjuku (New New?) This is across the main road out the front of the station. None of that was here last time I was in Japan. New hotel, new buildings, I thought they didnt have money to build anything new due to the halving of the population?
I smell olympic debt.