On the way!

Monday 4th April and off.

I picked up my passport and China visa, I had understood that the visa would be dated from the date I said that I would be entering China, it isn't, it's dated from Friday when I requested the Visa. This is not a problem for me but I am sure I have read somewhere that you should request the visa at least a month before travelling, this is obviously not a good idea if you have a long trip planned.

I had booked a night (?night - I have to get up at 03.30) in a cheap hotel near Heathrow. I suppose you get what you pay for. It's the first time I have been disappointed with booking.com. When I got to the hotel I thought it was shut; the curtains were all drawn, all hung badly and I had to ring and knock 3 times, then I was asked to come back later as he was fumigating! I've heard that even the Parador in Santiago has had bed-bugs so I supposed I should be grateful to be the first one in after the fumigation!! I thought of covering myself in anti-bug liquid. There was no kettle in the room either which was a disappointment but the young lad who was running it brought me a couple of cups of coffee. I put my alarm on for 03.30, tucked in to a supper of sandwiches and a mug of wine and watched 'Waking the Dead' before cuddling down to sleep.

Wednesday! It was difficult to know which day was Wednesday as we lost 7 hours somewhere. So, Tuesday morning I got up at 03.30 and went for the 04.09 bus to Terminal 4. Whilst I was standing at the bus-stop the top of my left arm started to itch! Needless to say I hadn't coated myself in anti-bug liquid! The itching got worse over the day (and night). They don't really look like bites but by Wednesday evening I had 40 bites/lumps up my left leg, 8 or 9 at the top of each arm, some around my neck and a few up my right leg!! They are just very itchy red lumps. I don't know what the chap was fumigating against but I don't think it worked, what's more I woke up during the night and smelt chemicals, I was really worried that I was going to spend the night breathing noxious fumes and be unwell for the flight, but I was OK. I had breakfast at the airport and then another one on the flight to Milan. It was the first time in years that I have been fed on a plane! I didn't have much spare time in Milan but I had to travel from Linate airport to Malpensa, when I checked on the shuttle bus I discovered that there was a long wait so I decided to make my own way, and to visit the Duomo en route. It is really beautiful, I was glad I made the effort. Unfortunately there was so little time that I didn't have time to stop for a drink, I got to the airport just under 2 hours before the flight, checked in then went for food, by this time it was after 1pm and I had nothing to eat or drink since about 07.30. I really must be more systematic in my approach to eating and drinking. Anyway, I found a very nice little bar, I thought, restaurant actually and had lunch. (The italians really manage to do somethings very well.) Later I had what they called 'lunch' on the plane, because of turbulence we didn't have this till after 4pm so I managed both, this was just as well as we didn't get another meal till breakfast! I put my watch forward the 7 hours straight way so I could persuade myself it was bedtime. Actually Alitalia was very good about drinks and snacks, there was a trolley left at the back all night and anyone could help themselves, they also came around with water or coke a couple of times. The flight went north after Milan, across Rumania, Poland, Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, China and South Korea, in fact I did Trans-siberia in the air. It was dark and mostly cloudy but I did see a light now and again over Siberia and the stars were phenomenal. We stopped in Osaka so that the crew could change, Alitalia doesn't want it's crews overnighting in Tokyo!

We sat on the plane, on the apron, in the heat for over an hour whilst the crew changed, the plane re-fuelled and we had a health check! (A ?doctor walked around the plane and flashed a gadget at us, I suppose it was a long distance thermometer, why don't hospitals have those??) He decided we were all OK. I refrained from scratching for a while as I was afraid he would not let me in!

My first view of Mt Fuji, taken from the air.

We then flew on to Tokyo, no-one offered us anything else to drink and by the time we got through customs and immigration it was well after 12. I had a coffee at the airport but I was anxiuos to get to my hotel, I had to take a train and a subway so it was a real test of my intiative.




The girl at the hotel was SO enthusiastic when she saw me, I felt quite guilty that I had cancelled one night. She insisted on taking our photos, I must point out that I had been travelling for a long time!

I saw no signs of power cuts or transport problems, Tokyo seems to be fuctioning normally. I was given a bottle of water, instead of drinking tap water, which was a bit naughty of me to take as I had bought a bottle in Milan so as not to use up Tokyo's important reserves. the Cherry blossom has started to flower so there is a joyous feeling. I have also seen a few people in Kimonos, I don't know whether this is normal.
I went to the temple of Senso-ji, my first Japanese temple, but certainly not my last.


I also went to Nakamise Dori, as Lonely Planet recommends a visit and says that it is the place to buy kimonos.I intended to buy a kimono but was too tired and not ready to spend money straight away so I didn't. So there we are Day 1 or Day 1 and a half. I've had a shower, put all my dirty clothes in a plastic bag to be washed a.s.a.p (it had better be soon as I don't have many clothes with me!).


I was intrigued by the power cables in the streets, I assume it is because of the risk of earth-quakes that they hang around above ground!

Thursday 7th April 2011

I slept fairly well despite jet-lag and itching but I was up at 6 so I decided to start early. It is not recommended, for tourists, to use the subway during the rush hour (from 07.30 to 09.30) and I certainly didn't want to do it with my back pack. I found the subways easier than I expected though somehow I managed to miscalculate the cost of my ticket. The ticket Officer was very helpful, everyone is very helpful. (I feel a bit of a novelty, I was the only Western tourist I saw in Tokyo, I have seen a couple, ? from Oz, here in Osaka.) I got my Japan Rail Pass this morning so the next few days will be busy. I'm sorry I didn't see more of Tokyo but I feel that the few hours I had were well spent.