I left my house at 4:30 am EST after some hugs, kisses and "call you soons" and arrived at the airport to little fanfare. :( The weather from Bangor to La Guardia was a little rough, just like our landing but our group was no worse for the wear. The cab ride to JFK was an experience itself as our driver bobbed and weaved through Sunday morning NYC traffic. You can see in the picture that the roads weren't as busy as they could have been.
Luckily (sarcasm) we had a 7 hour layover before our 13 hour flight. In reality, it gave our group some time to bond, play games, and joke around. Many of us were already starting to get punchy from lack of sleep so giggles were easily had. A pretty thick fog rolled in too which looked far more intimidating in person than in the picture.
On the flight to Narita, staying awake was nearly impossible. I tried to read but after 10 seconds, realized I had fallen asleep for half an hour. I tried to watch a movie, but after the first couple of minutes I fell asleep and woke up with only 15 minutes left in the movie. It felt strange, almost as if I was magically moving through time one nap at a time. I wish these naps were more restful but you get awoken on a fairly regular basis by flight attendants asking if you would like something to eat or drink. I'll spare you the rest.
When we landed, getting off the plane felt amazing! Nothing was more amazing than the bathroom at the airport though. I was almost afraid to use it since it was so fancy and full of gadgetry. I won't tell you what happened in there but it was pure magic and I will be having one installed in my home very soon!
After a quick group shot we had a relatively short ride to our hotel. For dinner we walked over to a tiny little shop that sold bowls of Ramen noodles cooked in broth of pork collagen. Sound appetizing? Well it was really good. Since I'm FAR from the adventurous eater, I ate mine with a spiced boiled egg.
I'm off to bed now but we have a full day tomorrow meeting with JETRO and visiting the Imperial Palace.
Sayonara
- Tony Llerena Photography
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Please stop reading. This section is for my family.
JETJNB-DLY
DEL-Tom Petty's from Gainesville
