I left my heart in Tokyo

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We treated ourselves to a late start on my last day in Japan and were pleasantly surprised to find that breakfast wasn't the usual bun fight it had been on our first visit to this hotel. All the tourists must have been up and out for an early trawl of the sights.

As we'd been out of internet access in Hokkaido, we took the opportunity to check our emails after breakfast and the British weather came across as the main theme in our messages from home. Being as we'd just come from the snow barracks of northern Japan and were now enjoying a gorgeous sunny morning in Tokyo, we we're a little unsure of exactly what day it was or indeed, what our names were. How can one country cope so well with a bucket load of snow and another return to the Dark Ages in a flash?

We checked Heathrow's website and concluded that there wasn't a lot we could do, so after sending a calming email to the parents, we checked out and left it to hope. Mark was also catching a flight today (to balmy Okinawa) so the plan was to head to Ueno station and then spilt up - Mark going back to Haneda domestic airport and me to Narita International. There shouldn't be any problems with my first flight leg so if the worst case scenario happened and the leg home from Rome was cancelled, I'd just go see the Coliseum I figured!

With Skyliner train tickets purchased, we said our goodbyes with many assurances of being okay and able to cope on our own - from both sides. I will admit that I was a tad nervous but I reminded myself of my age and that rapidly calmed (or was it depressed) me. As we all know, Mr Fiennes positively revels in adventure so I had few worries there other than him eating properly occasionally and not wearing his vest in inclement weather.

So here I was on my own and well done me, I managed to get on the correct train and was at least going in the right direction. Found my way to departures and checked in with no problems apart from being getting a rubbish seat. With the obligatory fridge magnet still to purchase for an esteemed friend, I had planned on having a leisurely stroll around the duty free shops before going through security. However, one look at the queue soon changed my mind and I had to tag onto the end. Japanese efficiency soon came to bear though and the wait wasn't too bad. The busyness of the souvenir shops was a little on the extreme side and it was all I could do to squeeze between the aisles and grab something suitable before I screamed and went nuts in public. Alas, it would be my last chance to buy tat and get rid of all the coins that had turned my purse into an overstuffed clinking sandwich.

30 minutes later, I was as settled in my airplane seat as I was ever going to be (stuck between 2 noisy idiots) taking off on my way back to Blighty. Homeward bound but not a contented bunny, but such are return flights.

So we get to my closing thoughts on Japan…

There's been so much beauty in the minutia that it feels like we've seen just as many new things here as during our first trip to the rainforest. And I know it's a hideous cliché but Japan really is a country of myriad contrasts and contradictions.

The space age lavatories that I've mentioned so often seem to always be supplied with the meanest, thinnest toilet paper in the world which never failed to surprised me.

The electronic equipment is so far advanced that it probably won't be seen in Europe for another decade at least but the cabling systems spanning the cities is worthy of Ridley Scott.

From 9 to 5, the country displays the graciousness for which it is famous but hang around after work in Tokyo and the place erupts into a cacophony of pachinko halls, sake bars and karaoke whilst the demure ladies put on their maid outfits and act even more 'demurely' serving coffee. And somehow, the traditional tranquillity and meditative Zen gardens live quite happily side by side with the bells and beeps and shouts of "irashaimase" in the shopping malls.

The super efficient public transport really does run on time to the exact minute, and this competes with the slow (by European standards) roads. Although we did find out how they got such good road surfaces - the Tarmac is finished by hand.

Most people wear face masks (available in a multitude of colours, patterns and sizes) to protect from the invisible dangers in the air. They are, however, quite happy to risk the very visible danger of the sea and eat the famously poisonous Fugu.

We always try to learn at least some basic local phrases whenever we go abroad but I find I still become very British on our travels. My carefully practiced Japanese accent went out the window to be replaced by a good imitation of David Attenborough when he arrived by canoe on Vanuatu. Mr Fiennes once offered the phrase; "hello, we're British" at a US Border crossing which he enjoyed doing so much he now uses at every possible opportunity.

Okay, it's time to wrap this trip up at long last - this final blog has been the hardest to write unsurprisingly. I hope these trip reports have given you some amusement, a hint of a tint of Japan and a picture of exactly what life is like when travelling with an incorrigible birder.

Arigato gozaimas for taking the time to read my ramblings and here's to the next trip!
TTFN, Lisa

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Comments

[Grumpy Hippo]

An amusing taste of Japan
The series of blogs have been made most enjoyable reading. I having adventured north and west but never east. But there again I may be biased.