In one of those deals that only make sense to airline marketing staff I grabbed a heavily discounted ticket from Stockholm to Bangkok. I paid SEK 5.400 for a ticket that would take me from Stockholm to Copenhagen and then onwards to Krung Thep. The poor sods wanting to board the plane in Copenhagen would have to pay SEK 19.000. Go figure. This modus operandi kind of set the parameters for the trip in general. It was kind of marred by minor hassles all along the way, delayed and broken down trains, illness and scrubbed flights. Perhaps I am starting to become a bit complacent, intercontinental travel doesn't hold the same magical aura it once did, nowadays I just want to get on with the damned thing. In part this is mainly because my local airport ... read more

As the Moomin-painted A340 descended towards Centrair, the major regional airport on an artifical island south of Nagoya, the sky seemed somewhat blueish in colour, but as we came closer and closer to the ground the sickly grey haze got more and more prominent and started to consume objects at the horizon, and then creeping steadily closer and closer. For some reason I have developed an idea that much of Japan (and other cities in Asia for that matter) seems to be consumed by this grey hunger. Buildings in drab concrete whites, beiges and greys don't add much spice to the variety either. On the other hand, this is more than compensated for by a colourful and interesting population. My philosophical wanderlust was swiftly whisked away by a breeze of hot air streaming towards my face ... read more

The entry into Japan had been arduous and the exit proved to be a likewise unnerving ordeal. I had prepared most of my packing the night before and knowing the airport was just some fifteen minutes away by subway I caught some much needed sleep and only got up at five before heading out to catch the plane at 7 am. At five thirty the streets were quite dead, and I had to walk an extra bit with my bags as several subway entrances were not yet open. I don't know why, but a gnawing sense of unease entered mymind and would not let go. Once I got down to the subway platform I knew what it was. As the train arrived, the relaxed pace I had come to enjoy in Fukuoka was taken for a ... read more

The hotel had a fairly early check-out time at 10 am, but it suited me fine anyway, as it would put me on the road to Kumamoto without delay. Through the last days I had seen more and more people walk around town with face masks, and unlike a common belief that this is due to protect themselves from heavy pollution there is another important reason as well, they are not wearing it to protect themselves, but out of courtesy to other people. Yes... it is because they are ill, infectious, contagious, impure, dangerous to the productive society. But in a country with a high population density it is of course impossible to survive without becoming affected by any virus doing the rounds, and I was to be no exception. When I woke up I could ... read more

Well, well... what do you know? As my imminent departure drew near, someone figured it was time to ease up on the clouds. Frustratingly so, the blue sky began to peak out again. I guess someone wanted to make sure the weather wouldn't keep my plane grounded as if to really make sure I got off the island pronto. Naha's immediate proximity to the airport meant that I could just casually check out and walk a few hundred meters to the nearest monorail station, and then find myself at the airport concourse some fifteen minutes later. The whole process of leaving my room and securing a boarding pass didn't even take 30 minutes. Quite impressive. Domestic flights in Japan generally seem to board around fifteen minutes before departure, so with more than an hour to spare ... read more