The Journey

After a lot of confusion between British Airways and Japan Airlines, I ended up paying an additional £140 for excess baggage, not a great way to start my journey! It felt like it only took seconds to get rushed through security, through the gates on to the plane, where I was sat between two German gentlemen, who later gave me funny looks as I cried at a Disney movie, but hey what can I say, I had a lot of emotions to let out! I also have to confess that I rather enjoyed my flight food. 

Soon enough I had arrived at Tokyo Haneda, where I had my first run in with immigration (which was beyond confusing, and I think the Japanese now have my fingerprints on file) and where I had my first experience of Japanese toilets. I had the choice of essentially squatting over a hole, or sitting at a toilet with more buttons that my phone. (I will upload a picture later)

Once that adventure was over, in a sleep filled haze, I wandered onto a bus outside, not really knowing where I was or where I was going. The seat next to me was soon filled with a little old Japanese man, who was quite happy chatting away with me half in English and half in Japanese, and soon enough half the bus was trying to chat to me in broken English, all the while the bus continued to drive further and further away from where I thought I was supposed to be. Eventually I parted ways with my new Japanese bestie, and I had the enjoyment of navigating yet another airport. Now in the domestic flights building, my world was quickly becoming more and more Japanese, and once on the second plane I soon realised that I was the only non-Japanese person around! 

Yet as this plane took off from Tokyo, the sight from my window was stunning! As the plane broke through the fluffiest clouds I have ever seen, I was faced with bright blue skies. Below me, between the clouds stretched out Tokyo in all its glory, accompanied by a double rainbow, which from above you could seen almost the entirety of. For the first time I felt a little relaxed. Soon the landscape turned into mountains and fields, and I was amazed at how flat the land was, where there wasn't a mountain the land appeared to have no slopes of any sort. 

Once in Okayama, and a stressful taxi ride later I arrived at my accommodation. It would be safe to say that the accommodation was not what I had imagined, and through exhausted, jet lagged eyes it seemed even worse. 

Before I even got a chance to nap I was off to meetings and registrations, I had to buy food, cleaning products and everything else. So much happened in that one day that it already feels like weeks have passed.