This morning, Wednesday October 11, I woke up a little chilled, a little sore, but in good spirits because all my stuff was still next to me…..I had just spent the night sleeping in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Granted, it was a really safe place considering the hundred other people who had found comfort on the various cushioned and wooden benches spread throughout the complex. In four hours, I would be on a plane destined for Tokyo……WOW!!! What does this mean? It meant an end to a journey, but a beginning to a new life….:) I was excited to see my girlfriend, Sonia and friends, Dan and Emily, but it all seemed unreal….What would we talk about? Where would we travel to? How would we get along? Have they changed? Have I changed? All these questions, many unknowns, but hopefully in the end we would find a common ground for the travel in Japan!
I landed safely at the Tokyo Narita Airport and the time was 6:45 p.m.! The typical phone, food, and lodging ads now looked like they were taken partly from a children’s book or animation short. This was unique! The customs officer searched my bag in detail, asking questions about drugs, alcohol, and pornography. It was the most detailed search of the trip, but I got through and was allowed to visit Japan for the next 90 days…..Sweet, although no Hello Kitty signs or stickers yet!
Flight into Japan….Express Train to Tokyo Station……2nd Rail Line to Shimbashi Station….Walk through crowds of suits and fashioned-up women…..Arrive at the fancy 4-star hotel in your flip flops, torn jeans, simple “T,” and shaggy hair (anyone seen a backpacker?)…..feelin’ out of place for the first time on the trip…..familiar faces (Sonia, Dan, and Emily) notice you…..smiles and laughs…..Priceless!
The weirdest part initially in Japan was that I went from having simple lodging costs of hostels, guest houses, cheap hotels, etc…..costs typically ranged at a low of $2 to a high of $60 during my trip and I ended up most of the time in rags….on arrival in Tokyo, the hotels that were chosen were much higher end hotels with many amenities and higher costs, resulting in the riches....:( It was a tough adjustment for me and one that I struggled with while being in Japan.
After traveling at lower costs, I wondered about the many things people and me spend money on that are not necessary....money that could be spent on helping people and that’s it…….just think about your next trip or your next purchase at the store and decide if you really need that hotel with a spa or that SUV with heated seats……just a thought, but it would be cool to see it take action!
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