on the road to Okinawa
We boarded a 6:30 am flight from Boston to Toronto on Air Canada on Sunday the 25th. The time of day and day of the week since then has eluded me, as it should be on vacation. What matters is that we made all our connecting flights.
The airport in Toronto was empty, except for the line at the coffee shop where it seemed that everyone in the place ran to at the same time. I waited almost 10 minutes for Dunkins-like coffee, and after the line ended it seemed like everyone left the airport. You could hear echoes of people walking around.
At the customs desk, we waited in line for our turn, and then walked up to the counter. The customs officer typed away for several seconds, and then paused. Looking up, he said to us through gritted teeth in a voice of barely controlled rage “If you had waited behind the line I would have called you when I was ready.” The experience in general in Toronto was not overly positive. A lot of French speaking personnel who seemed to be helpful only grudgingly.
After about a 3 hour layover, we were off to Narita. The 13 hour flight was smooth and relaxing. Robbin slept part of the way. I was awake the entire time. I had Robert Jordan’s “Knife of Dreams” to re-read, and they had movies and tv for free. I watched “Greenberg” with Ben Stiller. Not laugh out loud funny, but entertaining.
Narita Airport was a different experience. Much smaller and much more crowded than any airport I’ve been in. It was also very warm, with the temperature set in the mid to upper 70s. The airport personnel were very helpful, guiding us to customs where we were photographed and fingerprinted. Thankfully we did not have to switch terminals, so finding our gate was relatively easy.
I walked through the duty-free shops, and learned an important lesson. If you go to buy a drink with the picture of a plant on it, and you aren’t 100% sure you know what the plant is; don’t buy it. I bought something that looked like iced tea, and instead was the most disgusting drink I’ve ever tried.
From Narita we flew three hours to Naha Airport on Okinawa. Another good flight. We are very happy with Air Canada. We arrived about 9 pm Monday (Okinawa time). They are 13 hours ahead. I was very happy to see my son in law, and we made the drive to McTureous Marine base. Robbin and I slept as soon as we hit the bed, and woke the next morning without a trace of time difference. A bit jet lagged, but not more than any other trip I’d taken.
One last note; when changing money for a trip to Japan bring only enough yen with you to get you to your destination. The exchange rates in the States are terrible. We were given about 70 yen per dollar. When we made it to here they were giving 86 yen to the dollar.
As for music; I’ve rediscovered Mary Lou Lord on Facebook. Nick played some Hot Action Cop during the car ride tonight. If you like Red Hot Chili Peppers, give them a try, but make sure there are no kids in the car! Them lyrics is explicit.
