We're here!

20/2/11

Arrived at Narita airport, got in a seemingly pointless shuttle train that took us maybe 50 metres to customs.


Photo: Pointless magnetic shuttle train?


Took us a while to organise the collection of the missing luggage, we will be collecting it tomorrow from the airport. Maybe...

Customs was a breeze to get through, as was immigration. And yes, they did have a strange fingerprint scanner (and yes it was futuristic. And cool).

The first food I ate here was a 'german dog' ...aka a regular hotdog.

Okay. Get pumped get seriously pumped for this.

...My first vending machine experience was at the train station. They. are. unbelievable. On Sam's recommendation I selected the hot corn soup from the 40" touch screen.  At ¥120 it tasted surprisingly good.

Sitting on the train at the moment, heading towards tokyo. The train is fast, clean, quiet, the seats are heated and there is no gum on the floor. It. is. bizarre.

I'm writing so much today to make up for the likely lack of writing there will be in the next few days.

Plane trip. Gold Coast to Tokyo

4 hours into the flight I wonder if being seated on the opposite end of the plane to everybody else was a blessing or a curse. I have actually managed to get a couple of hours sleep. Being about 3 sizes too big for the chair has rewarded me with a deathly sore neck.  Plus a sore throat and dry mouth caused by my body's most recent (and most brilliant) decision to sleep with its mouth open. I think it's time to see what the others are up to...



Photo: Black books. Hilarious.


45 minutes out of tokyo, the temperature outside the plane is a balmy -60°C. Ground temperature when we land, was ~4°C

Arriving Goldcoast

20/2/11

Maybe it's the sleep deprivation talking but does anybody else find the phase:

In an emergency the crew will be 'most helpful' to me,

hilarious?

Turns out being last on the plane has its advantages. You don't have to wait around for people like us, and you're one of the first to collect your bag at luggage claim. Unfortunately it also has its disadvantages, namely 4/6 of our bags not making it to Gold Coast.



Photo: controversy at oversize baggage claim causes emotional roller coaster

Photo: Tension is high as our situation is described as "definitely cray"

With plenty of time to spare we grab some eats. Shortly after which I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A shocking reminder of how little sleep I've had. 15 minutes in the car, 5 minutes on the plane. I look almost as tired as I feel.

A combination of sleep derivation and hunger caused me and Sam to end up being an hour early for boarding...






Photo: Goldcoast used: Change Time Zone, it was super effective. Sam is now confused.

Departing Melbourne

20/2/11

Arrived at Casa Oscar approximately midnight. Reddit made sure we didn't sleep until the a car trip to the airport. A nap cut short by sam spilling foam letters all over the back seat.

When we arrived at the airport it was completely deserted, we flew through check in, grabbed something to eat, frugally exchanged our monies. Everything was running smoothly. Until we went to board. Finding that not only had our flight been canceled, but waiting for us at checking was jetstar's latest record attempt at the world's longest line. An hour, multiple reassurances that we were in the right line and 20 metres later we were called to the front counter over loud speaker. Not completely wasted, an hour spent in line afforded numerous opportunities to abuse the phase 'dat shit be cray'.  A phase which I'm sure by the end of this trip will have lost what little meaning it once had.




Photo: "That shit cray!" - Jetstar makes a lazy and powerless enemy



After a frantic dash to the boarding gate and numerous threats to unleash our wraith upon jetstar, we made it.

Sacrificing leg room for a lack of responsibility, Sam and I sat second from the front. One away from the emergency exit. We simultaneously realise this is the first time either of us have been seated in front of the wing. A thought upon which sam decides he must meditate.




Photo: sam contemplating the complexities of life

In the beginning, there was a...