The first day of this trip to Tokyo can never be considered as a first Real day. Not only was it technically over 24 hours of travelling (as far as the clocks are concerned), but it also only consisted of sitting in a chair at 10000m for 13 hours, getting told my luggage was sent to another country, sitting in a taxi for another hour, collapsing in our room at the hotel, then hitting up a convenience store for dinner and “going to sleep”, which I say sarcastically as I write this wide awake at 4am.
Jumping The Big Puddle
The flight was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be; we departed from Pearson at 1:40pm and touched down at Haneda by 2:00am (Ottawa Time) with nothing to complain about except wobbly legs and the single longest trip to the bathroom I have ever experienced. There was also a baby crying for the last 5 hours of the flight, but nothing headphones and an action movie couldn’t drown out.
One Small Hiccup
Once we were through customs and waiting for our luggage, I saw a woman carrying a sign with my name on it (a worriesome sight, considering I hadn’t entered into a raffle recently OR paid for a chauffre). She told me that my bags were sent to another country and that they would be sent to my hotel by tomorrow evening. While I don’t have any clothes to wear but what I already have on, 1 day late is way better then it getting lost completely.
The Hotel
A very pleasant experience through and through. Not only was our taxi driver incredibly kind, but checking in was smooth and hassle-free (and we were being checked in by a trainee who did everything perfectly). The room we have is this quaint little apartment with a small kitchen that has all the essentials. I think it’ll be very easy staying here for 2 weeks, especially since the bed is comfy. However…
The Circadian Issue
13 hours difference in time is basically a full mirror of my usual night/day rhythm. So, while I couldn’t fall asleep on the plane (between being unable to sleep sitting up and not having the audacity to tilt my seat back) and then caught 3 hours of sleep I caught from 9pm-12am after we ate, right now my brain is telling me it’s the afternoon and I should be awake, while its actually 4:30am and the sun is only starting to rise.
Reflection
So far, despite a few small issues which will be resolved soon enough, this trip is awesome! Japan has such a cool vibe and I’m super excited to explore and start taking photos! Now, let’s see if I can get any more Zzzs before breakfast.
Keep Capturing,
Eric