Sapporo Yuki!

As I had set my watch to Japan time (it's eight hours ahead for anyone that didn't know but if you do already know this, I'm really sorry to interrupt the flow of the paragraph by sticking a large and frankly quite pointless bit of explanatory text in between two brackets) when I boarded the plane it was already Thursday (note to self: Next time, book an extra day...) and I begin to settle down for the long long long flight ahead (O_o)

Not wanting to bore you with the intricate details, here's a quick rundown of how I spent eleven and a half hours:

I watched a movie: King Kong - Thought it was rubbish, wished I'd watched Memoirs of a Geisha instead.

Played a video game: Invasion - A space invaders type game where you try to save the galaxy from...er...invasion. Every now and again we would hit some turbulence which spookily enough seemed to coincide with getting blasted on screen!)

Slept (for about one and a half hours) in a very uncomfortable half foetal/half person-who-has-just-fallen-off-a-very-tall-building-and-landed-badly-on-a-picket-fence type position.

Went to the toilet: Not really because I needed to, more for something to do and to get a bit of exercise, but to be honest, I find it very difficult to concentrate on doing what I went in there to do as:

1. I think you need to have some kind of spinal deformity to comfortably fit into an airplane toilet anyway.

2. It's kind of scary when you are in there because you can really feel the turbulence, especially in the one at the back and no matter how you try not to think about it, you just know that the metal structure of the plane is just twisting like a b*stard.

Tried to avoid Deep Vein Thrombosis in the back of my knees.

Anyway, to cut a very long eleven and a half hour story short, I eventually landed at Tokyo Narita Airport, exhausted but alive!

YAY! GO ME!!! :D First part of the journey successfully completed! Now comes the fun part of trying to navigate my way around Narita, collecting my bag, going through customs, checking in for the next flight, picking up a mobile phone that I hired from the airline, finding my way to the correct gate and getting on the plane bound for Sapporo. Simple huh? (before I left the UK, I wasn't looking forward to the three hour wait between landing in Tokyo and flying out again, but now I'm really glad I had all that time to do all the stuff that I had to)

While at Narita, I go to find a toilet (thought I'd give it a go seeing as I was on solid ground! Haha!) - I enter, and seeing as there is a queue (well, one English guy) I wait. "It's ok" he says "you can go first" and motions toward the one empty cubicle that I haven't noticed. "Ok! Thanks!" I say and go in. It's then I notice that it's a Japanese style toilet! "Ah!" I think "That's why he let me go first"

Next stop: Luggage claim. I find the correct carousel and wait for my bag. And wait. And wait. And wait (getting more and more concerned as I see other people just walking up and taking their bags almost immediately and seeing other bags making their second and third circuits)

And then: Aha! A recognisable strap! My bag!! Hooray!!! :D

Next stop: Customs! I lift my case and hand luggage onto the table and open them up.
"Do you have any of these items?" Says the rather sweet and gentle looking customs woman showing me a scrapbook with some photocopied pictures (I always imagine customs people to be big and mean and intimidating somehow)

"Guns? Swords? Pornography? Drugs?" (I can never understand why they ask the sword question. As Japan makes the best swords in the world, why would you want to bring one in???)

After replying no to all of the above, she very carefully picks through my case, looking like she doesn't want to mess up my immaculate (even if I do say so myself!) packing.

Phil had asked me before I left if I would bring some Salt and Vinegar crisps for him (which were currently residing in my case) She picks up each of the packets in turn and gives them a gentle squeeze.

After being satisfied that I wasn't attempting to corrupt the citizens of Japan, she takes a look in my hand luggae, once again carefully picking through the items inside, stopping at the packets of tea bags that I have in there.

"What are these, please?" she says with a cheery smile (don't think customs officers are supposed to smile are they?)

"Teabags"

"???"

"Um…tea in bags in a foil wrapper"

"Ah Tea!"

She picks up the packet, gently lifts up the corner and has a good sniff (they were in another bag sealed with tape just in case the foil bags split in transit) once again trying her hardest not to ruin the careful packing.

Once she is satisfied that I'm not bringing in anything illegal, she informs me that I can go. As I pack up my case, the plastic buckle on my case strap snaps. The poor customs woman looks on in horror and apologises profusely even though it was me that broke it!

Next stop: Pick up my mobile phone.
ANA had an offer for people travelling with them that they could hire a mobile free for thirty days. I highly recommend it as it proved to be invaluable!

Next stop: Flight to Sapporo!
After checking in at the ANA desk and getting directions to the correct gate (I can't thank the ANA staff that I encountered throughout my trip enough. Without them I would probably still be wandering around Narita!) I board the flight for the final leg of my journey. I can finally take a bit of a breather and relax (sort of!) I manage to get a window seat and spend the short trip transfixed by the beautiful sunset.

After Landing at Chitose, I once again go through the fun of waiting for my case (and once again the fun of seeing everyone else's case go around a few times before mine eventually pops out from behind the rubber curtains like a sleepy rabbit greeting a new morning after a heavy night drinking vodka based cocktails. Although I'm not too sure if rabbits would have rubber curtains. I'll get back to you on that one...)

As I finally arrive in…well..in Arrivals, I'm greeted by the friendly face of Phil! (Thanks for coming to pick me up!) who has come to take me to the hotel, give me a quick guide to Sapporo and generally settle me in.

We board the train, and although all the signs are in Japanese and there are Japanese people everywhere (as there would be in Japan) it doesn't really sink in that I'm finally here. After all the talk, all the planning, I'm in Japan…Cue one slightly exhausted internal Whooo! :P

After checking in at the Hotel 330 Grande Sapporo, I head back to Phil's for a bit of a sit down and something to eat (Thanks Christine, Oishii des!) Then back to the hotel for some much needed sleep...