The Travelodge at Manchester Airport was full of angry, nicotine drenched souls and broken light bulbs. I was far too excited to notice. The first hurdle was setting our alarms against the backdrop of wondering if our phones would automatically update for British Summer Time (they did! Magic).
After a Greggs breakfast, we parted ways (we took separate flights, long story). As I watched Angelos disappear around the corner I just wanted this whole journey over with so we could be together again.
It all started so well. The flight to Copenhagen was uneventful. But as soon as I got there I hit my first snag. My flight to Tokyo Narita was delayed by 2 hours. I was trying to remain optimistic and think that it could be worse, so then I had to wrestle with the airport Wi-Fi.
I don't know about you, but to me, "free Wi-Fi" sounds like something you can just use, no fuss. I have yet to encounter any truly free Wi-Fi. But after logging on to some website, I was connected and able to tell Angelos about the delay.
Hours passed, and thank god for the company of Big Finish's Eighth Doctor Adventures. The delay was frustratingly unexplained. But eventually staff appeared to let us on board. And I was suddenly assigned a different seat. Y'see, I need plenty of leg room, and we'd researched the best ones for me to book. So I had to queue up again to get this sorted. I was met by a woman (who would later prove to be a life saver), who just shrugged and said "I thought you'd like a window seat, but hey, tell you what, I'll upgrade you. Don't tell anyone!" I was being given a free upgrade, never thought I'd see the day. Hello Economy Plus! Free bottle of water and everything.
Eventually, we get on board. I was surrounded by Japanese families and drunk Danish businessmen. One bragged that they almost didn't let him on he was so hammered. I'm glad I wasn't stuck next to him, but thankfully he proceeded to sleep throughout the following few hours on the tarmac.
We were pulling out on to the runway when suddenly we stopped. Something wrong with the engine apparently. So they were tested. And we were returned to the terminal. And we were let back into the departure lounge. This was around 6 hours after our flight was originally due to depart. I was panicking. After my initial success with Wi-Fi, I had since been unable to log on. They wanted me to pay! But I couldn't even access the paying page. Then the same woman who gave me a free upgrade let me use her phone to text Angelos. A sweeter woman you would never meet. I wish I got her name.
When the news finally came of our flight's cancellation I was resigned to it. Our luggage was returned and we were compensated with a free taxi ride to a free hotel that was infinitely more swanky than our budget could ever afford. Casino, mini bar, curtains...it had it all. I managed to e-mail Anglelos about my plight and went to bed, worried, alone, exhausted and angry that I was going to miss the first day of our holiday.
I was woken up at 6am with news of my new flight. Within the space of an hour I was back at the airport, checked in and through security. Wi-Fi ditched, I texted Angelos my new flight numbers, and departed for Frankfurt with minimal leg room. It might as well have been a flight simulator, all I felt and saw was us going up and going down again.
It wasn't until we got to Frankfurt that I was made more aware that I would be arriving at a different airport in Tokyo than the one me and Angelos were originally due to arrive in. Luckily he's a clever thing and worked that out. So I boarded my 4th airline of the trip with my carefully chosen seat gone to waste. Luckily the leg room wasn't too bad. And we were away. The feeling I felt as we finally took off for Tokyo was quite indescribable.
Movies Watched: The Descendants, J Egdar, The Ides Of March, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.
I landed just after 6am local time. And there was Angelos waiting for me at Arrivals. I've never been more pleased to see anyone in my life.
Japan Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5
After a Greggs breakfast, we parted ways (we took separate flights, long story). As I watched Angelos disappear around the corner I just wanted this whole journey over with so we could be together again.
It all started so well. The flight to Copenhagen was uneventful. But as soon as I got there I hit my first snag. My flight to Tokyo Narita was delayed by 2 hours. I was trying to remain optimistic and think that it could be worse, so then I had to wrestle with the airport Wi-Fi.
I don't know about you, but to me, "free Wi-Fi" sounds like something you can just use, no fuss. I have yet to encounter any truly free Wi-Fi. But after logging on to some website, I was connected and able to tell Angelos about the delay.
Hours passed, and thank god for the company of Big Finish's Eighth Doctor Adventures. The delay was frustratingly unexplained. But eventually staff appeared to let us on board. And I was suddenly assigned a different seat. Y'see, I need plenty of leg room, and we'd researched the best ones for me to book. So I had to queue up again to get this sorted. I was met by a woman (who would later prove to be a life saver), who just shrugged and said "I thought you'd like a window seat, but hey, tell you what, I'll upgrade you. Don't tell anyone!" I was being given a free upgrade, never thought I'd see the day. Hello Economy Plus! Free bottle of water and everything.
Eventually, we get on board. I was surrounded by Japanese families and drunk Danish businessmen. One bragged that they almost didn't let him on he was so hammered. I'm glad I wasn't stuck next to him, but thankfully he proceeded to sleep throughout the following few hours on the tarmac.
We were pulling out on to the runway when suddenly we stopped. Something wrong with the engine apparently. So they were tested. And we were returned to the terminal. And we were let back into the departure lounge. This was around 6 hours after our flight was originally due to depart. I was panicking. After my initial success with Wi-Fi, I had since been unable to log on. They wanted me to pay! But I couldn't even access the paying page. Then the same woman who gave me a free upgrade let me use her phone to text Angelos. A sweeter woman you would never meet. I wish I got her name.
When the news finally came of our flight's cancellation I was resigned to it. Our luggage was returned and we were compensated with a free taxi ride to a free hotel that was infinitely more swanky than our budget could ever afford. Casino, mini bar, curtains...it had it all. I managed to e-mail Anglelos about my plight and went to bed, worried, alone, exhausted and angry that I was going to miss the first day of our holiday.
I was woken up at 6am with news of my new flight. Within the space of an hour I was back at the airport, checked in and through security. Wi-Fi ditched, I texted Angelos my new flight numbers, and departed for Frankfurt with minimal leg room. It might as well have been a flight simulator, all I felt and saw was us going up and going down again.
It wasn't until we got to Frankfurt that I was made more aware that I would be arriving at a different airport in Tokyo than the one me and Angelos were originally due to arrive in. Luckily he's a clever thing and worked that out. So I boarded my 4th airline of the trip with my carefully chosen seat gone to waste. Luckily the leg room wasn't too bad. And we were away. The feeling I felt as we finally took off for Tokyo was quite indescribable.
Movies Watched: The Descendants, J Egdar, The Ides Of March, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.
I landed just after 6am local time. And there was Angelos waiting for me at Arrivals. I've never been more pleased to see anyone in my life.
Japan Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5
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