OUR ADVENTURES IN JAPAN START TODAY  08.12.2024

 

We were up at 3.00am this morning to make sure we had plenty of time to get to Tullamarine for our 6.15am flight to Cairns. This was new territory for Mami but she handled it well.

 

We checked that we had everything, said goodbye to Tilly and Yuki and with Marg with us, to take our car back to Selworthy Avenue, we headed off at 4.00am. Fastest trip I’ve ever done to the airport! Hardly any traffic at all on the way.

 

Unloaded our bags and cases, said our goodbyes to Marg and then checked in our luggage and had an expensive coffee before boarding our flight to Cairns.

 

The flight to Cairns was about 3 hours, and although we disembarked in the international terminal, we had a wait of 4 hours before we could board our Jetstar plane to Kansai Airport in Osaka. We knew this before we left but time did drag until we were able to board Flight JQ15.

 

The final leg of our flight took 7 hours but it really felt a lot longer. As usual, Mami had booked our seats near the emergency exit door, not so that we could do a George Costanza quick exit in an emergency, but for the extra leg room you get. The flight was smooth, with no turbulence but seven hours is a long trip.

 

Arriving at Kansai, on schedule, we hurried past slower passengers from the business class and were first to the baggage carousel. No benefit to us as our bags were in the last lot to be unloaded. 

 

Nevertheless we breezed through customs and exited to find Mami’s sister, Nana, waiting for us. We will stay with Nana in her Osaka apartment for 4 nights and then leave to start our touring schedule which Mami has meticulously planned as usual.

 

Before we left the airport, all three of us tucked into some delicious Japanese food and it really was something both Mami and I had been looking forward to. See Mami’s pictures are you will see what I mean.

 

With full stomachs,Nana did the half hour drive back to the apartment where I am completing today’s blog while Mami and Nana are having a good chat at the kitchen table .

 

Our niece, Yuri, has just arrived which is great. She is in her second year at Osaka University a BA majoring in English and Spanish. To get into Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka University you have to have top scores in your final year at High School. Attending any of the top three Uni’s pretty much guarantees you a job when you graduate. It really is an honour to attend one of the big three.

 

Even though all I’ve pretty much done today is sit on my bum, I am feeling a bit tired and therefore will be hitting the sack now at 11.10pm. Cheers for now and good night.