We returned to Australia in February 2024 with a loose plan of being back home for about six months. Discovering termites eating our house in March set us on a new, rather expensive path. We found jobs and settled into our new routine, trying to support family traversing difficulties, and seeking help to save and repair our home.
Getting builders is challenging in the current environment and it soon became obvious that our six-month plan would be extended…and here we are, finally, on a flight to Japan after a 12 month stay at home. The repairs are still not finished, but we have a good man on the job, and we feel confident we will return to a lovely new bathroom.
We set off from Townsville to overnight in Cairns before catching our flight to Japan. Being the height of cyclone season, we didn’t want to risk a same day flight, and our foresight paid off as not only was the road to Cairns cut by floods at Cardwell, but there were a couple of cyclones brewing off the coast. The flight to Cairns got a little rough at one stage, but the Qantas service was great, and the in-flight catering appreciated.
Even with the rain, we managed to get to The Benson in Cairns without getting wet and settled in – we were on our way at last. We stopped at Indian Brothers for dinner, wisely opting to share an entrée and main. More than enough food for the two of us, delicious, and good value. The Benson is comfortable, but sadly lacks entertainment options on the TV, so we called an early night.
Surprisingly, we both managed a good night’s sleep, and hit the restaurant for breakfast – a good start to what was to be a long day. We easily caught an Uber (lovely driver) and arrived at the airport with plenty of time before check-in. We had a half-hour wait and enjoyed priority check-in with Virgin as we travelled economy-X. Cairns airport is very small and there are not many shops to kill the waiting time, but the flight was called, eventually, and, with priority boarding, we were first on. The extra legroom was appreciated – Colin sitting behind me as he doesn’t like the bulkhead, not that it had been installed on this plane..
The flight was very good, with plenty of meal services, so although meals weren’t included in the fare, we had enough to eat (at a price!). Menu options were extremely limited by the last service, but my cheesy toasty did the job. We were excited when the captain announced we would be landing 15 minutes early, until as we were about to land, we took to the skies again. Bit concerning, but traffic congestion was as issue, so we got to do a fly around of Tokyo. Being 8pm, it was spectacular.
Finally on the ground, and being at the front of the plane, we were into the terminal quickly and set off towards immigration. The last train from the airport is at 11pm, and check-in at the hostel is by 10pm, so we were keen to get through immigration and on our way. We had completed the Visit Japan web so figured we were set to go…
The walk to immigration was nearly 700 metres (thank goodness for the walking travellators) and we joined the thousands of other arrivals – not looking promising for a quick getaway. Chaos reigned supreme when we reached immigration, with staff yelling for people to have their QR code ready – uh oh, no internet. No QR code. So, we miss getting into line early as we had to complete the paper version of the entry requirements (which we could have done on the plane) and by the time we join the queue, there are about a thousand people in front of us. An hour later, we are scanned and fingerprinted and collecting our luggage. Being 9.30, the chances of getting to our accommodation by 10 are non-existent, but after getting wifi access, I manage to call our host who assures me he has sent entry details to me through Booking.com. Eventually, the message arrives, and we go on the hunt for a transport card so we can get the train to Asakusa station as it was much cheaper than getting a taxi.
With a few stressful moments, we manage to get onto what we hope is the right train. Trying to read the progress board on the train is a challenge as it doesn’t stay English for long enough to work it all out, but we manage to get off at the right station and find a very friendly taxi driver who gets us to our hostel at 10.40pm. Our host is still there and lets us in. The hostel is rather tiny, as is our room, but it’s sparkling clean and we are just glad to have arrived.
Our first time to Japan, so we included the typical destinations of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto in our itinerary. With just over three weeks, we spent a week in Tokyo to explore the city. Our week based in Kyoto allowed us to explore the city and also gave us time to explore further afield to Osaka and Nara. In between, we set off to the west coast to explore Kanazawa and Takayama, both the experience the traditions of the samurai and to see some of the countryside. With so much to see and do on just this one island of Japan, we certainly need to return to the land of the rising sun to explore the other islands and enjoy the amazing people, incredible history, unique cluture and delicious food.
Tokyo