Day 267, getting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Tokyo, Japan
Getting to the airport has never been easier, since that’s where we slept. A few minutes before we needed to check out we woke up the girls, they got breakfast, and we rolled to our gate. We never dealt with our bags, they were checked all the way through to Tokyo.
In the waiting room to board the plane, we could see the nationalities represented. Almost all were Japanese, a few Malaysian, one tourist couple from Europe, and us. They had a final security and immigration check at the door before you went into the waiting room. I went through first and then sat down and waited for the rest to join me. Next through was Paul, but it took him a long time. I asked why it took so long, what were they asking him? He said he got through right away and has been spending the rest of his time wandering the huge waiting room. He said there are so many people that look like me from afar he had trouble finding me. The opposite of trying to find him in the crowd. One can zero in on him immediately. First you follow the stares (even though some people try to be subtle about it), they will lead right to him.
The boarding process was interesting. This was a huge plane, by the way, holding over 300 people. First of all they don’t announce that they were starting to board, nor did they ever micro manage who should board when. There was simply no direction given, ever. Somehow, the collective travel conscience knew when to board. Everyone got up and calmly moved toward the gate en masse. It all seemed to happen so effortlessly, on the plane as well. People were polite and helpful with each other getting carry-ons tucked away. So this is what calm and considerate plane travel looks like. Nice to finally meet you.
On the plane we payed extra for the hot seats, which were at the front of one of the cabins. It was an extra five feet of space on the window side of the plane. Our legs have never had it so good. A seven hour flight isn’t a big deal anymore. The girls bring work or entertainment on their computers, and are able to sleep whenever they please. Even a frolicking band of toddlers kicking their seats from behind keeps them awake. But they would rather die than use a neck pillow. That’s a non-starter. Bobbing head and whiplash is preferable.
We arrived in Tokyo at 10 pm. Our bags emerged as if they’d gone on a secret safari, noticeably beat up and a bit muddy. Perhaps their overnight stay in Kuala Lumpur was a bit different that ours.
By the time we got to the monorail, it was 11 pm. The Tokyo subway system is the most complicated we’ve seen anywhere in the world. I would guess it’s the most extensive. There are a thousand stops in the city and three separate lines that you have to coordinate your travels between. From the airport we started with the monorail, then would use the JR line, then the regular subway. We were trying to figure out which tickets to buy and an extremely friendly and helpful man at the ticket booth came out and helped us figure out the ticket machine. I’m always impressed when people who deal with tourists regularly maintain their sense of goodwill and kindness. It’s not always the case. The ticket machines only took cash, so he waited by the ticket machine while we went to the ATM to get our yen. That took us a little while, but he was still waiting by the machine when we got back.
Every subway system has its rules, which we always like to read. Here there some helpful tips to remember here.
Doggies in snugglies are not allowed.
Not everyone will love your pet snake.
Tuck your handlebars into your square, not rectangular bag.
We noticed how many people are still coming home from work at that late hour. We are amazed how some can fall into a deep sleep, snoring, REM’s and everything, then wake up for their stop. I wonder if there’s an app with GPS that you can set a little vibrating alarm for when you arrive at your stop. Perhaps its unnecessary since everyone here seems to be able to wake up at their stop. Proof that internal alarm clocks work, and are amazing.
We got a little lost confused at the Ueno stop, trying to transfer from the JR line to the subway. We were all tired, and cold, and the escalator wasn’t working so we were lugging the bags up and down huge flights of stairs. No one was complaining, but we were feeling a bit worn out. We ended up going outside and saw something we’ve never seen before. Long cardboard boxes taped or tied together. Then we figured out that people were sleeping in them. They were the cardboard versions of capsule rooms. Each one was carefully constructed. One had green duct tape seams, another was sewn carefully together with red thread. All of a sudden being cold, tired, and lugging our bags didn’t seem like such a bad deal. Perspective reminders are always a good thing.
At the ticket window, Paul asked a question about tickets and the man pointed up two flights long flights of stairs to where the machines were. As we were buying the tickets he came up to see if we were doing ok. So friendly and helpful, once again.
At our final stop, the host of our apartment was waiting for us, as scheduled. We’ve been texting him since we touched down at the Haneda airport. He always meets his guests at the train stop to walk them to the apartment. He told us we were on the last train of the night. Whew!
The apartment is only about 4-5 minutes walk from the station. It’s perfect. We chose a traditional style place with tatami, sleeping bedrolls, no couches or chairs. It seemed more interesting than the modern style that we live in all the time.
When we arrived he gave us each a new pair of slippers and made us green tea. After he left we figured out the bed situation and passed out.
