Japan: My Arrival

Lake Tahoe from the airplane

 As I was checking into the airport on my flight to Japan, J noticed another older couple from our neighborhood also at the airport.  I continued through check-in while he went to talk to them.  Turns out the wife was flying to Japan as well, and had the same layover in San Francisco.  She was flying into Narita (Tokyo), while I was flying into Osaka, so we were on different flights to Japan, but we spent the time together before our flights to San Francisco and Japan.  She was going to Japan to spend a couple months helping her mother who had broken her arm.

I had never traveled outside the United States before, and flying on my own to a country where I didn't know the language was a little nerve wracking for me, so it was really nice to spend the time with a familiar face to keep my mind otherwise occupied.  I knew once I reached Emily, I would be fine, but I was nervous navigating the airport (if you know me, you know I am directionless--it used to be a joke that I would lose my way inside a paper bag). 

I was also supremely excited.  It had always been a dream of mine to go to Japan.  I was looking forward to spending almost three weeks traveling with my sister, who had been living in Japan for the last two years.

I was a little sad to be leaving J and the kids behind, but I knew they would be in good hands.  I had a nurse planned for the daytime while J was working, and J's mom came up to take care of Zuri and River for the time that I was gone.  The hardest part was that I had been nursing River full time and we had been unsuccessful thus far getting her to take a bottle.

Suzanne wasn't worried, however, and said that once River got hungry enough, she would eat--and she did.  It took less than a full day.  For me, on the other hand, it took about five very painful days before my milk decreased to a point that I didn't need to worry about bringing my pump along with me as we went out.  The worst day was the first--the plane ride.  I even had to pump in the little bitty airplane bathroom.  Not fun, I tell you. 

Getting through customs in Japan wasn't too bad.  It was a little bit like in the U.S. where you have to go through two different stations, but everything went smoothly.  They had signs in English which helped to point the way.  Everyone was really friendly and I managed to get my luggage, get through customs, and find my way to Emily without any problems.

 I had been able to get some sleep on the flight, so although I was basically losing a day and a half, I was able to adjust to the time zone rather quickly (that wasn't the case coming home, though).  I had bought a Japan Rail Pass before leaving the States, so we went to the JR office and picked up my official Japan Rail Pass, and took the train from Osaka to Kyoto.

I was enthralled with the scenery as we sped our way to Kyoto.  It was fun to see the rice fields right in the middle of things.  Urban area....rice field!  Homes....rice fields!  I also noticed how compact everything is in Japan compared to here (the next day really brought it to light).  Their homes are placed right next to one another, sometimes barely an inch separating them.  Since Japan is an island (series of islands), space is very limited, and land is expensive, so they make use of every bit.
 

In the airport in Osaka, I saw this baby seat inside the stall in the restroom (I also saw it a few other places as well).  I thought, how clever! I wish we had those in the U.S. (I have since been informed that there are places that have something similar in the U.S., but I have never seen one).   You can put your baby in it while you use the bathroom.

 I don't know why, but this sign really struck me as funny at the time.  Duly noted: no gargling in Japan. 

 

We arrived in Kyoto just as the sun was setting.  In Japan, even in the summer, it gets dark around five-thirty/six-ish.  We walked from Kyoto station to our hostel, then went back out to eat.  I had my first official Japanese meal--udon (it's a tofu soup)!  It was so yummy.  

I was fascinated not only by the things that were different, but also the things which we have here that are also there--example, 7-11, which I would have never thought would be in Japan, but it was very much commonplace in Japan (at least the part of Japan that I visited).

Our room at the hostel.  Before flying out, Emily asked me if I wanted to stay in hotels or hostels.  I told her that I would love to experience a hostel, so we did!  It was so fun, and although we slept on tatami mats and what you see on the floor was literally our padding and blankets folded, it was one of my favorite places we stayed on our trip.  

 It's hard to see in the picture, but the design on the cupboard was really pretty.  I should have taken a close-up, but I was more trying to get the scope of the room at the time.  The end of the tatami mat (our bed) is where the my suitcase rests just under the cupboard.

The hostel was really neat.  You took off your shoes and placed them in an open cubby as you enter the building.  The kitchen was set to the right, just after the check-in desk, and our room was on the second floor.  The bathroom had open sinks and then a men's/women's stalls (for lack of a better word).  To the right of the sinks and toilets was the shower. 

 My soup!

Kyoto tower at night as we walked back to our hostel from dinner.  After dinner we went to bed, so that we were nice and rested for the adventures the next day!