Kuma Eging & Fishing: 2015-01-25

Just like a kid on the eve of his birthday there was no way I was going to get a full night sleep, I never lose the excitement of travel.

Embarking on my biggest trip to Japan to date I had everything planned down to the minute, packed and ready to go I woke after about an hours sleep and loaded the car to head to Tullamarine airport in Melbourne. Traffic was quiet and I made to the airport in good time, checked in with heaps of time to spare I thought I would head outside for a coffee and a smoke before the flight. I probably should have checked my boarding pass as while I sat chilling out in the smoking area I heard my name called over the loudspeaker and a message saying my flight was closing. Jetsar was kind enough to move the flight forward 30 minutes and not tell me. Oh Shit, I dumped the coffee and ran like a Kenyan

marathon champ. Record time through security I bolted towards the gate so fast I thought I was going to blow one of my crocs out. Just as they were discussing taking my bags off the plane I arrived to the gate a shaking panting mess, just in time. I took my seat still trying to get my breath and passed out asleep before we had left the tarmac, the next thing I knew I was in Cairns, off to a cracking start.

I walked the mile to the international terminal and checked in. Made my way upstairs to the immigration area and found the Reef Lounge where I resumed my relaxing coffee that was so rudely interrupted from earlier. For an airport lounge the reef lounge is fairly low key and not the most luxurious lounge i have ever been in but it was quiet, cool and I had all the croissants I could eat with my coffee.

Back on another plane I was headed to Tokyo Narita airport. It was my first trip on one of the new Dreamliners in business class and I am sad to say I prefer the older airbus business class. Nothing else to report on the flight it was just another 7 and a half hours in a seat. More snoozing to be done.

Reef Lounge Cairns

Japan immigration and customs are always a breeze, queues move fast and the staff are super friendly its a pleasure coming through the gate. I have to admit I was marginally concerned about finding the right bus ticket booth and then the right bus. I asked on of the information people and the service was just as I have come to expect in Japan, the lady walked out of her booth, picked up my bag and walked me to the booth, organised my ticket and wished me a safe trip. Just when you thought that was were the service ended the lady in the ticket booth walked me to my stop and wrote down the bus number so I would not miss it. This place blows me away service wise and many other countries including Australia could learn a thing or 2 about customer service from here. I jumped on my buss and after an hour and a bit trip the bus pulled up to the door of the hotel where I was staying, not to the bus stop outside but to the front door, starting to get a royalty complex here. I checked into my room at the Intercontinental Hotel Yokohama, the staff here are awesome and most speak quite good English. I decided that after all the sleep I had got on the planes it was time to go for a walk with the camera. Yokohama is a beautiful place of a night.