Going to Japan from Malaysia is troublesome. Unlike to Australia where you can get your visa applied and approved within 30 minutes online, getting the Japanese visa requires a drive downtown to the parking-scarce and security-tight Japan Embassy. By then you will have to be armed with 1. Visa photo that has different requirements from our normal passport photo so you need to take a fresh set; 2. Letter from your HR department with letterhead and signature to prove that you are an employee; 3. Bank statement with a certain amount of money in your account and, have it verified. To do that you have to go back to the same branch where the account was opened; 4. Copy of itinerary.
The visa would take three days to be done if nothing went wrong. On top of that I needed to buy flight tickets, travel insurance, Japan notes, arrange for lodging etc. Monies paid and arrangements made, but the visa was not out yet. It was like a gamble and I was secretly praying. It was almost like the same kind of stress I tried to run away from, the consolation was that this was for a much better purpose. Thank god that I had not committed any crime and had been kinda politically obedient, I got my visa! It was an achievement! I felt like I was holding a trophy in my sweaty palms! Hokkaido, welcome me into your embrace!
Up in the sky: Frost on window pane.
Essential companions: My two (very heavy) travel buddies.
Oh I forgot to tell you how much the tickets were. Bought in the last minute, the flight to Tokyo was RM1,500 return with meals and baggage and the flight from Tokyo to Sapporo, Hokkaido, was about RM500 with baggage. Yes it was as not expensive as I had thought, my impression had always been such that Hokkaido was so distant as the tours were at least RM7,000.
The flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport was 7 hours. As we would arrive at 12am when all trains would have stopped, it was our plan to rest at the airport before taking the flight to Sapporo the Narita Airport the next morning. I dreaded this no thanks to the previous experience at London Stansted Airport. Anyway, it was actually quite a pleasant experience, I slept tight until we almost missed the morning train. Haneda Airport was new and huge with plenty of facilities free to everyone. If I were a vagrant in Tokyo I will sure make Haneda Airport my address! First of all... check out our "dorm"..
Romantic: Our autumn-themed dorm at the airport.
There were plenty of seats and benches at the airport but many travelers had declared them their beds. There was also indoor and outdoor observatory decks complete with tables and chairs so you might want to have supper there in the autumn breeze. In the end we chose this corner, it was an area next to an ice cream specialty store, but a board there stated that anyone could use the facility even if they did not patronize the shop. How generous, and so we made these red benches (for a moment we wonder if they were tables as you know Japanese sit on the floor...) our beds.
I said it was comfortable at the airport because everything was at hand when needed. You wanted cup noodle as supper? Get hot water from the nursery room. You were thirsty? There was water dispenser. You needed to wash up? There was shower and powder room to lay out all your toiletries. And you will be bowled over... by their toilets...
Cooomprehensive: Looks like a laboratory in some expensive hospitals right? It is the toilet for the disabled at the Haneda Airport.
Sorry if you think this is a little too graphic: All public toilets I visited in Japan were equipped with the famous Japanese washlet, complete with multiple washing functions, features to choose how strong or how warm you want the water to be, music to drown the sound of your business, some also came with the oscillation option and this one can even dry for you...
Ok for now.. time to rest, and this was the sight that greeted me Sweet Dreams.
Red as heart: Autumn in Haneda.
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