July 1

Today is our travel day, our last.

We were up early and out the door before 5.  We walked to the train station—this apt was so close—and then had a short ride to the monorail which took us to the airport.  The airport  certainly wasn’t busy at all and we went straight to the ticket counter to wait for them to open to get us squared away.  We went through security a few times and ultimately made our way to our gate.  Today we got to use the “lounge”.  Usually Andrew is eligible (free food and drinks!) but we have to pay for me to accompany him and we normally don’t spend that much anyway to warrant it.  Today I was free!  They had breakfast all ready for us! 

The flight was about 2 1/2 hours until Shanghai and then more security as well as taking our temperature en masse!  It is interesting to again note how different airports are—we didn’t have to take off our shoes but did have to take the umbrellas out of the bag, as well as our battery pack/phone chargers.  Smokers lost their lighters. But everyone is ever so helpful! We do stand out as one of a handful of, if that many(!), Caucasians and people tend to offer assistance, and make sure we are in the right line, etc.

Our flight to LA was uneventful, just long—12 hours! We watched “Captain Marvel” even though we both have trouble hearing parts via provided ear buds.  I just can’t find earbuds that work right! They fed us twice and kept the lights pretty dim.  We tried napping and did a bit.

Since we had a long layover we opted to leave the airport and head to the beach.  We were in LA after all!  Andrew downloaded the Uber app and we tried it for the first time today!  Easy peasy! They gave their car description and license number and you could actually “see” them on the phone app “arriving”!  Our first dropped us off at Manhattan Beach—amazing!  We walked onto the pier and then took a casual walk down the beach.  The sand was soft and the water was cool and the temperature was perfect too!  People of all ages were swimming, surfing, and just enjoying the water.  It got busier as the time passed.  We had a couple of drinks and split a hamburger, sat on the pier once again, and ultimately called another Uber who dropped us off at the Southwest entry of the terminal.  We (actually I) chose a line to go through security but it turned out to be a slow one. We got through, found a place to veg, and waited on our plane.   And it was late getting there!!😲 

I slept the entire Phoenix-LA connection—I don’t even remember the take off!! 

That was close!! Our plane from LA was so late getting there and that ultimately included late arriving in Phoenix for our short layover!  We had to speed walk, including on those walking escalators(!), and JUST made it! There wasn’t anyone left at the gate as we rushed to the counter. It turned out we’re weren’t the only ones, but I have a feeling several missed their flight as he said they were missing 18 and not that many got on behind us.  It also meant we were seated in the back back and across the aisle from one another.  Still close though! 😊 We’ve literally been together except for bathroom breaks since our journey began!! I landed up sitting next to a mom and daughter  heading to Indianapolis for volleyball nationals!  This plane did head out on time.  

John-Paul was there to pick us up and we were home again, home again. THANK YOU! It was 2 AM, so late!! 

Total time more or less awake, 37 hours.  :/  we think—we were so tired it was hard to do math, especially since we had been 13 hours ahead of Indiana this past week and 12 hours ahead the week before that! We were traveling back in time to catch up. :)

And we did it all with minimal packing.  Andrew took a mid-size (carry-on size) backpack and I took my new school-size backpack (Thanks, Max and Sarah!) and my mid-size purse.  For four weeks!! We are getting even better at minimalist traveling! We tend to draw attention though, as when you need your tickets printed they look around you and ask, “Your bags?”  Or when you go through customs and they want to know where your other bags are, “Your bags?” Or when check into a hotel and they really want to help you so they can earn a tip and your only bag is already on your back, “Your bags?” 

It was tricky deciding exactly what we’d need to pack. We knew we’d encounter rain due to “rainy seasons,” but the raincoats were hot on some days so we then we  bought umbrellas, which we then had to pack or leave behind.   We packed them as they were smaller ones.  Shoes? Swimming suits? Easy to rinse and dry clothes were essential. Toiletries! 😮 That is always my big overpack as you never know when you’ll need something!! Neosporin? Pepto bismo?? You really don’t want to mess with anything that will help with potential upset intestines!! How much Advil? Do we pack vitamins? That is where I tend to overpack. We didn’t even pack any technology other than our phones, which was challenging at blogging times, as the blogging site didn’t always work well or “looked” a bit wonky.    

Notes and observations for Japan

Drivers:  The drivers in Japan sit on the right side of the car and drive on the left side of the road.  Neither of us knew that and were perplexed! This is what Andrew found. Although Japan was never part of the British Empire, its traffic also keeps to the left. This practice goes back all the way to the Edo period (1603-1867) when Samurai ruled the country—having to do with wearing their sword and scabbard—but it wasn't until 1872 that this “unwritten” rule became official. That was the year when Japan's first railway was introduced. Three countries approached the Japanese government to help them build a railway system. These three countries were America, France, and Britain. In the end, Britain won out. In 1872 the first Japanese railway was up and running thanks to the British. A massive network of railways spread out from there, all of which were left-side running.  If American or French railways had been built instead, Japan would probably be driving on the right side of the road today.

Trash:  There is no, or very little, trash.  Anywhere. We did see some but not quantifiable, if that makes sense. We discussed it and think perhaps the little random trash we did encounter was possibly due to tourists?  Maybe?  It is lovely to see EVERYONE take responsibility for the waste they create. 

Never any fear:  We wandered around 10+ miles per day as well as multitudes of trains and buses, and NEVER felt afraid or concerned for our well-being.  Many places we traveled were very quiet back streets and even narrow dark alleys thanks to the GPS (!).  Kris said there are parts you do need to be wary of but overall it’s a safe place to live and visit.

Very polite:  Almost every single person we met was above and beyond polite, almost to the extreme! People would come up to us to offer help, such as if we were looking at bus/train station maps or anytime we looked like we were pondering a decision.  

Fashion:  I most definitely loved everything people were wearing.  There were no limits!  Men were much more conservative, mostly light tops and dark pants. For woman, every shoe style and height! How some of them walked amazed us. Every fabric and color and pattern combination for clothes!  Wow! Too fun! Many were a blast from my youth! No decade restrictions here!! The most common shoes for school girls was a black penny loafer. We saw tons and tons of kids going to and from schools and most wore those!  

Littles and freedom:  We saw very young kids traveling by themselves, crossing busy streets, using the trains and buses, and just getting where they needed to be.  Wow. I am so curious about this and will be doing some more research as this was so fascinating!   

Flight attendants, tour guides, etc. were always dressed very professionally and quite often in matching suits, black pumps, sometimes hats, etc., and everywhere we went that involved a group or tour was super organized.    

We are sure there are many more things —just stop and ask us or come by and see the pictures. We took a bunch!! 😊

I do apologize for random typos as even after rereading entries, autocorrect sometimes still fixed things weirdly. 😲