First trip after the pandemic

Japan has announced it is reopening to visitors after being closed for nearly 3 years with the pandemic. So with short notice and little planning, I have booked a flight to Tokyo to reset my travel batteries. It has been quite a while since I have been on a flight, 984 days to be exact. The last time was the week 'toilet paper hoarding' started in Australia.

Time to wave goodbye to Stevie :( 

The airport is empty, there is only one person in front of me to do a passport check. And I have a whole security line all to myself. I've never seen it like this. Into Qantas club, got my favourite seat, and it's time to settle in. Now the messages start, Beck, Pita, Sue, and on and on. My Instagram account has been cloned and they are sending messages to everyone I know asking for money. Thankfully everyone figures out it's a fake, reports it and let's assume it's over. Who knows. 

The plane is an A330, it's new, it's clean and the entertainment systems have been upgraded. Its 10pm I am already tired but let's start off this overnight flight with a movie that right up my alley, Mrs Harris goes to Paris. It's lovely, set in the 1950s a cleaner in London goes to Paris to buy a Christian Dior dress. Now it's time to try to get some sleep, I struggle then I must finally fall asleep when we are nearly to Tokyo. The breakfast service wakes me up with a start, I swear I will never fly economy again. But I'm sure once I see the business class prices I will change my mind.

New plane, even smells nice

We land and it's 6am in the morning. After 10 hours of flying, I am glad to finally be here at Haneda airport. 

My first experience of back to masks

Walking, walking, walking it feels like immigration is miles away. Traffic jam, okay everyone needs to show their app with approval to enter Japan. Thankfully my Telstra connection is working and I'm all good to go given the magic piece of pink paper. Shuffle, shuffle and into the immigration line. About 100 people in front of me doesn't look too bad. That was a stupid assumption. Only five immigration points operating, and everyone confused about the new system, it takes nearly 2 hours to get out. Everyone has masks on. The silver lining to all this, it's all the bags have been lifted off the baggage carousel. So grab mine and now I have to go and do another form of identification. Done. I'm out. 

Big delays due to lots of paperwork
to prove you are vaccinated

Hop in a taxi, I get an old guy who can speak a little bit of English. 30 minutes later we are at the Hyatt. The Hyatt valet apologises that I had to travel in an old car. I say just the opposite, I love the retro look and he does some photos for me. :-)

My base for the trip, in West Shinjuku