May 4th
Made it to the hotel in Shibuya.
It was a very long journey.
Said goodbye to Tanwyn and Zoe at the airport, but that did not seem quite real.
Take off was delayed by about half an hour due to late passengers and technical difficulties.
At first I thought I would be able to fully recline my seat, as there was no one sitting behind me, but not long after take off they pulled curtains around that seat and someone sat there. Who or why they needed such privacy ws never revealed.
Vegan food booking did not make it to the plane, though for one meal there was a plant passed pasta meal available; it had the consistency and mouth feel of mashed potatoes, but with less taste.
The last few hours was a mental struggle, not helped by the in flight headset failing.
Customs and immigration were relatively painless and quick, as was the luggage collection.
Someone gave me unsolicited help buying a bus ticket and I made it to Shibuya station in plenty of time.
From there it was block after block of noise, crowds and coloured lights.
Google maps loved the area and did not want me to leave. A taxi was more cooperative and I made it to the hotel just in time.
There was a moment at the airport when the combination lock on the luggage stopped working, but it was only me forgetting to push the button. And another moment in the hotel room when I could not find the wallet full of cash, had I left it in the taxi? But it was in a different pocket of the camera bag.
Is now time for sleep.
Kai Cho