Sunday, May 19, 2013

Navigating to Nagoya Chubu Airport Solo and the four problems

Last pic while riding on the train, Seikigahara station
It was the last time I would sit in the JCMU's cold dorm, also this day there was a lot of clamor from other students that were still cleaning or just lounging around because around 11am we had to be out of the dorms.

 I'm not sure if I'll miss it right away or not. Eventually we'll find out.


Two days before I scheduled a taxi pick up from the dorm to take me to the next train station, Maibara (this is where I arrived, it's a larger train station where you would get on the shinkansen...). While riding in the taxi the driver and I talked a bunch and he told me that his daughter was in California and he wouldn't go to Chicago because it's too cold. I laughed because Wisconsin is just as cold, sometimes even colder( of course Minnesota beats everyone). When we arrived at Maibara station we discovered that he didn't turn on the meter and so in a result my taxi was pretty cheap!

Score!

Although the ride to Nagoya was pretty much uneventful. There is usually silence in the trains and being a foreigner (with dark skin) I didn't have to worry about people talking to me. Also it was pretty warm that day to so I probably looked horrible while carrying a really heavy bag, a sword box, and a small suitcase with a wool coat.

When I arrived at the Nagoya train station I had to ride a specific train to the airport, and while exiting the station to the next station I couldn't use my train pass that I had put money on so I wouldn't have to use money.

First problem. 

Speaking nervous Japanese I paid my way out of the station.

I had over $25 on my train pass and maybe about $30 (3000 yen) in my pocket. I had to use all of it to get out of the train station. There goes my emergency/food money. Luckily I was able use my pass the rest of the way.

I think it was around 12-1pm when I made it to the train station, I also had someone in America waiting for me to arrive at the hotel to check in. So taking a short break I gathered all of my stuff and made my way across the skywalk and in to the hotel. The Chubu International Hotel across from the Airport.

Second problem.
I had to use my own money to pay for the hotel which I didn't think I could do because I was saving my money to pay for my awesome sword that couldn't be shipped because the box was 5cm too long.

Anyways I paid for the hotel room, got something to eat, showered and then I was out at 7pm.

Third Problem.

The next day I had everything ready to go and I made my way over to the airport only to realize I had forgotten something in the hotel room. I thought I was going to die and miss my plane. This blanket was really important to me because it was a friend's and it meant a lot to us. Quickly running back with everything I ran back to the hotel with clear Japanese I told hotel clerk I forgot my blanket in my room. I got my blanket and made my way back to the airport.

Fourth Problem
Arriving back at the airport I checked my luggage in, at first I was using Japanese but then I was lucky that the flight attendant spoke English (she was Korean by the way) she pretty much told me how much I had to pay for my sword. I won't say the price but all you need to know is that it hurt my credit card.












I wasn't leaving my sword and umbrella in Japan. I bought them for a reason and they were coming back with me!

With everything checked in and all I had to do was wait for my plane to South Korea, I was on my way back to Wisconsin.

No comments:

Post a Comment