Up early at 5:30 to pack and get ready, we caught the bus just a minutes walk from the appartment and headed off to the airport. Checking in we headed for some food and bumped into a load of Dutch Scouts on the way to the Jamboree. We exchanged travel details and wished them a safe journey and maybe see them in Yamaguchi for the Jamboree.
A rather uncomfortable flight, just restless I guess but we arrived late at Narita airport at just after 4:30 Japanese time, now 8 hours ahead of the UK.
Immediately the Japenese are so polite and helpful, the police officer holding back the crowds from arrivals, lots of cameras so maybe someone else famous arriving, apologised, bowed and clasped his hands as he asked us to move out of the way.
We decided the train was the easiest option to get us to Shinagawa an hours very comfortable ride left the station to the second at 5:37.
Travelling throught the countryside dominated by rice fields we saw from the plane an hour later we approached Tokyo then on to Shinagawa. We walked through the station against the hoards of Japenese in there business wear heading home. Outside we looked around to get our bearings, “can I help you” a friendly voice said I am a Scout and there stood a businessman and his colleague heading home. We showed him the map to the appartment, “I’ll show you the way he said” and off he lead the way, we chatted on the way about Scouting, the Royal Family and life in Japan. We arrived at the appartment 10 minutes later and our new friend bided us farewell and an enjoyable Jamboree.
We went to the post box to find the key but it wasn’t there! After a few minutes trying to contact our host a car pulled up and the key arrived, massive apologies all round they mistakenly thought we were in tomorrow.
The appartment is small 1 small kitchen diner and 2 other room, no beds but footons a plenty, I’ll let you know if it’s a comfortable sleep! Oh and super fast portable WiFi.
Off out we popped to the 7 Eleven for some cash to be entertained by the talking ATM and musical accompaniment.
We went to a restaurant on the main drag, unfortunatley our worst experience so far Chris’s and Fiona’s food came out reasonably quickly but mine took a good while longer and Nutt’s didn’t arrive at all! We settled the inflated bill despite trying to get some off and headed for a street bar where we should have gone first, good beer, quick service and an interesting menu including Chicken Ligaments that were, well interesting.
Off to bed for what was supposed to be an early night at 11:56, the office workers in their white shirts are still heading home.
