Tokyo is far away

Origami on my bed in Tokyo

For the first time in my life, I got to go to Tokyo. We had scheduled a 1.5 day meeting there and I was excited to go, even though it was only for a very short time. Ordinarily, I would have tried to extend it with some personal days, but I could not this time. I had to be back in the bay area that Saturday for Anika's graduation from Mills College. More about that in my next blog post.

This looked really nice after a 50-hour trip there

The trip to Tokyo was a horrendous ordeal and took 50 hours. By the time I got there, I had missed the first day of the meeting. I attended the remaining half day and had an afternoon to see a little bit of Tokyo. Clearly not enough time, I was exhausted, and it started to rain later in the afternoon. The little bit I did see was very nice, exotic, and very interesting. The people are very nice and polite, and most speak at least a little bit of English.
A striking asymmetry. How many people you run into in Europe or the USA who speak a little bit of Japanese? Or another Asian language?

I did not use the WiFi (click on the image to enlarge)

The trip began ordinarily enough on Tuesday morning in Dublin. My flight to Chicago was delayed quite a bit, but I had plenty of layover to make the connection to Tokyo. I flew this longer route, instead going across the middle East, because after Tokyo I flew to San Francisco to celebrate with Anika, and then come back to Dublin from Albuquerque. Anika and I drove her car across the American West from Oakland to Albuquerque. I'll post pictures from that vacation week soon.
Because most of the trip was over the USA, the cost going through Chicago was a lot less, than the shorter route flying East from Dublin.

I wonder what that message lamp was for

We had almost reached Chicago when the plane turned around and we headed for New York city. The Pilot informed us that there had been a fire in a control tower. The evacuation forced Chicago to turn away flights and caused a major disruption in the air traffic flow over the US.
After we landed in JFK, nobody knew what would happen next. The only thing clear was that we would be sitting there for a while, since the crew needed to be replaced with one that was rested.

A little bit of Tokyo from my hotel room

I got a seat on a plane out of La Guardia the next day to get to Tokyo via Dallas. But, I would have to do without my luggage, since my bag was still on the first plane and they were not unloading it. That was too risky for me. By the time my bag would get to Tokyo, I would probably be already on my way to San Francisco. I already felt uncomfortable in the clothes I had on.

I got a beautiful, upgraded room in Tokyo

We took off from New York and flew to Chicago. We arrived amidst utter chaos. The control tower fire and the previous days' weather delays had left many people stranded. All hotel rooms anywhere near the airport were sold out. They said they would bring out 300 cots and toiletry bags for the people stuck in the airport.
I managed to change my flight from La Guardia to one that left Chicago for Los Angeles the next day, and then from there to Tokyo. I learned later that that flight from La Guardia got canceled the next morning. If I had been on that one, I would never have made it to Tokyo.

I was longing for that

It was midnight on Tuesday now; already Wednesday in Tokyo. I needed some proper sleep and a shower because I knew I had another long day ahead of me.
I booked a hotel room about 30 miles North and rented a car. My flight for LA would leave in the morning, but five or six hours in a real bed and a shower would still be infinitely better than sleeping on a cot in an airport with 299 fellow passengers.
It looked like going North along I94 for a while and turning left would get me there. So, I drove for a while. It's long past midnight, and I am very, very tired.

A luxurious bathroom

Concentrating on exit sign and traffic was difficult after the long day I had had.
At some point I stopped and called the hotel. I told him what exit I had just passed and asked whether I had gone too far already, or not far enough. He assured me they are far away from the airport and, unless I had already driven 45 minutes, I had not gone far enough. I had no idea how long I had driven.
He gave me an exit number that was much higher than the one I was at. I asked him whether he was sure that was the exit number or the number of the cross road. He said exit number.
I didn't trust him.
So, now I was trying to read exit numbers and cross road numbers, to see if anything matched the number and street name he had given me. Nothing matched, and I still had to be careful of other traffic.

A technologically advanced toilet

It is 3 a.m. and there is a lot of traffic! Several times I left the Interstate to stop at a gas station to buy a map and ask for directions. Just telling me where I was would have helped me immensely.
Nobody sold maps. I guess I was not in a touristy area. The people in those areas also didn't seem to know much about geography either. Concepts like North and South seemed to confuse them. Basically all I got out of them was that I was in Chicago. Somewhere.
At this point my brain was mush, so maybe it was not entirely their fault. But it was a weird place. It is 3 a.m. and I am stopped at a red light in front of a busy intersection. A lot of cars rushing by. At 3 a.m.
In the midst of all of this an old haggard women wobbling across the intersection in front of me with a Styrofoam cup in her hand. She knocks on my window and begs for money.
I can't think anymore. Should I ask her where I am? She must be really, honestly poor to be out at this hour begging. Would she know where she is?
If anybody deserves help, it would be her. Should I go further North or make another attempt at going South? How many times had I done this already?
The light turns green and I drive on North. Who was that woman? Did she have family?

A shrine seen from the top of Tokyo Tower

The exit numbers keep increasing and so are, some, of the road numbers. But not enough. I finally reach the border to whatever state is North of Chicago. The numbers are still not high enough, and everything resets to start with Exit 1, 2, ...
My Irish smart-phone is expensive to use in the States. At some point I give in, enable data roaming, and turn on Google maps. It is a very slow connection, but I am getting a map, although no clear indication where exactly I am.
I am, probably, traveling in the right direction. Is it this exit? This one? Why is my position not updating?
It took a while, but I finally realize that my pay-as-you-go phone had run out of money and no more map updates, or any other data, were coming in.
I know there must be a better way of dealing with this situation. I also know my brain wont find it that night, until I had some sleep.
Back to the airport to those cots.

View through a glass bottom window in Tokyo Tower

Drop off the car and back to the airport. Now I could sleep anywhere.
Just not on those cots. They are in the secure area and it is too early for me to get back in there, because the security check lines are not open yet. At least my flight to LA and the connection to Tokyo have not been canceled yet.

Another window, freshly cleaned

I don't remember much after that. Some wandering around in a Los Angeles airport terminal, finally landing in Tokyo. Take the train into the city and the subway to near the hotel. Only a short time wandering around and then finally, finally, the hotel.
I'm in the wrong tower but a friendly escort guides me through the labyrinth of corridors and stairs, around corners, up and down elevators. This seemed almost as long as the Chicago thing. He wants to know where I am from. Complicated to answer. First time in Tokyo. Please, leave me alone. I need a shower and a bed. Just ring him, if I want ice or need anything else. Here is some US money. Please go.

Hazy view from Tokyo Tower

It took longer to get there than the time I got to spend there. I need to try again. I hate Chicago. I love Tokyo.