Trip Report *COMPLETED* I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river, and I'm almost there!

Introduction

We've only been back from Japan since Saturday night but I am just itching to get started on this report! We had an absolutely AMAZING trip and I'm not ready to let it go, and writing my TR is one way for me to delay the inevitable return back to "the real world." This was the longest vacation I've ever taken, and like any long trip-or any new experience, for that matter-there were ups and downs, good moments and not-so-good moments. There were mistakes, mishaps, mountains, and monkeys. Yes, monkeys! There were surprises and there was DRAMMA!* There were things we will do differently next time we visit Japan, and believe me, we knew less than halfway through the trip that there WILL be a next time someday!

In case you missed the PTR, here it is: Bee's Big Birthday! There you can read about the cast, the general plans, and the reasons for planning this particular trip.

Now about the title: It's a reference to this song from The Princess and the Frog:

​

I have been kind of obsessed with this song lately and I found myself singing it in my head repeatedly during the trip. You'll see why soon!

So, if you're ready for a journey halfway around the world, thousands of photos, and Double Disney bookends, keep reading!

EDIT: The Tokyo Disney stuff starts here.

*I've mentioned it in previous TRs, but I like to spell "dramma" the Italian way because I'm an opera singer and what's more DRAMMAtic than Italian opera?? So please don't think I'm an idiot (for that reason anyway )!

 

[bee]

Day 3: Wednesday, December 19

Note: because we crossed the International Date Line on our flight to Japan, we technically changed to Day 4 during the flight. For purposes of this trip report I will keep everything from the actual plane ride on Day 3, and I will put everything after we landed on Day 4.

We awoke early local time but we were still jet lagged enough for it to not feel early to us. We finished up our last-minute repacking and enjoyed leftover pizza from the night before.

And coffee!

We called a Lyft and waited outside.

Our driver, Enrique, picked us up around 7:30am. I know in a previous post I talked about how CA Lyft drivers are bubbly and talkative, but we were very thankful that Enrique was not because we had a long ride ahead!

Bye, Monorail!

I forgot to mention that M and I got stopped THREE times the previous day and asked if we would take a survey online. We said yes each time, and in the car I worked on one.

Come on, who goes to Jolly Holiday looking for healthy choices?

Though the ride was about an hour and a half, it went by quickly and we were never stuck in stand-still traffic.

That's us! Japan Airlines!

We arrived just after 9:00am and got on line to get boarding passes and drop off our luggage.

There was quite a line for check in already, even though our flight was 3.5 hours away. The line moved fairly quickly, though, and we had dropped off our bags by 9:20 or so. From there we made our way to security. Again there was a line long but the TSA employees kept it moving. This was actually one of the more efficient security experiences I have had. We were allowed to keep our shoes on and we were provided with HUGE bins in which to place our belongings for the X-ray machines. We made it through by 9:35.

I don't think this was our actual plane, but it looked like this one!

I'm sure all of the Asians who fly between LAX and Asia are thrilled to see P.F. Chang's and (not pictured) Panda Express.

Since we had over two hours until our boarding time we needed to be entertained somehow. How better than...wine??

We liked all three of these.

As a member of the Vino Volo club I also get a $2 tasting of a fancy expensive wine:

We liked it okay but would obviously never pay that much for a bottle of wine! The most we've ever paid for a bottle was about $40-45, ONCE, and we saved it for our wedding anniversary!

We also had some food with our wine.

Everything was really tasty and was just the right amount to tide us over until the in-flight meals.

Vino Volo had lots of wines for sale.

No comment necessary.

After taking our time enjoying our wine and food, we slowly headed toward our gate.

Now THAT is our plane!

The fact that this needs to be said...

Shortly after we arrived at the gate the gate agents began making boarding announcements. They announced that boarding would be delayed a few minutes due to a flight crew issues (I think??). Every time they said this they apologized PROFUSELY. Can you imagine a US airline being that apologetic over a delay??

In no time at all, however, boarding began! We got to watch as all the people who bought fancy seats boarded first ( ) but it really wasn't long until our turn!

So close!

Up next: On board the plane!

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

Soon we were on the plane and finding our seats! Neither of us had flown internationally since 2012, and this was our first time flying to Asia. The plane was large, with eight seats across. As I mentioned before, on the previous day we were able to switch our seats from two of the middle four group to two on the right side of the plane, so neither of us had to sit by a stranger.

Each seat had its own entertainment screen with TV shows, movies, games, etc.

The handset in question. It was removable and had a full keyboard on the other side.

We could also watch the flight progress on the screen.

I guess I didn't realize there was a difference between Boys, Girls, and Youth Manga!

Each seat also had a USB outlet for charging phones, etc.

While we were waiting to take off, the flight attendants announced again how sorry they were for the delay in boarding. Then the captain came on the PA system and started apologizing AGAIN. He was really going on for a long time and at first I thought he was telling us there was ANOTHER delay, but no, he was still apologizing for the original one!

Before take off, a FA came by to confirm our vegetarian meals. I forgot to mention this before, but the employee who checked us in and took our luggage also confirmed it. It was nice to have it confirmed several times and not have to worry about it.

It wasn't long until we were up in the air, and the FAs came around for the first beverage and snack service.

We didn't realize at first that alcohol was complimentary. Rookie mistake!! Not that we needed more now, obviously. We each asked for a cold green tea.

The FAs also brought these little rice cracker snacks. Shortly after we got ours, a panicked FA came and apologized to me and asked me to check the ingredients to make sure they were okay for us as vegetarians. I always check ingredients and never expect anyone to do my research for me, so I appreciated that she was concerned. I told her it was okay (it even says on the front that it's suitable for vegetarians ) and enjoyed my crackers!

They were light and very flavorful!

For the first hour or so of the flight I watched a documentary on ABBA.

Then I watched a cute Thai movie about a boy and girl who accidentally switch bodies.

Soon meal service began. Since M and I had reserved special meals we were served first.

There were several small fruit and vegetable salads, a pasta dish with mushrooms and cheese, and a dinner roll.

After the dinner service the FAs came around with pitchers of more basic drinks such as water, coffee, and hot green tea. I had some tea and continued my Thai movie.

I have studied abroad in Italy, Czech Republic, and Austria. On each flight, no matter the airline, I have ended up watching a Canadian prank show called "Just for Laughs." It is a wholesome hidden camera show and I always have to contain myself because I laugh so hard at this show. Here is the Wikipedia page if you want to read about it. I was delighted to see it was an entertainment offering on this flight as well!

Next I decided to watch a documentary about wine around the world.

The only problem: the documentary was in French with Japanese subtitles. I have studied French and speak and understand a bit but it's been awhile! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I did understand or was able to figure out based on context or pictures.

There is a famous aria from the operetta Die Fledermaus that referenced this beverage from Hungary.

Up next: More food mostly!

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

Some JAL flights have an area called the Sky Oasis where boxes of snacks are placed for passengers to take from at any time during the flight. I grabbed some snacks for us to share.

Potato snacks, chocolate, and more of the rice crackers from before.

The potato snacks looked like this:

They were kind of like a cross between Pringles (flavor) and Goldfish (texture).

We didn't sleep at all on the flight (no surprise) and listened to some Fire and Blood. We both enjoy discussing (and theorizing about!) ASOIAF and GOT and there was plenty to discuss from the chapters we listened to.

At some point it was time for another meal. Dinner? Second lunch? What the heck meal time is it anyway??

The meal was pretty similar to the first one. This time we had some gnocchi with mushrooms and tomato sauce.

And this time when the FA asked us if we wanted something to drink we asked for wine.

The wine was fine, not like super delicious or anything but not unpleasant.

As we neared the end of the flight we filled out our customs and immigration forms with a little help from the entertainment screen.

I also inserted my Earplanes to hopefully avoid the discomfort of landing.

ALMOST THERE!!!!

Day 3 Stats
Distance: 1.3 miles
Steps: 2986
Flights: 0

Up next: HOLY CRAP WE ARE IN JAPAN!!!!

 

[bee]

Day 4: Thursday, December 20

We landed on time despite our delay taking off. I should mention now that the service on board was INCREDIBLE. I have never encountered friendlier, more courteous flight attendants, or friendlier service professionals of any kind probably. Most of the FAs seemed to only speak functional English related to their jobs, but the language barrier was no issue at all. Japan Airlines has definitely gained a repeat customer should I find myself fortunate enough to visit Japan again.

Deplaning didn't take long at all. We (and everyone else) made the walk toward immigration. One of the first things we noticed is that nearly every sign in the airport was in both Japanese and English, and many were in Korean and Chinese as well. In the immigration area we joined the line for foreign passports. Once again, despite us speaking almost no Japanese and most immigration officials speaking little to no English, we never had any issue figuring out what to do. When we've returned from international flights and gone through US customs and immigration it has been intimidating almost to the point of being scary, but already we felt very welcomed in Japan.

M and I were allowed to stay together for immigration and had our passports examined by an older Japanese woman. We were both wearing glasses; M always wears hers and I wear contacts 95% of the time but I had taken them out during the plane ride and put on my glasses. Our immigration agent said, "Glasses take off" and motioned what we were supposed to do. She returned our passports and waved us along.

Next we collected our checked baggage, which was already on the carousel by the time we got to it. Then we went through the customs inspection. Like I said I have had some borderline scary customs/immigration experiences coming back to the US but here I felt totally comfortable and welcome. The entire process was very quick and soon we were out into the public area of the airport.

Remember this Starbucks! It will make another appearance!

This was a warning sign on an elevator door. Don't stick your hands in because the door will pinch you like a crab!

We decided months before the trip that we would stay in the airport hotel the first night rather than try to navigate trains or buses while sleep-deprived and super jet-lagged. It was very easy to find the hotel based on the airport signage (which, again, was all in 2+ languages!)

This was our first encounter with the pedestrian "speed bumps" we would see at all kinds of large public spaces in Japan. They are the yellow lines in the photo above. S later informed us that they indicate where two paths will cross so you can avoid running into others. Tonight, though, they just seemed like a big pain designed to make moving our wheeled suitcases difficult!

We had to descend one flight on an escalator to get to the reception level. When we arrived downstairs we were approached by a hotel employee in a suit who assumed (correctly) that we speak English and asked if we were checking in. We said yes and he escorted us to the employee who would check us in. I greeted him with, "Good evening. Do you speak English?" in Japanese and he said yes and we began the check in process. He switched to Japanese halfway through though, and I would discover that almost any time I spoke even that much Japanese, people would assume that I spoke much more than I actually do. I actually prefer that, because that's the best way to learn more of a language in my opinion: to just try and go for it and figure out as much as you can based on context.

We had barely begun the checkin process when I was handed an envelop containing the pocket wifi device we had ordered. It's a good thing the hotel staff had it ready because I had forgotten we had even ordered it and we would have had to collect it the next day!

At some point, however, he realized I was not following what he was saying and asked me (in Japanese), "Do you speak Japanese?" I said no in both languages and we had a little laugh together. He gave us our room number and keys and asked if we needed help with our bags. We said no (we only had one suitcase each) but then as we walked away we felt not fancy enough for this hotel!

I took more photos of the lobby the next morning so I'll post those on Day 5.

Up next: The room!

 

[bee]

Day 4, cont.

We took the elevator to the fourth floor and entered the room. Some of the first things we noticed were the slippers in the closet.

Ft. my sneaker lol

Ft. M's jacket and scarf

Our 2-prong American plugs fit in the Japanese outlets!

And on to the bathroom!

One thing that my photos fail to convey is the SIZE of the room. It was huge, even by American standards. I booked a "Premium Economy Class, Small Double, Non Smoking" room but this was definitely an upgrade.

Exhausted, we showered and were in bed by 8:00pm.

Day 4 Stats
Distance: 1.8 miles
Steps: 4291
Flights: 4

Up next: Day 5! When everything goes wrong!

 

[Rista1313]

Curious as to why the hotel offers 2 pairs of slippers, and why they are different?... and I was flabbergasted at all the toiletries that were in the bath!

 

[Sabrina1705]

All caught up and following along!

 

[bee]

Curious as to why the hotel offers 2 pairs of slippers, and why they are different?... and I was flabbergasted at all the toiletries that were in the bath!

Maybe just to give us a choice? I'm not sure! Yes, we couldn't believe how many different toiletries were provided! This would be a recurring theme at some of the other hotels. Almost everywhere provides toothbrushes. There were even toothbrushes in the bathrooms on the airplanes (though I didn't take a photo as I didn't bring my phone to the bathroom lol).

All caught up and following along!

Welcome!

 

[Rista1313]

aybe just to give us a choice? I'm not sure! Yes, we couldn't believe how many different toiletries were provided! This would be a recurring theme at some of the other hotels. Almost everywhere provides toothbrushes. There were even toothbrushes in the bathrooms on the airplanes (though I didn't take a photo as I didn't bring my phone to the bathroom lol).

Inquiring minds want to know.. did you bring them back with you? I would have... I'm a toiletry collector.... but I also use them.

 

[bee]

Inquiring minds want to know.. did you bring them back with you? I would have... I'm a toiletry collector.... but I also use them.

I brought some but not all. We didn’t have much extra room in our luggage and didn’t want to add too much extra stuff so we didn’t take the toothbrushes, but did take the shampoos and conditioners.

 

[amjt660]

Ok so first off I get to ride in those fancy seats so let’s not take too many shots at “those people”

Second just for laughs is hilarious and I am glad you enjoy it
It is shot in Quebec

The repeated apologizing and amazing customer service? It never gets old- love it

And the yellow strips on the ground are for the visually impaired
The different patterns inform them when to diverge, stop etc
This and the chiming and talking at intersections to assist in crossing busy streets

Loving it so far - how did the heated toilet seat feel- did you figure out how to shut it off without giving your self a bidet experience!!

Max

 

[amjt660]

And before I forget - did you get "yelled" at when you entered a restaurant or store??

Max

 

[LadyBelle]

They have a smartphone for you to use in the hotel? Amazing!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Look at all those toiletries!! @Matt and Kelly would have to bring extra luggage just to get it all home!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Look at all those toiletries!! @Matt and Kelly would have to bring extra luggage just to get it all home!

HA! My obsession with stealing toiletries tends to stick to Disney only but that set up is very enticing!

 

[bee]

Ok so first off I get to ride in those fancy seats so let’s not take too many shots at “those people”

Don't worry, there will only be a few more jabs at "those people"

Second just for laughs is hilarious and I am glad you enjoy it
It is shot in Quebec

Yes, I love that show!

The repeated apologizing and amazing customer service? It never gets old- love it

Never!

And the yellow strips on the ground are for the visually impaired
The different patterns inform them when to diverge, stop etc
This and the chiming and talking at intersections to assist in crossing busy streets

I think it's a great idea and very helpful for navigating busy area. In the moment, though, it was super annoying!

Loving it so far - how did the heated toilet seat feel- did you figure out how to shut it off without giving your self a bidet experience!!

I never got used to the heated toilet seats to the point where I wasn't surprised by them. That said, it was so comfortable I didn't even bother trying to turn it off!

And before I forget - did you get "yelled" at when you entered a restaurant or store??

Max

I was waiting for this and only experienced restaurant yelling once, later in the trip.

They have a smartphone for you to use in the hotel? Amazing!

Yes, how smart (pun not intended but I'm leaving it there), especially for a hotel that caters to international travelers! We didn't actually use it since we were just there for a night but we thought it was so cool!

Look at all those toiletries!! @Matt and Kelly would have to bring extra luggage just to get it all home!

I have just a twinge of regret that I didn't take more...

HA! My obsession with stealing toiletries tends to stick to Disney only but that set up is very enticing!

It was amazing and never got old!

 

[bee]

Day 5: Friday, December 21 (The One Where Everything Goes Wrong)

M and I both woke up a few times at odd hours during the night but were able to go back to sleep within a reasonable amount of time. Around 6:00 we were up for good and started slowly getting ready for the day. The previous night we had been too tired to look out the window, but we discovered this morning that we had a pretty cool view across the water to Terminal 2, despite the morning fog.

For breakfast we had Kind bars and Trader Joe's instant coffee.

Around this time I started getting a terrible headache. I don't usually get headaches and when I do they are not severe, but this one kept getting worse and worse despite having some caffeine and taking an NSAID. I figured it was just jet lag and carried on...

M opened the package with the Pocket Wifi and figured out how to use it.

Though the room did not have a coffee maker (which would be the case in most of the places we stayed) it did have a kettle (essential in Japan) and little individual coffee portions packaged for the pourover method:

How clever!

Normally I would never refuse a second cup, but by this point my headache was turning into nausea and I thought it best not to consume anything else. I decided to lie down for a bit to see if I would feel any better.

I napped for a bit but woke up feeling worse in every way. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say I got very acquainted with the fancy toilet and the bathroom floor.

After my *ahem* evacuation, I felt a bit better but still icky. I took another nap and woke up feeling slightly better but still nauseated. And that is the story of how I experienced my second-ever migraine. On vacation. In a foreign country.

By the time I woke up much of the fog had cleared and we had a nicer view of the airplanes.

Around 10:30 M started getting antsy about leaving the room by checkout time, but I was certain it wasn't until noon, so I double checked the room key cards for information:

Yep, not until noon!

We had packed today's clothes in our carryons to avoid having to open and unpack our suitcases on the first night, so we didn't have too much repacking to do. As we got ready to leave, I noticed that my bee water bottle was missing. It looks like this:

Not only is it adorable and useful, it has sentimental value because M found it and bought it for me once when I was having a really bad day, AND it was one of my few possessions that I was able to recover after the fire. It's a little beat up and scarred but it survived, just like me!

We searched everywhere and couldn't find it. I knew for sure I had had it on the plane but didn't remember specifically having it after that.

Eventually I had to admit that the bottle was nowhere to be found in the room. M pointed out that I had had it for awhile and had gotten great use out of it, and that it had already had a second chance when it was recovered from the fire. It was like it had been living on borrowed time. That didn't make me less sad, or feel less bad for losing something that M bought me as a gift.

But I had to give up the search because we had to check out. I did manage to get a few more photos of the common areas of the hotel on the way out.

As we neared the desk a staff member approached and asked in Japanese if we needed help. I asked in Japanese if she spoke English and she gestured and made a face that indicated she spoke just a little. I told her in English that we needed to check out and she brought us to an employee behind the desk and she told him in Japanese that we were checking out. I asked him if he spoke English (in Japanese) and he said yes. He asked for our room keys...which we had left in the room! OOPS! But he said it was okay, and was able to check us out without them.

Our friends S and J were flying into KIX (the same airport) so we decided to meet them and take the train to Kyoto all together.

Once we were back in the airport I went to an information desk to ask if there was a lost and found, JUST IN CASE someone had found my bottle. I was told to go to my own airline's ticket counter to ask, so I found the JAL desk and waited my turn to ask for help.

As I waited I noticed these cool art pieces:

They were moving/flying cloth "wings" and were really fun to watch!

Soon it was my turn to ask for help. I said hello and asked if the staff member spoke English and she said yes. I told her I lost a water bottle and think I may have left it on the plane. I showed her my passport so she could look up my flight reservation. I described it and she asked questions to clarify, then she called the lost and found department to ask if they had it. The phone was busy so she tried again a few more times, and eventually got through. After what felt like forever (since I was so anxious about the situation, not because it was actually taking a long time!) she smiled and told me they had it!!!

She told me to go downstairs and find the JAL luggage service area near the Starbucks (I told you it would come back!) and it would be waiting for me downstairs!!! I LOVE JAPAN!!!!

Up next: A few things go right...before more things go wrong!

 

[DisneyGigi]

There is nothing worse than a migraine, especially when traveling. I get about 2 a month so I have meds- I was at the beach once when one hit and had forgot to pack them. Thankfully my doc called me in some there but it was brutal waiting. Fiorocet is great, if I get a really stubborn one I have a Tripitan I can take but they knock me out for hours so I hate taking them and only do if it is severe. I hope it went away and stayed away for you the rest of the trip!

 

[Swissmiss]

Curious as to why the hotel offers 2 pairs of slippers, and why they are different?... and I was flabbergasted at all the toiletries that were in the bath!

I enlarged the photo on my iPad and I think I have an answer for curious minds - the slippers on the left may have been previously worn, as I saw the sign on them said these have been disinfected for your use (or something similar - I don’t feel like scrolling back up to see) and I would assume the pairs on the right, being wrapped in plastic, had had no previous wearers

 

[Swissmiss]

@bee I’m happy for you that you got your bottle back - yes, it is only a “thing” but things can have sentimental value that really make us sad when we lose them