August 13 - Airport farewells...

It's a sad and glad day. Peter will take us to the airport and we'll stay in Japan for 2 nights.

We get to the airport and I'm shocked to see that Jack and Ying are there to see us off! Will the hospitality EVER end? Or maybe Jack just wants to be sure that we get on the plane so that after 4 1/2 months he can finally get a break :o) (Just kidding Jack!) Well, I feel bad... there, of course, was some morning airport chaos and we needed to get over to check-in a 1/2 dozen aisles away and I didn't give a proper "thank you" and "farewell" to our exceptional hosts. I thought they would be walking with us.... OOPS!

So, we fly ANA to Japan. The kids get to enjoy airplane toys and don't really give us any trouble. I'm a blob of emotion. Sad to leave a beautiful place with a less "American" pace of life. Although more logistically complicated... life was more simple for us in Thailand. There's been something good for the soul by stepping outside of our American life and getting a sample of a different way... of living, of thinking, of appreciating.

Once we get to Narita we bus shuttle over to the ANA Intercontinental in Tokyo. There's SMOKING INDOORS! Like in the lobby! I feel like I'm back in the 80s. I half expect to see those ashtrays with built in fans and "filters". Don't you remember them from office buildings and holiday-season-infommercials?

There's pretty lights to look at from our connecting hotel rooms.




To make it easy on ourselves we eat at the hotel sushi restaurant. The kids like tuna rolls! OH YEEAHHHHH! Should they EVER be left alone with chopsticks? OH NOOO!