Here is an update from our trip. We are in Guam now, and have gotten to visit many of our Chuukese friends, but more on that will come later...
Written en route:
We're in Osaka, Japan! Our flight from Seattle took us around the southern coast of Alaska, then across the Pacific, and through a corner of Russian airspace before continuing south to Japan. As we passed close to Russia, we spotted a large volcano looming in the distance. Temperatures outside the plane dropped as low as -77F. Our flight was very empty, and despite each having a row to stretch out on, we were more than ready to land 12 hours later when we approached Osaka. We were intrigued as we looked down at the coast of Japan, serrated with man-made islands, and at the last moment, the island on which the airport is located flashed underneath our plane. After landing with a bump, we taxied to the gate and disembarked into a different world.
Flight to Osaka, Japan
Ice crystals on the window at -77F
One of Osaka's man-made islands
The first thing that hit me was the soft classical music echoing down the sparking glass and tile corridors. We were channeled to foreign entries & entered a cavernous, sterile-looking room with a floor that was polished like a mirror. And there the signs ended. As we stood wondering what to do, a gentleman came up to us and with courteous gestures and bows motioned us to the far left of the room. There, a grinning, college-aged girl in TSA attire came towards us, non-chalantly sliding her high-heeled shoes across the glossy tile with each step, and brokenly asked for our itinerary. We pulled it out and she bent over it, forehead furrowed, as she tried to decipher the English characters. Just then another college-aged TSA worker appeared, took one look at the line of Americans (just two others besides us), and made a laughing comment to the girl. After chuckling, (I wonder what he said?) both heads were bent in deep concentration over our itinerary. After more muttering, furrowed brows, and hand-entry of information, they motioned for us to put our luggage through the scanner. Glancing at our partially-full water bottles, they motioned for us to empty them into a container that sat at the door of the room. Wanting to save all the water I could, I motioned asking if I could drink mine instead. “Oh, yes, yes,” the TSA agent giggled. Picking up one of the small cartons of soymilk we had been given on the plane, they scrutinized it, then said, “No. Over three ounce.” I guess the three-ounce-rule is international. :) All our luggage rolled through the scanner and we were each motioned through the metal detector. Being used to American security, we were about to take our shoes off, when they told us we didn’t have to. The two grinning TSA workers thanked us profusely, and, collecting our luggage, we moved on up the tall escalator leading out of the room. What a different atmosphere... slow-paced, courteous, almost humorous. This was our introduction to Japan.
Waiting in Osaka
The amusing sign posted over the drinking fountain at Kansai Intl. Airport
After strolling around the quiet airport and chuckling over a few cultural differences, (such as a very high-tech squat toilet, and a sign over the drinking fountain which read “Please refrain from gargling here”), we found a corner with large, square benches and tried to make ourselves comfortable for the night. Alas! We had innocently parked ourselves right by a construction project, and when the night-shift crew arrived our peace and quiet vanished. After a sleepless night punctuated by the noise of skill saws, hammers, a blaring tv, and a visit from another very friendly, bowing TSA policeman who was obviously not used to seeing Americans sleep in the airport, we drug ourselves and our luggage to our gate. The boarding area began to buzz, and we were soon surrounded by a crowd of boisterous, jabbering Japanese young people, all headed to vacation on Guam (Japan’s “Hawaii”). As the crowd surged down the jetway, I wondered how everyone would fit! We settled down, the only Americans on the plane, and with not a seat to spare, took off for the 3 hour flight to Guam.
As we approached the shoreline of Guam, I looked down to see a stunning emerald reef, surrounded by a ring of crashing breakers.
After disembarking, we made our way to the very-familiar baggage claim area, and watched as all eight pieces of our luggage slid onto the conveyor belt. God is good! After quickly passing through immigration (I was SO thankful they had a dedicated line for Americans), we stepped out into the muggy heat of the tropics—to be our sauna for the next five weeks. Palm fronds waved and hibiscus flowers nodded in the salty ocean breeze. A bright green six-inch-long lizzard peered over the wall at us as we walked by. It was all so familiar… :)
