Well, the best laid plans don’t always work out. We had hoped that booking a hotel at Tokyo Haneda airport would simplify the journey to Osaka. The problem was, that when we bought our tickets, our choice was restricted to the 7 am connecting flight to Osaka the next day. We have been trying to change that to a later time but were unable to do so by phone or at Vancouver airport. After going through security and picking up our trikes and luggage, Barry was encouraged by an ANA worker to head over to the domestic terminal to make the change. Sadly, the terminals had closed for the day, so we realized that we would have to be up at 5 to make the flight. We could have taken a chance that there might be space on a later flight, but we were advised not to count on it. With just a little over 2 1/2 hours in our room, our sleep deprived brains got ready to stumble our way through what we had to do.
Cats are very popular in Japan. As a cat lover, I enjoy seeing these shops which are very successful.
Despite leaving our room at 5:30, we were faced with an enormous lineup at the gate. I asked an agent if this was a problem as we each have oversized items to check in (trikes). She directed us to go to Special Assistance area. I thought she was trying to expedite the process, but I later realized that she thought that my trike was a wheelchair. It was a bit awkward but I decided to roll with it. It reminded us of Sylvia Halpern who tours on her trike, Myrtle the Turtle. Sylvia is always ready to refer to her trike as a mobility device if she encounters problems or is going to be charged extra.
The staff at the Special Assistance area were incredibly considerate and concerned for my welfare. Oh dear….They wanted to loan me a wheelchair, assist me to the gate etc. But I assured them that my husband could take care of me. I mentionned that walking is hard for me, but riding works (that is true, by the way…both knees have issues that are getting worse as time goes on). Nonetheless, Barry took his cue, rose to the challenge and assisted me. It was unbelievable…what would have taken over an hour in the regular line up, took just minutes and that included going through security. Things are looking up.
When I saw the Wheelchair icon on the sign, I took a deep breath and went in.
After a lovely and uneventful flight to Itami Airport(Osaka), we armed ourselves with a lot of coffee and assembled our trikes. By the time we finished we had a very interested and encouraging crowd of Japanese travellers watching our every move. Is this how animals feel in a zoo?
It is always a leap of faith to send our trikes away at the airport. So happy to see them and they look like they made the journey without damage.
It was very quiet at the airport when we started. That was good, as it will get messy before we are done. And what will we do with the garbage. The culture in Japan regarding garbage is very clear….deal with your own garbage.
Our ride to Osaka followed a lovely route, at times along the river. However, being so tired, the 25 Km route was plenty for us.
Ride with GPS is an app we love to use to create routes. It typically finds a route that is away from traffic when possible. This is very promising, as within a few minutes we were away from Itami and busy roads. This route will follow the river on this paved path.
In no time we reached our hotel. It is getting dark and we can’t wait to get comfy and go to bed. Hotel the Lutheran has been a great place for us. Looking forward to a few days in Osaka.
Keith AdamsTo Charmaine RuppoltThey had them on their first trip, earlier this year. Caused them some headaches, now hopefully solved. Reply to this comment 6 months ago
