Day 01. Flying...

I will not tell you the travel arrangements.

Because it would bore you.
Because nobody cares about the hours I invested searching for flights. The hours planning the best route to maximize my time there. The hours and hours and hours online looking for information on cities, towns, hotels, lodging, transportation ... The hours trying to learn some Japanese to get out of something that another possible fix ...

In total, just over two months of preparation to get everything perfect. Test passed. Just afraid that the weather was not good. But it was great.

After loading half suitcase with winter clothes, which later turned out that I did not use (it always happens the same) I found a mild climate in the month of November, with warm days and nights cool (not cold). Just a couple of days of rain, that allowed me to meet some wonderful people ...

At the mess ...

28 October 2009

First day of travel. After travelling 29 hours (said fast eh?) from the door of my house to my first accommodations in Kyoto.

Ave--> MADRID --> Avión 01 --> LONDRES --> Avion 02 --> TOKYO --> Avión 03--> OSAKA -->">To summarize: (08:00 hours on October 28 ZARAGOZA -> Ave -> MADRID -> Aircraft 01 -> London -> Avion 02 -> TOKYO -> Aircraft 03 -> OSAKA -> KYOTO 21:00 horas día 29 de octubre).">Train -> KYOTO 21:00 hours on 29 October).

29 de octubre de 2009

In Osaka's Kansai International Airport, once off the plane in the arrivals area, a monorail transports you to the terminal. Monorail whose frequency is approximately 3 minutes. So if you lose one, you don´t have to worry ... because then you're seeing come the next. Once in the terminal, you have to pick up the suitcase. Those who have traveled by plane, you know what often happens. You get to the tape, stand in front of it, and wait 10, 15 minutes to start to leave packages. Meanwhile, praying that they have not lost the suitcase so lovingly left on the tape of Madrid, and that after so much change of plane, who knows if there will be over in Chile or in Somalia. Yours is to pray, often leaving the last. However, in Osaka, to reach the tape, the bags were already marching. To which you wonder: if I've taken 10 minutes to get the aircraft to the tape, monorail ... how bags have come before me? Surely these Japanese invented teleportation... Impressionant.

The first step is to pass the immigration counter. Here I had been warned that patience arm me, because queuing long enough to enter the country. Well, quite the contrary. I arrive first at the counter. And first pleasant surprise. All you have in your head the police customs typical 2 x 2, angry, you almost afraid to look at him to save you the darkroom to make an inspection "in depth". Then I came face to face with a friendly and smiling, policeman, saying some strange things (my insight helped me understand it was my first contact with Japanese language) accompanied with gestures to put my readers fingerprint, and I was quiet looking into the camera to get a photo. They must do this if I lose a hand or the head, knowing what body have to return them ... And with a smile and a wave of his hand, invited me to enter the country. Coool! They let me stay in Japan!

After catching the train to Osaka, where the route is approximately 1 hour, I arrive at Kyoto Station. Only one more journey by metro to the station next to the hotel, and relax!
Finally! I arrive at the hostel Bola-Bola. Thanks to a highly detailed map of the location of the hostel, I can arrive without getting lost. A bit gloomy entrance, but the cozy interior. Shower, some dinner and sleep. I'll be able to get up tomorrow?