The Last Day’s Mess – The Japan Story

Here’s a quick review: I was in Japan for about a week. Many things were new (and exciting) for me, so I’ll be writing the stories in a few posts instead of just one. At the end of each story, I’ll provide some QUICK TIPS that you might need to remember, just in case my situation happened to you. As I’m pretty good at sweating the small most-likely-unnecessary details too, you might want to skip to that QUICK TIPS part immediately if you somehow feel like reading but not quite mentally equipped to deal with the whole text. So buckle up, and here we go..

Let’s just start with the last day’s mess. I wasn't exactly exaggerating. That particular last day (one and a half day, maybe) was like a total twist to the relatively steady and well-ordered schedule I had the days before. My budget was swelling kind of enormously and unexpectedly, so I was quite grateful that I didn't really blow up cash the days before. Still I feel like cursing for nearly the whole Saturday, and here’s the reason why.

So on Friday morning I checked out from the hostel and went into the conference as I originally intended to. After the conference has finished, while one of my fellow Indonesian colleague went to Hakata station to check for the availability of the bus ticket, I decided to go to Dazaifu Tenmagu while there was still some daylight. I didn't regret this decision. The temple was beautiful (totally awesome during spring –more photos coming up on the other post). 

Problem started to surface when I arrived at Hakata station to book the bus ticket to Kyoto at around 8, only to find that the tickets were sold out. I was like “Oh shit. What do I do now? Where do I sleep now?” I wasn't thinking that clearly, so I just headed back to the hostel to pick up my luggage while hoping that there’s still a bed left for the night, aaand yay! There was one. So I checked in again and spent the night in the same hostel while thinking what I had to do for the next day.

The plan for Saturday was to wake up as usual, do some shopping at the Hakata station (green tea KitKat, kaleidoscope toy, and Tokyo Jihen/Sambomaster audio CD were within the list), then leave to Kyoto at around 10 a.m. I was almost ran out of cash, so I tried to find an ATM where I could take come out from my card. I couldn't really find the ATM, but I remember I still have some dollars, so I tried to go to the Fukuoka Bank to exchange those bills to yen. Then I realized it was Saturday, which means, the bank is closed. Damn. 

No big deal, though. I can still use my credit card, apparently. I was able to buy the green tea KitKat. My shopping time had to be prolonged, however, because Tower Records, the place where I was about to buy audio CD is located inside the AMU Plaza, and it only opened at 10 a.m. When the plaza opened, I immediately bought the CDs and headed back to the hostel to pick up my baggage and stuff it with those items I bought recently. The baggage was stuffed, but it was okay. I went back to Hakata to get my Shinkansen ticket. Yes, Shinkansen, the bullet train. It's indeed quite expensive, but it seemed to be the only way to proceed with my plan that day, so.. Shinkansen it is.

I actually intended to use my credit card to pay for the ticket, but apparently there wasn't much left on my balance *oops*, so like it or not, I would need to exchange my dollars. I went to the information to possibly find a place for money exchange in Hakata station, and fortunately, there is one. I was finally able to exchange my dollars and go to Kyoto at around 12, about two hours late from the intended schedule. I thought that it should be okay, since a friend whom I was supposed to meet in Kyoto said that he'd be available after two, so if I arrive in Kyoto at around three, that'd still be pretty safe. So... well. Shinkansen ride was nice, like any other trains. I wasn't too excited, and wasn't really able to feel the difference with other trains, because most trains were comfortable. Plus, in general I'm not too picky when it comes to transportation, so it was okay.

When I arrived in Kyoto, it was raining hard just like the previous time I was there. I tried to reach my friend through FB message, and he said he just finished, and that he might need some time to get to the station by bus. So after asking for some suggestions, and making sure that my Haruka ticket to Kansai airport was still usable, I decided to just walk around the station. I went to Yodobashi camera to try to find the kaleidoscope there, but I didn't find it. A bit disappointed, but.. there were two nice people who helped me to find the way to Yodobashi camera, and I was quite delighted, so I was okay.

Trouble was the fact that my phone battery started to drain out, and I was quite hungry because I hadn't really eaten much.. so I stopped to get myself something to eat while charging my phone in that restaurant as well. I got stomachache after my meal, maybe because I was eating a bit too eagerly after some long hours of not eating *damn*, but after few visits to the toilet, I was okay.

I was still waiting for my friend to come, but he apparently took the wrong bus, so it might still take a long while until he showed up. He didn't show up until almost 8, so I decided to leave to Kansai International Airport without seeing him because I didn't want to be late for my flight.

When I arrived in KIX, the check in period had opened already. After some walks to the check in counter, there were some minutes that I spent uselessly because I was queuing at the wrong line. *damn*. No big deal, I could still change line, and tried to check in, and then they said that my luggage was overweight and I could not put it in the cabin, I had to check it in, and I had to pay 12,000 yen. Damn.

I was nearly out of cash after paying for my Shinkansen ticket, so I had to go down to the ATM in the first floor to get some cash for it before I could finally check in my luggage in the check in counter in the fourth floor. Damn. By the time the checking in process was completed, it was pretty close to the boarding time, so I was kind of running to do the entire process. Lucky I didn't have my baggage in my hand, though, I could run faster and easier. 

In the immigration, it was another long queue, and some people before me seemed to have a little issue with their passport, so I was waiting in line anxiously because it was only like 10 minutes left before boarding time, and I imagined that I still had to walk/run a long way to the gate.. stuffs. Turned out that the run wasn't as long as I thought, so I finally managed to be at the gate in time, and board to the plane.

During those times of running and waiting, I was actually wondering whether these 'obstacles' were actually an answer to a 'chant' I did the day before when I said that I didn't want to go home. I was a bit scared, and kind of cursed myself for not being careful with what I 'wished' for. Haha. I mean, God, I wanted to go home. "I can't find sweet tea in Japan; it's a quick glucose supply during busy hours, and I need it. I don't want to live in a country where I can't find sweet tea." That was what I thought. Stupid, eh? I know. haha. Who cares, I just wanted to go home safely.

So. After safely placing my carry-on, took my seat inside the plane, did some talk with the person who sat next to me... the plane took of, and the lights were turned off. I sat, and cried in silence. I was so relieved I could finally be on my way home. Haha.

QUICK TIPS

1. Read the rules (including the airline's baggage policy), and don't break it. Just.. don't. While some people might get away with it, there's always be a chance that you can't, so.. just don't.

2. Cash as much money you have to local currency IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait until a Saturday when the banks are closed and the 'compatible' ATMs are hard to find.

3. Do make a travel budget, and have a financial back-up. At least a 40% back up might suffice. Ideally, have a back up of the same amount of your budget, or even more.

4. Don't put yourself in a tight schedule. While it might seem possible and applicable, when you're coming to a new place, unexpected things could happen, and they may cause significant changes to your schedule. Allow your schedule to have some huge flexibility so you don't need to rush things.