As we do for every long weekend, we headed off island to experience some Asian culture.
We started our trip to Taipei on Friday night. Our flight left at 9pm. We cleaned house, packed up and headed to the airport. The airport is only 8miles from our home, but it took us 1.5hrs to get there. Traffic was so bad!!
Finally we got there after taking a less traveled route and met our parking guy. I love that valet parking in Japan is so cheap!
We checked in with the airline and found out our plane was delayed one hour. I was shocked, what do you mean we are going to be late. Our flight was headed to Osaka and then we were catching a morning flight to Taipei. Oh well, go with the flow.
Out flight was uneventful, we slept the whole way and arrived at midnight in Osaka. The plan had been to take the metro to the hotel, but guess what closed at midnight. We hiked through the cold terminal- literally no heat or insulation and it was 28 degrees out. Caught a bus, hiked through another cold terminal and wait outside for over an hour for a taxi. We never did think it was going to arrive. Finally taxis trickled in one by one. When ours arrived it was a joyous event.
We drive 15 mins to the hotel. Most expensive taxi ever, $70 later we arrived where we would take a short 3 hr nap. The bed was small, the bathroom was smaller and the towels felt like paper towels. But I slept so hard for those three hours.
Then it was back to the airport. Our hotel had a free shuttle, one reason I choose it. The shuttle took us straight to terminal 2. We began our check in adventure.
Apparently Osaka does not get many military. They realized we had been in the country for more than 90 days, they did not understand SOFA and we were interrogated as they tried to understand.
We stood and talked at the counter for 30 mins. Finally someone somewhere on the phone convinced the check in lady we could leave Japan and that we were here legally.
Next was the incredibly long security check. We had 30 mins before take off. We were not missing this flight. It was cold in Osaka and I did not pack to stay here.
So we gominasai'd our way to the front and jumped the line got through security and immigration with out issue. Just as Bill walks out of immigration, they call for our flight...they are closing the doors.
We run through the freezing hallway and catch up to the ticket counter. We walk out on the Tarmac and brave to cold wind to board a plane to Taipei.
All this Happened before 7am. Not a great start to the day. But we are on our way.
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