Our flight tickets were "stand-by" status. The good news is that "stand-by" tix are 70% discount (made possible via some generous friends); the bad news is that you risk not getting a seat. You guessed it: the flight was FULL! Additional passengers booking in from a cancelled Osaka flight filled all the open seats, and we were starting to dread having make alternate plans. Eleven of us were on the "stand-by" list. With minutes before departure our names were called, we were given seat assignments, and we hustled onto the plane! Found out only 7 final seats were open - wow! To paraphrase Shakespeare: we few, we happy few, we band of strangers on a plane. Ha! Actually, we're grateful to God for whatever it was that set it up for us to get on, though I'm sure he would have helped us get through the alternate plans as bizarre as that would have been.
Flight was smooth, arrival worked well (didn't forget any baggage this time), and then Sylvia and I zipped off different directions. She headed over to another part of the airport to catch a flight to Sapporo, while after renting a cell phone to use for the week, I jumped on the express to Tokyo and caught the bullet train for Sendai.
 |
| Crazy! but not bad after being up 22 hours traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles. |
I'm staying with Mika and Hidemasa tonight and hook up with Gilberts tomorrow morning and go to Ishinomaki for memorial services. Meanwhile Sylvia is arriving in Sapporo about the time I get to Sendai, will overnight at a recommended airport hotel, and take a morning train to join the Clarks at the Teine church.
Can you say "long day"?
No comments:
Post a Comment