Back Again

Flew out to Japan on the 26th December for about a month to help with finishing off over here, flying out on the 26th sucked as it was boxing day back home not the ideal time to be travailing.

I actually arrived on the 27th, had come through Charles de-Gaulle airport in Paris, normally I like to travel to Amsterdam Schiphol but couldn't get a ticket with the right timings.

Have been through CdG airport before but could not really remember it, can't say I can recommend it form this trip. At least the terminal I was in just seemed big and not very user friendly, I’ll try and avoid it in future, in fact I’m flying back through Amsterdam.

I mean there was no sort of fast food places in the terminal just to get a snack or no small cafés or bars to sit, everything seemed to be designed to get the most money out of the passenger, that’s what it seemed like to me anyway. I’m not the biggest fan of McDonalds or Burger King but they do serve a purpose when you only want something small and cheap though don’t they.

So I arrived at Narita airport about 7.30 pm on the 27^th time to get the bus and make my way to Utsunomiya, another three hours away. I’d had someone make me a reservation at the Richmond hotel there for one night and told them I would be checking in around midnight, bus left the airport at 8.55pm only took about 2n1/2 hours so was there by 11.30.

Bus stop is only just around the corner from the hotel so not far to lug your bags, I’d arrange to pick a car up the next day so could check out and put my bags in the car ready for moving to the next place I was going to be staying at (back in ES1) had made a reservation here as well.

been here a few days now and don't know if I've made a mistake staying back at EST1, it was Ok in the middle of summer for a few days but now it's the middle of winter I'm not so sure. I'll tell you one thing though i really miss being in my apartment, which just happens to be across the road from where I'm living at the moment, there;s no one living there either cos i went to check the mail box to see if there was anything form me and it was crammed to bursting with stuff.

Anyway at ES1 managed to get a room with a DVD player in it though so at least i can hire videos from Tsutaya http://www.tsutaya.co.jp/ which is a video shop i joined last year and I'm still a member of, you can get 5 for a 1000yen about 6.50 in proper money, cheaper than back home i think.

Basically I'm staying in EST1 (photo on the right)but am thinking of moving out again when my time is up, only booked in for a week to the 4th Jan so will see what to do then.

Can't say i recommend being in Japan over New Years not quite like the West seems to be a very family orientated time and even bars and stuff close down. Went out last night and it was dead, even on New years eve not exactly party time maybe in Tokyo but not here and maybe not their either. Before I came here I'd been thinking of getting a ticked to some where warm for New Year but all the tickets to anywhere worth going are over a $1000, soon as it gets past new year though everything drops to about $400, will have to wait till I'm about to come back to get away.