Had a really long day today, and it's quite weird being in Japan after being in Australia for so long. Tokyo is also SO different to Oz, and the UK, so my eyes are popping out of their head at everything!!

Last morning in Cairns was a little sad as it felt really weird leaving. Packing up my stuff just felt odd at first, but then I was actually looking forward to getting on with my journey! I managed to leave a few things behind that I didn't need anymore, and a fair bit of food too, so my suitcase was only about 23 kilos. Still uber heavy, I know!! However, flying Qantas / BA I wasn't worried and the girl at the check in desk just waved me through :D It does pay to not travel on the cheap all the time then, hurrah! Must remember this for next time!

Flight felt long and was fairly uneventful but we actually flew over the Barrier Reef which was pretty cool. I have had a window seat all along, so of course I pressed my nose up against the window for my last glimpse of Australia and the Reef!
The flight was only about 7 hours, but it did feel really long. They also showed a really strange film about someone getting married (I can't remember the name) but it wasn't the normal chick flick which I was expecting but it was still quite weird. This girl returned home to see her sister get married but basically opened a whole can of worms about her and her families past - namely that she managed to kill her brother when she was younger because she was a drug addict. So, it wasn't all dress fitting and getting their hair done!

Had to fill in three forms whilst on the plane - two normal ones for embarkation, and customs, and then a third one about this swine flu that has been going around for however long. I had no idea what this was until I was on the Reef as I got talking to an Ozzie couple who told me about it! Japan is obviously hot on this new pandemic and so I had to say whether I'd been in contact with any Mexicans, Canadians, or Americans. I have no idea what would have happened if I had!!

Got through customs ok and immigration, and the Tokyo government now have my fingerprints and my photo!! They have this little machine where you have to put your two index fingers and get your photo taken! I don't think even my government have my fingerprints, do they? It was quite strange but then I just shrugged and realised this was Tokyo!

Get to the trains finally and people are really friendly, and don't actually tut at you or look at you strangely if you don't understand something or go the wrong way or whatever! Had an interesting time buying a ticket to get to where I was staying too! Most people don't speak English, but I think some can understand some of what you're saying so I've become very good at pointing and trying to act out what I want! I know it might sound daft, but having a picture of what you want is also very useful!!
I'm staying in Kamata which is quite far from the airport and it took me about an hour and a half to get here by the train. It takes ages to get anywhere from the airport, and I'd been warned about this by Margaret so I was prepared thankfully. It didn't feel like too long though as I was quite happy just having a good look around the train and at the people on the train! The trains are sooooo clean!! I wish trains at home were this clean, the service would be so much nicer to use! They're also really quite spacious, and I can reach the hand hold things again, just like in Singapore!! Hahahahhha!
Lots of people wearing those face mask things, and there were even quite a few people wearing them on the plane too! I'm afraid to sneeze or cough just in case I get ejected from the train ;D
There are lots of adverts in the train too, obviously all in Japanese so I can't understand what they're saying, adverts on the doors, adverts on the top where we have them, adverts hanging from the train ceiling....adverts everywhere!

I had a bit of trouble finding my hotel too, when I got out of the station. There are signs in English everywhere (though I've memorised the symbols for 'exit' just in case!) so changing trains and so on isn't that much of a problem. However, when I got out of the station, I had no idea where I was going! I wandered off in a couple of different directions as there was a map just outside the station but everything was obviously in Japanese so it didn't help.
Then I asked a guy who I passed and he looked around and I don't think he knew where it was either! He also couldn't speak any English, but he did lead me back to the station and to the policemen there! They were really nice and helpful actually, and one of them actually took me to the hotel. I had been walking in completely the wrong direction, so it was a good thing that I did ask as I don't think I would have ever found it!
The hotel is really nice, clean and quite big too, but not too big. My room is nice as well, though I appear to be in a smoking room, pooooh. It just never occured to me that I would need to ask for a non smoking room seeing as everywhere at home inside is non smoking. It doesn't smell too bad however, though the bed cover does smell a bit :(

Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow but I think I'll have a bit of a lie in and then go and explore somewhere. I know I'm going to Harajuku on Sunday as my guidebook says that's the day when all the Harajuku girls parade around on the bridge by the station. So, I'll go camera armed and shutter button at the ready on Sunday! I think I'll just be armed with my camera wherever I'm going anyway!!