DAY 13
(Reading time: 7 minutes)
Last day in Tokyo, and Japan in general.
It’s raining, pouring.
The eye of the typhoon is still getting closer.
And it will strike tonight.
Some shinkansens are canceled; the risk is too high. Outdoor activities, in general, are excluded due to heavy rain. Luckily, we’re in the city with plenty activities indoors. So, we head to Maxell Aquarium, where water is safely stored in tanks and behind glass… which isn’t necessarily a guarantee that we won’t get wet.
This Shinagawa Aquarium is visually impressive and fun, but not very educational. They have the aquarium classics: local and exotic marine creatures, a walkthrough tunnel with sharks and rays, light tubes with jellyfish changing color according to the rainbow spectrum…
They pay more attention to trained animals. In various parts of the aquarium complex, animals perform in entertaining shows. Mainly penguins, sea lions, or maybe penguins with sea lions, or sea lions with penguins, depending on your POV…
… and dolphins.
They have a circular stadium for their performances, and right at the entrance, an unmistakable sign informs you, “We appreciate your understanding that you might get wet.” Next to it is a basket of disposable raincoats.
We didn’t take them and instead opted for back seats, just to be safe. Good choice. The front rows had dolphin splashes everywhere, even behind the necks, and raincoat-wearers applauded their foresight (and the dolphins).
We’re not particularly fans of trained animal performances, but I must objectively state that I had never seen a better/more elaborate dolphin show. And we were a little wet too, don’t worry!
The subsequent late lunch didn’t turn out as expected. We were craving ramen, you see, the last ramen in Japan, so we went to a nearby shopping mall for it. Mine was a bit bland, otherwise quite alright, but Mark wanted something spicier, and he got a dose of hellish fire. We’re not chilli noobs, we like Asian spicy food, but if even Mark finds something inedible, it’s possible that one drop will burn a hole in the floor. 😀
Not exactly convincingly satiated, we then went to the hotel room because it was already starting to get colder outside.
Typhoon Trami was the second typhoon in September; the first one, Jebi, was even worse. Trami formed somewhere near Guam, moved up and gained strength. It hit Okinawa the hardest (just like Jebi), and then its intensity diminished, unfortunately only relatively to its original strength. Evacuations were still ongoing, and Trami left behind devastation. Destroyed houses, torn power lines, floods, and loss of life. Tokyo’s usually bustling nightlife quieted down and people took shelter indoors. The population density of the Tokyo metropolis is an advantage in such cases – buildings are packed together, sometimes you can see from one apartment to another across the street, and the sharp gusts of wind lose some of their force in the maze of streets.
We mostly slept through the typhoon. Although we watched the heavy rain and listened to the wind through the window in the evening, we needed some energy to return home…
…which might not have happened at all.
We were greeted by the sun in the morning, calm winds, pleasant temperatures, and a functional subway. Great, the Japanese are repairing quickly and efficiently. Or not?
The subway was working. Buses, trains and planes were limited. Fallen trees and downed power lines took their toll. We arrived at the train station with a large margin of time, wisely, but our train was canceled… then another one… and another one… travelers were gradually (i.e. by baby steps) informed that trains wouldn’t run today. None of them. The moment of realization made us start looking for an alternative plan. On the other side of the station was a bus stop, and there was still an hour and a half until departure of our plane, which was still a reachable time for travel to the airport. But only if the buses were running…
The last option was a taxi, and taxis are very expensive in Japan. But when you’re choosing between several thousand for a taxi or tens of thousands for new plane tickets who knows when, the choice is clear. We stood in line with other people at the designated spot, and soon a black car arrived for us too. The driver promised to get us there in an hour. By the way, it was a gentleman in a suit with white gloves, the car looked like it had just come out of a car wash, and there were curtains on the windows inside. We give him plus points for comfort, style, and a brisk ride to the airport. He kept his promise.
Tokyo – Narita, 60km in an hour for about 200 dollars.
We still had enough cash, although we originally wanted to exchange it back for euros or dollars, but in retrospect, I’m glad we didn’t because the taxi driver didn’t accept card payments.
30 minutes until departure.
Our flight, as one of the few, boasted the status of “on time,” just when a little delay would have been appreciated…
Followed by check-in and a run like in a scene from Home Alone, the gate was, of course, at the opposite end of the airport.
We made it.
Unlike many other passengers.
Calling out names at the gate and plenty of empty seats on the plane indicated that some people couldn’t overcome nature’s whims.
Japan successfully behind us, a 10-hour flight ahead, meaning plenty of time for contemplation. A devilish plan began to form in my head about what else we’ll visit in this beautiful country next time.
Next time? Yes, next time! Because we’re far from done here.
-endy-
DONKEY’S SPECIAL:
-mj-