Day 1 - Narita and Sapporo

Day 1 - Narita and Sapporo #Japan2019

Now that I'm "officially" starting day 1 I'll rant a but so feel free to skip. while I'm definitely very excited it's still a bit bittersweet and a little guilt-induxing because I was originally going to go 3 weeks ago with a good friend

but we got royally destroyed by Typhoon Hagibis because it kept pushing back when we'd be able to arrive due to the domino effect of other people eating up slots on flights. I was lucky I could reschedule my PTO relatively easily and further get all our reservation money back but

we had planned this vacation's timing as a nice transition for him switching jobs among other things which meant he couldn't. Next year is the Olympics and I had some plans early in the year already but I still feel some guilt that I was so hard headed about wanting to go back

to Japan that we couldn't just peace out somewhere else but at the same time but the heart wants what it wants, still kind of sucks. I was looking forward to a travel companion and while I do enjoy solo travel it's a very different experience so I will try to take advantage of it

for what it is. But I'll still wonder what the trip would have been like! You will be missed buddy... Ok semi emo rant over.

The baggage claim area here gives me hope because it sucks

Even Japan at their biggest airport has ugly areas when things are being renovated... Inspiring...

So today generally speaking I grab my bag, go check it in to flight to Sapporo, kill some time, fly to Sapporo, get to city, then it's like 8pm so I'll probably ask the hotel for recommendations on food and since I didn't sleep thaaat much crash relatively early.

Tonight I booled a bit on hotel to get good rest but the next two nights are capsule hotels to get more food money

Got my bag on the bus to terminal 3

When I took my bag through customs the agent asked if I'd lived in Japan cause I said stuff in Japanese, hhhehehe

Gotta say I question the effectiveness of that sign on the floor

Went to print out my tag for my bag to Sapporo and got told I was too early by 2 minutes by the machine, now I'm waiting to drop it off, so far terminal 3 looks pretty run down almost

This lady in the baggage drop off line ahead of me did the god pack, 29.9kg suitcase

I spoke too soon, her carry on is 9kg but they weigh them the limit is 7

Detour back to terminal 2 to get my JR Pass activated, for those that don't know it gives you unlimited travel on JR trains including most shinkansen

While I made fun of the 10m ahead one, these tracks are pretty neat for information

This is a bit whack though, it's after the security screening

I guess it's a satellite building on connected by that weird walkway

For all those gacha addicts

Alright 300 yen for 10 minutes was a very very good deal after all the flying I've done today

I'm regretting not doing it a second time... We're about to board so it's too late

I'm sitting on the plane to Sapporo now, debating just doing a conveyor belt sushi near the hotel that looked decent enough, seems like a decent first meal here

Blessed rows today, row 1 on this flight

Liftofff, be back in 2 hoursish or less

Landed! Now I wait for then to let us off, then bag, then train to city, then check in to hotel then eat, then ?

I had this on the flight since they keep shilling highballs and I didn't like it, which I could have predicted since whiskey sucks but I had to know

Also the plane had this sign

Unsurprisingly people stand on the left side of escalators here

Alright on the train now, I'm not even sure how long it takes but it leaves in 4 minutes

Probably another 15 mins to get to the station and I am TIRED

Checking in at hotel then food!

One night of fancy...

Getting used to waking on the left to avoid oncomers is tough

That "Cajun fried" chicken looks so weird

There's a line for the sushi place I wanted to go to, they use a ticketing system and I got 448 but they call 411, I gotta think that's not a promising sign

How stubborn should I be, pretty much every place looks good...

They're at 429 now, maybe I can stick it out

436

441

Chuutoro and crab

Uni and anago

Marinated sujiko

That was pretty pretty good

That strawberry pom de ring at Mr donuts was actually insanely good

Ok back to hotel not even gonna pretend I can stay awake to night time explore