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Published On: Sep 11, 2004 09:51 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Sep 11, 2004 09:51 PM
Nashville to Naha
I've been in Naha for two plus days now and have
yet to sit down with the PowerBook to relate the trip. I guess that's good
because it means I've been busy.
The trip from Nashville to Naha via El Lai and Taipei was long, but tolerable. I got a second row window seat on the Singapore Air flight and never looked behind me so it seemed as if there were only a dozen or so of us on the plane. I met a guy from Springfield, MO in the check-in line and ended up hanging out with him for a few hours before the flight. He actually slept some during the flight while I really couldn't. The result: a killer headache as we were heading down from Sakhalin, along the Japan archipelago, skirting Okinawa on the way toward Taipei. The connection in Taipei was a piece of cake. Hardly anyone around at 5:30AM. The quiet was broken, however, by a British football team headed for Okinawa on my flight. What a bunch of jerks--loud, pushy, swaggering--you'd think they were American. Anyway, my rental car pick-up was waiting for me at the arrival gate with his little red "トラベルレタカー" sign. That went so smoothly that I had two hours to kill before I could check in. In the customs line I had met a young engaged couple who are here for an international coral conference. Nice people, but vegetarians so eating in Oki will be difficult for them. That on top of general cultural disorientation. So, I invited them to dinner at Nanak, the Indian restaurant on Kokusai dôri. They (Eric and Renée) were very appreciative. They got a kick out of the scene on the street. We then drove up to Sunset Beach and stopped at the Big Dip for Beni-imo ice cream along the way. They're off to a scuba trip in the Keremas now. I offered to show them around after they get back and whenever they can get away from the conference. It ended up being a fun and full first day--much more than I expected (i.e., a shower and sleep).
The trip from Nashville to Naha via El Lai and Taipei was long, but tolerable. I got a second row window seat on the Singapore Air flight and never looked behind me so it seemed as if there were only a dozen or so of us on the plane. I met a guy from Springfield, MO in the check-in line and ended up hanging out with him for a few hours before the flight. He actually slept some during the flight while I really couldn't. The result: a killer headache as we were heading down from Sakhalin, along the Japan archipelago, skirting Okinawa on the way toward Taipei. The connection in Taipei was a piece of cake. Hardly anyone around at 5:30AM. The quiet was broken, however, by a British football team headed for Okinawa on my flight. What a bunch of jerks--loud, pushy, swaggering--you'd think they were American. Anyway, my rental car pick-up was waiting for me at the arrival gate with his little red "トラベルレタカー" sign. That went so smoothly that I had two hours to kill before I could check in. In the customs line I had met a young engaged couple who are here for an international coral conference. Nice people, but vegetarians so eating in Oki will be difficult for them. That on top of general cultural disorientation. So, I invited them to dinner at Nanak, the Indian restaurant on Kokusai dôri. They (Eric and Renée) were very appreciative. They got a kick out of the scene on the street. We then drove up to Sunset Beach and stopped at the Big Dip for Beni-imo ice cream along the way. They're off to a scuba trip in the Keremas now. I offered to show them around after they get back and whenever they can get away from the conference. It ended up being a fun and full first day--much more than I expected (i.e., a shower and sleep).
Posted: Thu - June 24, 2004 at 10:31 PM |