I'm currently waiting at Kansai International Airport to meet up with my representative from Kake Institutes and my fellow intern, Hannah.
Yesterday, I left Seattle, Washington around noon (West coast time of course). The flight to Osaka was very smooth. Most of the people in the terminal were Asian however, there were a few American people. While I was waiting to board, I sat next to a guy who has been to Japan many times and has a Japanese wife. He recommended I visit Nara, Kyoto and Kobe as well as enjoy myself. He was also kind enough to offer his assistance to me and another kid when we got to Osaka.
The flight itself actually went by quickly. I spent my 11 hours watching a few movies provided by the Delta (which included The Avengers!), listened to music and slept. Also, contrary to popular opinion, the airline food that was served was quite good.
By the time I arrived at the airport, went through customs and claimed my huge bag...I wasn't tired! I honestly thought I would be exhausted by the end of my flight but I still had plenty of energy. After asking the clerk at the travel desk where the bus stop was, I went to go wait for the Kansai Washington Hotel shuttle.
The first thing I noticed after walking outside was that my god, it is HUMID here. Though I was only dressed in a short sleeved shirt and dress pants, by the time I got to my hotel room I had thoroughly sweated through my clothes, and I hardly sweat to begin with! Kansai airport is also on the ocean so no matter where I roamed, I could smell a hint of salt in the air.
After I checked in with a very nice clerk, who spoke perfect English even though I didn't ask him to, I managed to wheel my luggage to the elevator and find my room. The room I stayed in looked very similar to Western hotel rooms except that everything was maybe a foot lower than normal. Here's a view from my hotel room:
The hotel also had a small convenience store and restaurant inside; I ended up getting a few small things to eat from the convenience store because it was cheaper in comparison to the restaurant. I then spent my evening sending emails to family, skyping with Galen and watching a little bit of Japanese TV.
Here's a few interesting things about my hotel room:
- In order to turn the electricity on, I had to insert my room key into a small slot on the wall.
- Of the complimentary toiletries in my room, the tooth paste was no bigger than a daily vitamin.
- The toilet was...electronic?! Essentially there was a button to change the water pressure, to stop the flushing and several to...clean your bottom?
- There was a dispenser for soap, conditioner and shampoo next to my shower/bathtub.
- My room also included complimentary slippers and a robe.
The next morning, I ate some breakfast and went outside to explore Rinku Town. It was very early in the morning (about 7am) so there weren't many people around. My explorations led me to a shopping center, a park and a beach. Here's some pictures:
When I was walking around I also got a million stares from local Japanese people. Apparently, some people never seen foreigners so seeing a person with my kind of build and coloring was a sight. After I was done exploring, I returned to my hotel room, packed up my stuff, talked with Galen briefly and caught the hotel shuttle to the airport.
That's all for now!
-Julie
