With loads of lovely clean clothes we packed ready to leave. Suitcases were taken to Yamato Luggage forwarding – a service widely used in Japan and known as Takkyubin – to be picked up at Narita Airport before we fly back to Canada. Backpacks with everything we’ll need for the next 6 days … much easier for traveling on public transport. Rain predicted for today – so rain jackets at the ready. Train to Kyoto … subway to the closest point of our next stay … a traditional Ryokan style house … paper screens, tatami mats, low tables. Emerged from the subway into rain! Tried to hail a GO taxi…

Crack of dawn – taxi to the airport. Busy, busy – even at this time of the morning. I think this is the first time we’ve made it through security without one or other of our bags being flagged. An achievement! Full plane. We have a Mum and baby beside us … happiest little fellow, big smiles, slept half the trip … took an interest in everything going on. Airport Express into Namba and encountered the first real rain of the trip … but not too bad as we walked through two huge, bustling covered markets to the hotel. It’s a do-it-yourself-registration (bit of a hassle) but the apartment is…

Flight doesn’t leave until 6pm … so there’s still more time to explore. Breakfast this morning was at a local coffee shop doing a flourishing trade … and no, wonder the prices were very reasonable. Not sure what to order, but the Morning Set C seemed very popular, so we plumped for that. A toasted triangular sandwich with ham, cheese, tomato, egg, spinach … very tasty. We used up the remaining Hop-on bus ticket and arrived at Tokyo Station … knocking off a whole half an hour from the journey back to the airport and allowing us to wander through the Imperial Palace grounds with its acres of statuesque cloud…

We have arrived! Zipair proved more than ample … very comfortable seats (most important) and despite misgivings about ordering the Mushroom ravioli (would it be just a step up from Chef Boyardi?) it was surprisingly good! Just wish the announcement systems were clearer. In the departure lounge one had to be almost on top of the desk to have a chance of hearing … and on board everything was really muffled. OK for 20-year-old ears, perhaps, but there were a lot of puzzled looks from older passengers. At Narita airport it’s sensation overload … bright lights …. talking toilets …. miles and miles of walkways and an army of efficient,…