October 20, 2015
Tuesday
Overall, I think I used only about RM4000 in this 11-day trip, inclusive of everything. I took out RM1500 from my personal savings that I saved up over the years for spending while others were from my bank account or my mom. When I begun saving up money at 14, I have no idea what I was going to use it for except when 'emergency arises'. Well, this is an emergency of some sort as I was out of money to use! So it was pretty funny.
I kept a journal while I was there - it wasn't easy to write entries and recall what happened when you're tired and just want to sleep. But I promised myself, and I wanted to do it so I did. At the end of the trip, I had a journal full of all kinds of papers, stickers, leaves and experiences.
It was my first long-haul international flight - 7 hours. I'd only ever been to Singapore, which is 45 minutes by plane. I couldn't prepare myself for what to do on the plane except to write in my journal when I get bored and couldn't begin to imagine what 7 hours feels like.
Land of the haze.
Extracts from my journal (which I will be inserting if I feel like so):
Less than a minute since take-off. It's so white its HEAVEN. The wing compartment had retracted. My ears keep popping every few seconds. I have no idea if the plane is still inclining or is it straight. The pilot's maneuvering is quite stable which makes me very, very glad.
...
I can smell the haze. And now I can see the sky!! It's light blue with common clouds. The couple beside me was sleeping since we are allowed out. I really have to not drink water so often.
I got a window seat which was my wish (as I didn't buy a seat)! We're going to land during the night anyway so I guess I won't be able to see much landscape (which I realized a little too late).
But!
It is so different at night, and a good different. We were flying among the stars and nothing else. It felt surreal and strange. I had never flew at night so it was very new to me. I dislike the flushing of the toilet because it's so loud!! It scared me the first time because I didn't know it will be sucked out and ever since then, I plug my ears when I flush.
The young Indonesian couple next to me offered me bread so that means I've eaten Indonesian bread! :P The plane was unexpectedly stable; it's as if we're floating instead of flying, and it's so strangely quiet. I don't feel motion sickness when I write or read in the plane, which was fascinating. The sunset was on the other side of the plane so I got up to the other side to take some pictures but it does not have a good view. It's the egg yolk sun!
I knew we reached Japan when I see sprinkles of light in the darkness forming what looked like land. And also because our pilot announced it. The lights were small and stagnant, as if there's no cars but only buildings full of lights. The area surrounding the airport has the most colourful lights - indication of where the planes should land. It looks special because Malaysia don't have this much coloured lights at the airport.
When I saw Tokyo International Airport, my insides teared. My outer person is too exhausted from the flight to feel anything outwardly. A part of me can't comprehend anything (because I never did; I need time for things to sink in), but a small part of me thought "I am here!".
We missed the last train so we had to take the last limousine bus to Asakusa, which is where our hostel is. Waited for about an hour in the waiting room with a vending machine from which I bought a small bottle of apple juice. The bus came and the attendant loaded our luggages at the side compartment of the bus. Sis and I took the front seats because I wanted to see Japan on the road, knowing that it will be a sacred chance.
The roads are so tiny... It's a wonder the bus can fit into it. It is just mostly 2 lanes for each direction and a lot of road works. I concluded Japanese people are good at driving, and that they weren't kidding when they said land was precious. We arrived at Asakusa View Hotel which was the last destination and tried finding our hostel (Khaosan World Asakusa Hostel). We couldn't, and so asked for directions from a conbini (convenience store) - turned out our hostel was nearby and so we thanked him and went on our way.
We arrived at our hostel at about 2am and the night staff attended to us. Our room was on the 6th floor - the highest. It was a 10-person mixed dorm. The 8 of us who came together had to separate in groups of 3 and 5. Since there were only 3 girls, it was settled quickly.
I didn't bathe that night and went to sleep.
