Trip to Japan

An Account of Ben Belton and Ricky Cain's Trip to Japan and the ADA Nature Aquarium Party

September 4 - 15, 2005

September 4th and 5th

"We didn't loose your luggage. We just sent it to Canada."
After a long 14 hour flight 6,420 miles from Dallas to Tokyo, this is what I was told. As if having turbulence for the last 3 hours of the flight and Ricky not showing up for the plane until it had actually started boarding was not enough. American Airlines had sent my luggage to Canada instead of Japan.

Oh well, it would be here in a couple days and for once I had taken my mom's advice and packed a change of clothes in my carry on bag just in case the airline lost my luggage. Thanks Mom. We bought our rail passes and found the trail from the airport to Tokyo. Then we found our train to Kyoto and things were running smoothly..... until in Kyoto I realized I had left my $550 rail pass and passport on the train that just left.

So we filed a lost-and-found report and arrived at our hotel two subway trains later. Or hotel is an almost traditional Japanese hotel or Ryoken. We have mattresses on the floor, the paper walls, tatame mats, and slippers we wear into our room leaving our shoes at the door. We also have separate slippers we wear into the bathroom and again a different set of slippers we wear into the toilet. The shower is a traditional Japanese shower with separate places to wash and bathe.

Ricky and I got settled in and worked on calling home and getting help finding my passport. Thankfully I have been getting tutored in Japanese the last month and my tutor had offered to help if needed. He was needed without a doubt. I gave him the numbers for the lost and found and he and the hotel staff worked on finding my passport. Ricky and I bought snacks next door at the Circle K, watched some Japanese TV (there is a typhoon coming through), and went to bed. What a day.

September 6, 2005

Ricky and I had almost 36 hours with no sleep and even though I initially woke up at 7:30, I decided we both needed the rest. So we stayed in until about 900. I called the American Consulate and the American Embassy about my passport and they told me to come there when I went to Tokyo plus file a police report. Our hotel found a McDonald's ("MacoDonaldo" the Japanese say) for us, but before we got there, we spotted a Wendy's.

From there we figured out the Kyoto bus system which was confusing at first but now we are experts. We toured the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) and the Ryoanji Temple. This took until about 5:00pm when everything closed. We boarded the bus to head home, and when we got there decided to go file the police report as the American Embassy had suggested. Ricky decided we shold go to the hotel first because possibly the train system had already found my passport. When we walked in the door, the desk attendent recognized us and told me my passport had been found. Also, he said American Air had called and my luggage would be there tomorrow afternoon. Things are looking up.

Ricky and I had to get a train over to Shin-Osaka to pick up my passport and rail pass, and I was glad not to be stuck in Japan eventhough I have really enjoyed my stay. It's about 11:00 now, and we are going to crash for the night.

This is a great country and the people are very friendly and helpful. Despite the problems, we are glad to be here.