Planes, Flames and Automobiles...

7ish a.m. US

The first travel day is always a little long. Mine started in a pretty normal fashion... I woke up, stumbled to the shower, and get ready to leave. Nicole fixed breakfast (great surprise) and we said goodbye. She told me that she loved me and I told her to "play nice with the other kids. "(Women only for the next sentence. I said I would miss her and loved her.)



9:00 a.m. US

Danny the 48 year old taxi driver from Charlotte picked me up. Danny is driving cabs while he starts up his internet business selling satellite television installations and vitamins. Cab ride -- $42 USD with small tip. Unbelievable.



I had scheduled the cab so that I could be through security for a 10a.m. call with an employee in Europe. The call was cancelled late Thursday, but the cab was already scheduled.


11:00 a.m. US
Flight takes off for Detroit on a small plane that will only allow one carry-on item and then only if it is a deck of playing cards. This was a pretty uneventful flight.


12:30 p.m. US
We land and have 3ish hours to burn before leaving for Tokyo. Oddly enough, we eat at this Japanese restaurant which serves wonderful sushi. (For Ryan) I had the best pickled plum roll.


3:30 p.m. US
Our plane is massive. I sit upstairs in the small, reserved business class section. We have bins to put our stuff beside us and above us. The food (I had filet) for dinner was several courses and very very rich. The chair had 17 buttons just to control the seat. You could raise and lower the feet, lumbar support, and just about everything else. The Personal Video system had too many buttons to count. I watched about three movies (The Clearing, Casonova and the New World). They had pizza or noodles for midnight snack and then I chose a continental breakfast option over the cold duck breast the next morning. I only slept about an hour -- strange for me.


3:30 a.m. US, 5:30 p.m Tokyo

We arrive in Tokyo and have about a mile (seemingly) to hike to get to our connection. At every turn there is a young, pretty Japanese woman in uniform ushering us along (and saying Thank you). This plane is smaller, but still impressive. I settle into my business class seat and fall asleep immediately.



4:30 a.m. US, 6:30 p.m Tokyo

Unfortunately, I seemed to slept through the excitement of the big "BOOM" of engine four and the flames shooting out of it. I did wake up to the captain's announcement that we were flying back to Tokyo and would need to get on another plane. Having seen how it turns out in Lost -- I was fine with getting back on the ground.



7:30 a.m. US, 9:30 p.m Tokyo

We had to take a different plane, so I had to give up the business class seat. They were very generous and nice -- and I got a row by myself.



12:30 a.m. US, 1:30 a.m Hong Kong
We arrive and follow another little army of young, pretty Chinese woman in uniform ushering us along (and saying Thank you). I like this approach. We get on a bus for our Hotel.



12:30 a.m. US, 2:30 a.m Hong Kong
We get to the hotel tired but hungry so we go find an all-night noodle place (Hong Kong Waffle House?) and eat.



3:00 a.m. US, 5:00 a.m Hong Kong
Finally to bed.