Japan: The Arrival

June 4, 2018 -

My flight was to leave at 7:45am MDT from Denver to San Francisco.  Buffy dropped me off at Denver International (DIA) almost an hour and a half before my flight.  I really hate leaving out of DIA..  The TSA there has no clue.  On average, it is at least 45 minutes to get through security.  And whatever disinfectant they use in the rest rooms… it stinks bad.

Anyhow, as we drive in, I notice that there is not much traffic.  I might be lucking out I thought.  I get out of the car, grab my bags, say goodbyes and then was greeted by the lengthy line at the sky cabs outside the airport.  I hear that the lines are worse inside.  So I stand in line outside waiting to check my bag.  After nearly 20 minutes of waiting, word down the line was that they were only checking bags for domestic flights.  Not international.  A few others as well as myself was concerned.  I asked a United employee who was returning a number of carts about where to go.  She acted like it was a little known secret and came close to me and a couple others.  “Go to the last door down the sidewalk,” she said in a low voice so that everyone didn’t hear her.

Off I went.  I figured I could stay in the current line with no idea if they can take me, or go inside where I know they can.  I go into the last door and the only line for international I see is for the United Premier Club.  I am not a Premier member, but I get in line anyway hoping I might luck out.  Two women were in front of me bound for Cancoon.  They inquire about what line they should be in if they are flying economy.  They are told to go around the corner.  They left and of course, I needed to follow suit.  I started talking with these women who told me a similar story of what I just went through.  The line was long, but moving at a very rapid pace.  I might make it just yet.

I get to the end of the line to the kiosk to check my bag.  I punch in my name/flight info and I am told I am past the 60 minute deadline to check bags for international flight.  I was to see an agent.  I’m eventually let to wait in another line.  Fortunately, it was not long.  Behind me however, the line was growing fast and with very upset people; some hot with anger to a women who broke down in tears.  

Talking with others and overhearing the comments, their stories were similar to mine.  One comment in particular was that the reason DIA was so overwhelmed was that it was the first summer travel day.  That may be.  My thought was DIA/United likely realized this.  Yet when you looked around at the empty counter desks and lack of staffing, the term “mismanagement” came to mind.  I know I wouldn’t want to be a United customer service rep that morning.

I finally get to an agent and didn’t even have to tell him my story.  He knew things were all messed up.  He re-routed me direct from Denver to Tokyo and then a connection to Osaka.  The overall re-arrangement would get me to Japan 3 hours later than originally planned.  Maintaining a positive attitude, I told myself things could be far worst.  However, I didn’t have a seat assignment and I know was traveling to a country, culture and language I know very little about.

I arrived at the gate after a 30 minute effort getting through security.  This is a speed record for me at DIA.  I asked the agent about my seat assignment as the flight was nearing.  I was third in line and they would be calling my name before long.  Forty minutes later, I re-inquired about my seat assignment.  Oh yeah, they are working on it and they’ll call my name in about 5-10 minutes.  I knew I better stay on top of these people.  Eleven minutes later, after they’ve been boarding for some time, I again ask about my seat assignment.  “Oh, here it is,” the agent says with some surprise in her voice.  I noticed about 3 other boarding passes laying there, no doubt for others waiting.

Sure enough, seat 17E… right in the middle.  I did luck out on that though.  I was right behind first class and there were no seats in front of me.  So I could get out very easily.  And the two guys I was sitting next to were pretty cool.  We all ordered beer and it was kind of like talking with guys in a bar.  And the Stellas’ were free!!  From this point, the travel was incident free.

It was an 11 hour flight.  I managed to get some sleep.  We arrived in Tokyo where now I was going to have to figure out how to go through their customs.  This was not difficult as the signage also had English with them.  I had to go through their security again for my domestic flight to Osaka.  DIA can learn a lot here; no where near as long.  And I got to keep my shoes on.

The only real confusion I had was with the flight numbers.  I eventually figured out that my UA7997 flight number equated to a different number for the local Japanese carrier.  All is well.  I used the What’s App app to communicate with Dennis.  I was told to grab a bus from the airport to the Sannimoyia train station in Kobe.  Well, I guess I figure that out when I get there.

Arriving in Osaka without any frustrations, my bag seem to be the last to be unloaded.  Getting the bus and then cab ride to the hotel was incredibly easy to do.

It was about 7-7:30 pm and you could tell that it was almost dusk.  I was confused as I figured the sun would set pretty much the same time it does in the US.  Thinking about it, I realized that depending up where Japan is within its time zone, along withe the fact they are likely not using daylight savings time, this is probably correct.

At long last, the Crowne Plaza was in sight.  A very tall building that appeared as an oasis after my long, long day.  I went to the front desk to see if Dennis had already checked into my room.  I then get a phone call from Dennis using Ben’s phone.  “This better be good.  I’m charged $2.50/minute with this international plan,” I answered.

The call lasted less than that.  Dennis said just come up to the 29th floor.

Trying to eat with chop sticks.
Not exactly a talent of mine.

I meet them at the elevator on the 29th floor.  My first comment to them was, “Where the fuck am I?”

I dumped all my stuff off in my room and we went out to walk and get something to eat.  Ben brought us to some small little Japanese restaurant down some alley.  I thought about ordering a Diet Coke but reconsidered.  I decided on the large, Kirin beer, which was a liter in size.  Turns out I had no choice in the matter.  For whatever reason, Diet Coke is not available in Japan.  Ok, this is a major strike against this country.  How am I going to survive!?  They do have Coke Zero, so I can get by for the time being.

Everyone else opted for water.  Ben did all the ordering and I don’t even remember what all he ordered.  They bring it out and place it on a hot plate that was built into the table.  The food was actually quite good, albeit my difficulties using chop sticks.

I looked around the place and noticed a man at another table.  He was smoking a cigarette.  Something of which you don’t see all that often in the US anymore.  We all finished up and headed back to the hotel.  It was one long day.