Back in L.A. but Big in Japan pt 2: Somehow We Got Past Customs

We left for Japan on thursday, March 12th at around 2 pm.  Because of our cheap airfare we didn't have a whole lot of choice on our route so it involved flying to Atlanta 1st, spending the night there and then flying to Tokyo.  The flight to Atlanta was about 5 hours, we got there at around 9 pm and the flight to Tokyo was at 9:50 the next morning.  ATL to NRT was about a 14 hour flight.  So for us to get to Japan it took about 31 hours.

Getting through customs was an embarrassing endeavor.  All I could think was "Amateur Hour" as I watched my travel companions scramble for the necessary customs documents.  One of us had decided that he didn't need the documents when the stewardess was handing them out while inquiring, "U.S. Citizen?"  He told me that he just stared at her blankly and then waved her away not wanting any part of what she was offering.  Then I was faced with a barrage of questions about what our flight number was, how long would we be there and where were we staying.

"Tuomas! what did you put down for how much cash you have when entering the country?"

"I wrote down how much cash I have"...

After a stern looking agent took my finger prints and stamped my passport we were through! 

But the journey was not over.  We still had to factor in the hour train ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo station and then the 3 hour Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto.  Everything clicked once we got to Tokyo station.  I saw one sign that said Shinkansen and I powered through the pre-rush hour crowds to our platform.  Soon we would be able to ditch our bags at the hostel and grab some food and a couple of beers.

Everyone was pretty knackered on the train ride but I could not sleep because I knew that if slept I would miss probably the best shot at seeing Mt. Fuji we would have on the entirety of our journey.  It was a sunny clear day and soon it came into view.

We got to Kyoto safe and sound and checked into our hostel.  Kyoto was pretty awesome.  The city itself looks like any other city, but dotted all around it are enough temples and gardens to make a couple of gaijins like us wonder if we were worthy of setting foot there.  For example this one made entirely out of goooooooooold:

Until next time...Sayonara!