2/21/08
Local time 11:05 pm
We are here. We made it by the most amazing of ways.
As I wrote earlier, our first clue that it would be an exciting day was the fact that we found out our last leg of travel with NWA was cancelled due to a lack of crew. They put us on a flight with All Nippon Airways – ANA- which one of the attendants with NWA had let me know that they were a top notch flight. No problem. Except that then we realized that the tickets they gave us had no seat assignments on them. OK…and although they initially said the winds were favorable and we would get in early, we came in JUST on time, which meant that we would have to have a small miracle to get to the gate in the 20 minutes allotted….in a strange airport, no less.
And we doubted, SERIOUSLY doubted, that our 2 checked bags would make it at all….oh well. It’s all a part of the great adventure, and not a relaxing walk in the park!
We hit the ground at Tokyo and exited the plane to hear our name being called out – really- and the smallest of professional NWA reps seeking 3 of us from the flight…all re-routed to the ANA flight to G. Se told us to “hurry, no time to make flight” and sent Mark and I ahead while she found that 3rd passenger (a young Thai MBA student who had just finished her degree at Northwestern in Chicago, and was headed to G for a year of language). Well, that NWA rep hustled us through at least a mile of walkways, glancing back on occasion to make sure we were following her…you can bet we were staying close on her heels! She stayed on the “walking” side of the moving walkways (on the right there!) and not only put us in the VIP area for our security check (they did it between each terminal there) but then cut us in line too! I couldn’t tell you how many people looked at us oddly as she pushed the barrier aside, muttered words to the security screener (the youngest one I’d ever seen, in full uniform, including hat) and got us through the screening process. All along her little voice chattering “so sorry…” or something else apologetically….to us, as well as to those she had us moving through so quickly.
That in itself was amazing too…EVERYONE was so nice…kind…no angry glares or upset people.
We made it (in a full sweat) to the terminal and were issued our seat assignments and had our passports cleared again. They had not started boarding, and the plane actually ended up being only ½ full! Surprising!
Our rushing travel partner let us know that there were several other passengers that were to be on the bumped flight, but only the 3 of us were assigned to this one, as the others (6 or so?) were put on the next day’s flight with NWA. Apparently, at $895.90 U.S.D. per ticket, NWA wasn’t willing to let all of us fly ANA. That ticket alone, from Tokyo to G, was more expensive than our original ticket round trip from the US to G.
ANA IS a top notch airline. Although not the 747 of the longer flight, it was a 767 with all the bells and whistles, including seat back screens with movies on demand and video games, and a camera mounted on the bottom of the plane that showed on screens in our aisles what was going on down below. One of the most amazing (and fun) things, was that as we were on the plane backing our of the terminal, a row of ground crew lined up and waved to us! Then they did a traditional low bow – very classy. It set the stage for the last of our 19 hours in the air today, this last 5 hour flight….the most relaxing and spacious. The most fun, too. Most restful, and since the plane was so empty, Mark was able to find a 3 seat center row to stretch out on, which made it nice for both of us.
We got to G without at hitch, watching the fireworks being shot from the ground into the air, still far below us. It was the last night of their 15 day celebration for New Year’s, and there was still plenty of celebrating going on.
Once on the ground, we pulled smoothly into the gate. As people on board started rushing to their feet to get their carry on bags, an attendant told them to stay seated…that we all had to keep the aisles clear and remain in our seats until we were approved to leave the plane. For the time being we were being quarantined on the plane, as a young passenger had been ill on board and had a fever, and the medical authorities had to come on board to clear us to be allowed off the plane.
Once the medics (or doctors?) came on board and checked her out, took her temperature, and gave the ok, we were all able to leave the plane. We were a bit surprised to find an empty airport…only the employees to staff the customs gates, a few police or security staff, and it was up to us to find out way out to the baggage claim area (where BOTH our bags made it!!) and then out to the main check in area again to prepare for tomorrow’s flight into Guiyang.
We got to the check in area for our airline, but no one was there. We had passed a McDonalds on our way in, so I waited with the luggage and Mark headed off to find a ATM or place to convert some money so we could get at least a bottle of water to put us over through the night. Sadly, the 2 he found first were broken (or out of money) and although McDonalds was closed by then, he found a little shop that had bottles of water. They wouldn’t take any of his money, or allow us to use our debit or credit card, so we weren’t going to have anything to drink over the night in the terminal. That’s ok.
He also found a pay phone, and was able to call J to let them know we had, at least, arrived that far. We had our snacks packed up (way too much…but we were glad we had it along for times like this), and waited till morning.
Well….we thought we were waiting till morning. We fell asleep in the terminal, looped our bags together near us, and passed out cold. Sleep at last. Sort of. Shortly after falling asleep, I awoke to find a guard/policeman standing over me, speaking to me in a language I didn’t understand. I was stunned….a little scared (I was SO disoriented)…and Mark woke up which helped. He pointed to another area for us to go to, apparently just wanting all of us over-nighter’s to sleep in one area. We found our way, bags in tow, and settled in again. With more people, there was more noise, but we both managed to get a few hours of sleep before morning.
Mark was then able to explore more, finding a working ATM and getting some cash for us to use.
The woman at our airline ticket counter was helpful, without speaking a word to us, and although we expected to have to pay for over weight on our bags, she wasn’t up to trying to explain to us why or how much….so she ushered us on. Then we went to McDonalds for breakfast…pancakes and sausage…and we got water bottles too. Life is good.
We made our way to the gate after breakfast, went back through security AGAIN, and waited for the flight to our final destination. Finally we were going to get to see J and J!!
