Hello from Kumamoto, Japan!

After what was probably the shortest international flight of my life (about 1 hour and 45 minutes), we arrived in Kumamoto. First though, we should probably go back to earlier that day.

We spent the morning at the hotel getting ready for our afternoon flight to Japan. I finally got caught up on the comments and posts on the blog for the first time after almost a week. What a great feat that was!

There was almost an hour before we could check into our flight when we arrived at the airport, so I was permitted to go watch the departing and arriving planes at the observation deck. It was fun to spend some time with my camera and I ended up with some awesome photos for later posts.

After getting check-in, having our luggage dropped off, and going through security, it was lunch time and let me tell you, the food court at this airport is awesome. At first glance, I knew what I wanted. I wanted the food from the Hong Kong style cafe.

It was probably the most delicous thing I’ve had on this trip so far and it satiated my multi-year long craving for Cantonese food. I really miss Cantonese food.

It was quite a walk after lunch to the departure but along the way, I saw many amazing things like the decorations that set each departure gate apart. The decoration at the gate specified on our ticket depicted tea leaves picking, can you see it?

We were given the seats right behind the Business-class seats. It was a blessing in disguise because these seats had more legrooms than standard economy seats. This meant my legs wouldn’t be at a 90° angle for the duration of the flight. And yes, my legs did feel less stiff when I got off the plane.

What I didn’t expect from such a short flight as this was a full-meal. In the U.S., a flight like this would have a drink and nuts or biscuit served, not a meal with meat, rice, and bread. This was a first and left me feeling full for the duration of the night.

Kumamoto is a suburb compared to the metropolis of Taipei. Its airport reminded me of the airport in Buffalo, New York – small and simple. Getting through the entry procedures were a breeze and then, my test has come – buy bus tickets and get us to the hotel. I couldn’t believe it, my brain completely froze when the bus station attendant asked me where I was heading.

Not only that, for the duration of the night, all the Japanese I’ve spent the last 2 years learning seemed to had flown out the window. What in the world is happening?!