The Terminal

We connected with the 3.40pm coach to Narita. On arrival at Narita, there were thousands of people. (people mountain, people sea in Cantonese). We were early and knew that our flight was not yet on the board. But most flights had the remark "Indefinite" next to their flight status. People were getting anxious. We were getting anxious. But the time our flight details were up, a red "Indefinite " was the status. One by one indefinite became cancelled. Only then I learnt that typhoon Yagi was hitting Japan from the north. The last time Narita airport was closed was in 1975.

We hastily went to look for accommodation but every hotel was full. In fact our flight was diverted to Haneda airport. Eventually over 1,500 people were stranded at Narita. Well, like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, we ventured off to secure some seats that we can sleep on.

We made the seats in aisle E and F our home for the evening. Later JAL distributed sleeping bags. The bags were nice. It had a JAL logo printed on them. So I had to have one to bring home. We felt quite safe with the police patrolling the terminal.

The next day I got up at 5.30am and found a Japanese family sleeping right next to me. Any way I went for a wash and sauntered up to the MacDonalds and waited for them to open.
After breakfast we secured seats on another flight for the following day. We booked accommodation at the Washington Hotel - an airline crew hotel. We were offered free coffee in the flight crew's waiting area.

We decided retail therapy would fix the night at the terminal. So we caught a coach to AEON department store. We spend the day there, doing most damage at Daiso - a $2 store. An early night was in ordered for all. The next morning, we went back to AEON. I was ready to come home.
The flight departed without any drama. Normally I can sleep in any position. But somehow I was very restless and I tossed and turned the entire night.

Sydney harbour bridge was indeed a welcome sight. We connected a Qantas flight bound for Melbourne. In flight, sitting at an emergency exit, I was able to narrate this story to Tania the flight stewardess. She asked me for my boarding pass and before I disembarked, she presented me with a bottle of red wine. What a homecoming.