1st Impressions and Getting to Himeji

I had prepared for similar weather to an Irish Winter. My Austrian winter boots and big Winter jacket. I soon felt like that might have been a bad idea. It was quite warm. I was greeted in the visa area by people wearing those white surgucal masks. I was told about it before hand. It was still strange to actually see. I validated my Japan Rail Pass and I was ready to go. While on the platform to get the Narita Express to Tokyo there was another case of silly photos. A Japanese father taking a picture of his son putting a coin into a vending machine.

I didnt have any problems finding my way to the train in Toky for Himeji. On the train I noticed that when the people walking through the cars seeling coffee etc on a trolley would do a little bow after entering and before exiting a carriage, like people would bow at an alter in a church. For all the toilets on the train, there were 2, labelled Western and Japanese. In a country with squatting toilets again, thankfully they give you the choice.

When I got to Himeji, I realised a few flaws in my organisation skills. I didn`t have Philip`s Japanese number in my phone, I didn`t have money and had no idea what an ATM looked like here and while trying to ring around to get Philip`s number, I discovered that I couldn`t make calls. Looking like a lost child, a Japanese teenager approached me and was later joined by his friend, we went to an ATM but it wouldnt take my card. I had Philip`s number online so he lent me 100yen to go online. I tried ringing Philip off their phone but it wouldn`t work. I dont know why. I checked my email to see if he sent an email instead and he did saying he would be there in 15. When Philip arrived, he paid them back and I gave them a box of Cadburys Heroes that I had brought over as a spare gift if I needed it. They seemed delighted just to be able to help foreigners which was great. They walked away and came back and asked if they could take a picture with me, Japanese camera snapping strikes again. So I thought, I`m a tourist so I`ll get a photo too. I would have been lost if they didn`t come up to me even though it turned out to not be a big deal.

Philip and I went to the city and got dinner, met Kay and had a few drinks and went to his home in Fukusaki. I was wrecked. Was up for about 30 odd hours with an hour sleep I got on the train to Himeji. I slept well.