Another great view of the airport from the Rydges Hotel. Would love to sit here and watch the aircraft fly off, then head home tomorrow. Instead I’ve got a concert to go to in the city and then Singapore in the morning.
hotel
Top floor view
A nice view of Sydney Airport from the top floor of the Stamford Hotel. I actually drove here as I was in a rush to get here before my team video conference for which I was a little late.
Not quite time to relax yet. Have to go home tomorrow and properly pack my bag. Meanwhile B and Alex will be flying off to Singapore.
Asado
An Argentinian dinner of grilled lamb and pork for dinner tonight at the hotel restaurant. Really tasty, but even the small serve threatened to overwhelm a stomach still uncertain with antibiotics.
A Dormy Breakfast
Salted raw squid for breakfast anyone? The answer might be yes if you are Japanese. Fortunately there was plenty of other stuff, including cooked seafood, salad and dessert for this not quite so adventurous gaijin.
Mission one complete
It took me a touch under 18 hours but mission north has now been completed. Wakkanai is as far north as you can go on the Japanese rail system. It’s not my longest day of catching trains, that record belongs to my student days between Canberra and Sydney.
Today was far nicer. And what better way to finish than to relax in the hotel’s hot spa bath? The only other occupant left soon after I arrived and I had the indoor and outdoor baths all to myself. The outdoor bath was particularly nice with the contrast of temperatures. Despite being summer the wind is cold up here. On train stop read 12 degrees outside.
Pity the train arrives too late for the free ramen and the only combini (convenience store) in easy walking distance closed just as we arrived. Still, barring emergencies (I’ve had two fire alarms in Japanese hotels), hopefully I get my first sleep in in weeks.
Goodnight!
Barely starting
So my next big trip to Japan has begun with a trip to the airport. Well, a hotel next to the airport. The Ibis Budget, formerly the Formula One. We stayed here once before on Alex’s first trip. The rooms are still scungy and poorly equipped.
But it’s just me tonight. I’m flying up a few days earlier for some extreme train travel. I miss B and Alex already.
I couldn’t finish all my work. There was just too much to do. So I’m not leaving in the best of moods.
The Krispy Kreme shop still exists outside. I love the night lights around it but I could not stomach a doughnut from there tonight.
Got a very early flight tomorrow, so I’m going to sleep.
