Going Home...

The alarm went off and I had one of those moments where you have no idea what's making that noise, and I tried to stop it by turning the light on.

Lee very kindly got up and drove me to the bus stop after I'd said goodbye to Joel and Narukawa san. I just wish I could speak enough Japanese to let him know how much I enjoyed my stay. Said goodbye to Lee at the bus stop, and I can't even describe in English how much fun this trip was!

I sat on the bus figuring out how to get back as soon as possible, while smiling at the animated roadworks signs. While waiting at Asahikawa airport I was flicking through a magazine and this Japanese guy stood really close, then moved in closer and cleared his throat. So I look up and it's Seki! He had the morning off and was nearby by so came to say goodbye at the airport. AGAIN I'm astounded at how fantastic the people are in Furano. So another cheerful goodbye and then off on the plane.

A pretty uneventful trip through to Haneda. I sat next to an American guy from Hawaii (we must have been assigned the gaijin seats). Things went smoothly right through to Narita and then to Christchurch. Mum & Dad picked me up from the airport and I went home as I had about 4 hours until my next flight left. It was good to get out of the airport for a bit. I got a hell of a fright when I sat on an unheated toilet seat for the first time in 3 weeks! Chilly! It's funny what you take for granted.