Back to Blighty

Less than a week before I last left home, I'm back in England.

To avoid the travel disruptions to the airport, me and Ina set off the afternoon before we were due to fly. We caught a limousine bus (not as posh as it sounds) from the Hyatt Regent Hotel (posher than it sounds). When we arrived the hotel chaps couldn't do enough for us. We sat beneath 3 of the biggest chandeliers I've ever seen (four cables per chandelier, metal bars spacing them apart, plus ropes tied to the walls to stop them swinging, we noted with relief) before getting the bus.

At the airport we borrowed sleeping bags from the info desk, found some padded benches near arrivals to lie on and tried to get some sleep. There were quite a few people around us with the same idea, camping in the airport, though not everyone had sleep in mind. Ina got very frustrated at a pair who talked at full volume 'till 5am despite being surrounded by people and families trying to sleep.

Anyway. 7am and chaos descended on the airport, hundreds of people queuing for either the ANA check in or for the tickets counter, I couldn't tell. We weren't involved in any big queues so that was fine. We checked in, went through security (a bit of a wait for Ina's re-entry permit) then flew home with no problems at all.

So now I'm home, on the day that the FCO finally advises Brits to think about leaving Tokyo. A few of my fellow exchange students have said on facebook they won't be returning - either their own decision or enforced by their home university. My own situation hangs in the balance - when I packed my suitcase, I did so with the knowledge I might never come back, so I packed everything irreplaceable or that I needed, but I left a lot behind not to mention there are friends I didn't have a chance to properly say good bye to.

So, I'm in a limbo at the minute. A week ago I thought I'd be sunning myself in Ishigaki, and now I've had to flee the country and I'm unsure whether I'll ever return. My parents still have their (rearranged from December) trip to Japan in about a month's time which is uncertain too. And the cherry on the cake is Dad's dropped me in it by contacting the local paper who have basically reprinted one of my blog entries and one of the worst photos taken of me. Thanks Dad.