So I find myself in Seoul with about 24 hours left in my 11 day journey. Mind you, I have to get from Seoul to Tokyo (using public transportation) and to the aiport by the next morning to catch my flight. Easy right?
I'm up at 4:15am, shower, pack and check out of my room in Gangnam. Good start. If you have a chance to go to Seoul, you should definitely stay in Gangnam. Lots of bars, street food, and easy access to public transporation. There's a subway stop 2 blocks away, and I am in the station by 5:00am thinking I have plenty of time to make my 6:00am train to Pusan. 5:10, 5:15, 5:20 rolls around and there is still no train. Getting anxious, I run upstairs and hail down the first cab I can find. It's 5:30am now, and I try my best to explain to the driver that I need to get to the train station in 30 minutes. He understands my horrendous pronunciation and flies through the semi-deserted streets. We arrive at the train station, and after thanking the driver profusely I get on the train with a few minutes to get settled in.
The 3 hour train ride to Pusan passes quickly, and I race out of the train station to hail another cab that will take me to the marine terminal. I get to the marine terminal with 5 minutes to spare before they close the gates, and take the hydrofoil over to Hakata. Of course, I missed the ferry over to Korea on the first leg of the trip and had to wait 4 hours in the terminal for the next one. $@#*&%&^@@!!!! The hydrofoil takes me to Japan and I'm on time and 1/2 way to Tokyo! Unbelievable! Taking another cab from the terminal to the train station, I easily make it in time for the train to Shin-Osaka. You've got to love a place where the trains are on time. Always. I make the connection in Shin-Osaka and get off in Tokyo around 8:00pm. A short subway ride later I find myself at my hotel near Rappongi, which is a bar area near Tokyo Tower. I drop off my stuff, grab a Starbucks and find a 7-11 that takes foreign ATM cards. Sweet! Hopped up on caffeine and full of cash, I make my way up to Rappongi. It starts to rain lightly as I navigate the streets, which are full of large West African bouncers and traditionally dressed females asking if I'd like to have a drink in their establishment. I politely decline and find myself at the end of the Rappongi strip. Hungry, I find a noodle shop and enjoy a bowl while figuring out what to do.
Now, at this point, I probably should have turned around, walked straight to my hotel room and ensured that I would safely make my 7:00am shuttle to Tokyo-Narita airport. Of course, that didn't happen.
I find an upscale-looking bar (meaning wooden bar and seats) and make my way inside. I order a beer and hear a group in the corner speaking English. I approach and offer to buy the next round as I'm introduced to a lawyer from Chicago, an American who was married that day to a Japanese girl, and an American playing American football in Tokyo (who knew?). His cousin lives in DC - I tell him that I live there. Sweet. Next to them is a group of Abercrobie & Fitch employees and models, and me in my A&F track jacket strike up a conversation with them. Double sweet. A few rounds of beer and shots of vodka later, the lawyer and newlywed peel off and we are all on to the next bar. Now this next bar announces that models drink for free. Of course, how are they going to know if you are a model? I don't ask, nor do I pretend to be one. I grab a beer and watch some EPL on the corner TV while one of the A&F reps tries to get to know the American footballer on a personal level. Feeling a bit woozy from having more alcohol than water in my system, we all make our way to another model bar. Thankfully, this place serves redbull and vodka (the first redbull I've found in Japan), of which I am in serious need. I order a round and we all make our way to the dance floor. I look around back of the club and see a bunch of karoke rooms. The footballer tells me that the guys in the rooms are all formula one racers (and apparently as famous as pro athletes here). I go to the back and stare in - one guy and probably 8 or 9 females in each of them. Now that is the way to roll! Another round of drinks and I find myself on one of the couches talking with some females and the lights go on. What the? What time is it? I look at my watch, it's 5:30am. Damn, we shut down the club. Undeterred, but ravenous, we all hop in a cab and make our way to a Japanese version of an all-night diner.
So, I'm in the diner just about to order and the American asks me when my flight is. Ummm, I need to back at the hotel by 7:00am for the shuttle to the airport. "7:00am? You need to get out of here now!!!" Oh shoot. Apparently I am no where near my hotel. I say my goodbyes and stumble outside to find a cab and look at my watch. 6:20am. I search my pockets for yen and throw it at the driver while a Japanese tells the driver which hotel I'm at. Some time later (I had passed out in the back seat during the trip) I am awoken by the cabbie's poking and find myself at the hotel. Thanking him profusely, I race upstairs, take a quick shower, brush my teeth and put on the last pair of clean clothing I have. I repack my things, only to find that my presents AND clothing don't seem to all fit now. &#$%^**&!!! Not having the mental capacity to figure out the situation, I throw a pile of clothes in the corner and zip up my bags. Oh well. I exit the elevator and run outside to find the shuttle. We leave 60 seconds later. Success.
Epilogue
I will say that while I did make it to the airport on time, and was successful in boarding the correct flight, there was absolutely no reason why I should have been let on the plane. I was far too inebriated. After checking in and trodging through security, I found the nearest McDonald's and tore up some breakfast. Then, finding that I had an hour to kill, I made my way to the duty free shop and bought a bunch of sake and food that I had tremendous trouble fitting onto the plane. Some kind stewardesses were my saviors. I then curled up in my window seat, and full of diet coke, couldn't sleep a lick. The 12 flight back was hellacious as I watched every Harry Potter movie in the ANA movie list.
Upon arriving home, I entered my apartment to the smell of rotting garbage. I checked my garbage bin - empty, just as I left it. I checked my toilet - working. I checked my refrigerator. Bingo. Apparently sometime during the last 12 days the motor had broken. All of my food in the frig and freezer was a sloppy mess. Yuck. All I really wanted to do was to crawl into bed, but instead, I cleaned out the oozing, gooey filth, opened all the windows and had the frig replaced that night. I guess things all even out in the end, and I am certainly glad I made my flight home. lol
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