Trip to Japan, Volcanic Ash and a wish granted

1^st of May 2010

 

I and Bibha went to Japan for a 2 weeks holiday. We ended up spending another extra week there due to flight cancellations caused by volcanic ash from Iceland. While planning for the holiday I was moaning that two weeks were not enough for seeing Japan. God was listening! I wish He would have chosen some simpler and less stressful method.

Our itinerary was very hectic. We went to Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. We were so busy with travelling and immersing ourselves in Japanese experience of Hanami( cherry blossom festivities) that we only came to know about the volcanic eruption and closure of Europe's air space when we arrived at the airport for check in on 17^th of April.

What a shock it was to be told by the Air France staff that flight was cancelled and they were not sure when the flights would resume. The way the news was coming on CNN and BBC, it seemed that it could be days , weeks or even months before we could get back. By the evening Air France offered a provisional booking on 25^th of April with caution that flights may not be running by then. I have travelled a lot but never faced such an uncertainty.All the hotels around Narita Airport Tokyo were full and we ended up staying at the airport for 24 hrs. I managed to get a hotel from the following day and I booked it for a week. Flights resumed and we did come back on 25^th.

I think if you have to get stuck , Japan is a good place, probably the best. People are very courteous and empathic. The officials take pride in their job and feel responsible for the people they are dealing with. Even with a huge language barrier they tried to help us and to make our enforced stay more bearable, enjoyable even. UNICEF ladies organization in Narita arranged for home visits and cultural evenings. The city council made the local buses free on showing the passport. In fact we saw a more personal side of Japan which is not usually seen on busy sightseeing tours.

In retrospect I think that the extra week spent in Japan without the pressure of compulsory sightseeings was very rewarding and really complimented our trip. God does work in mysterious ways!