So, I Married a Tour Guide…And I Ended Up in Japan…Finally.
(Chapter One: The Adventure Begins!)
“And you may find yourself in another part of the world…
And you may find yourself with a beautiful wife.
And you may ask yourself…
Well…how did I get here?”
It’s funny sometimes how things work out. We’ve been living in Portugal for about a year and a half (another post on that soon) and, due to a delay in receiving my residency card and having to renew my passport, this is the first time I’ve had the chance to travel, and it coincides with our 27th wedding anniversary! So, where to? We discussed travels to London, Amsterdam, and various French locations. And, out of the blue, it became clear we should visit friends and family in the United States and use it as a jumping-off point for a bucket-list vacation in Japan!
The plan was to travel from Portland, Oregon, to Vancouver, BC, via Air Canada, then take a short layover before a 10-hour flight to Tokyo. We were traveling in Premium Economy, but had our fingers crossed that we would be upgraded to Business Class.
We arrived at the airport early, breezed through security, and when we reached the gate, we found the flight had been delayed by 45 minutes due to a maintenance issue. No problem, the flight to Vancouver was a quick one, and with the layover, we had more than enough time to make our flight. The screen changed…a 60-minute delay, we could still make it. The screen changed again, the delay was now one hour and 15 minutes, pushing it, but it was possible. Delays #3 and #4 got us to nearly two hours, and our hopes of making the connecting flight faded, but at least there would be bourbon on the flight.
We landed in Vancouver just as our flight to Tokyo took off, and with it, one day of our vacation. We went through Customs and were escorted to three very helpful Air Canada staff members, who came up with a somewhat confusing solution. While Vancouver is on the West Coast of Canada and is therefore hours closer to Japan than the East Coast, we would be flying East to catch a 13-hour flight out of Toronto the following day.
Just as I started to quietly grumble about the extra dollars we spent on Premium Coach and the Tokyo stay cut short, we were offered a hotel voucher. As I was about to argue about fair compensation, one of our erstwhile assistants said, “And it will be business class, with lay flat seats on both legs.” Mid-grumble, I shifted from “not fair” to “that’s fine.”
The 4-hour flight to Toronto was quite comfortable and enjoyable, and the hotel that they put us up in was very well-appointed. Morning came, and we took the airport shuttle to our flight from Toronto to Tokyo. We boarded the plane and were seated in the Business Class pods that are so often coveted, and for good reason.
As the plane was boarding, we enjoyed champagne and video entertainment. As others vied for carry-on space, our bags were secure and easily at hand. We were both exhausted and buoyant. My wife sent me a text from the next pod over. “The next time I hope for an upgrade, I should be clearer on the details.”
Four movies, three bourbons, and an excellent meal later, we arrived on time and well rested in Tokyo. As fish-out-of-water stories go, this one is certain to entertain. The Japanese are, after all, experts when it comes to fish.
So, I married a Tour Guide.
That was the best upgrade of all.
Please join me and my own personal tour guide for the next chapters in our Japanese adventure: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. This is going to be fun!
Please join me and my own personal tour guide for the next chapters in our Japanese adventure: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. This is going to be fun!