the tall blond guy goes to japan

Did I mention how ugly this place is?

Narita

I think I said something about how horrid Narita Terminal One is. If not, let me say it again- yuck!

Example of Yuck: Departures are on the fourth floor. The trains arrive in Basement-1, five floors down. The only way to get from the train station to the departures floor is by using two medium-sized elevators- just about big enough for three luggage carts and their associated people- if they're not big people. Of course, there is a massive lineup.

An ugly departures hall.

Obvoiusly, this airport is designed in such a way that people will want to leave it as soon as possible. I had just arrived, and already I wanted to leave. The nice Canadian Airlines person told me that I'd have to take a shuttle bus to get to the gate, because it's "really far away". Great.

Aha. Things have changed. In the month or so since I've been here last, they've closed off much of Terminal One. Apparently, the powers that be at Narita airport have realized that yes indeed they have an ugly airport. They're fixing it! Okay good. But this means that they can charge me Y2800 for the privilage of flying out of Narita. Hm. Well, I guess it's money well spent if it goes to making the place look a little more human.

So, the shuttle bus. Ordinary bus. I think the driver used to be a pilot or something. He was going really fast, and heading straight across the tarmac ("apron" in airport-lingo). Hmm... there are really big airplanes really close to us. This is very odd.

A big plane. It's really close.

Planes that big should not be this close to a bus this small.