Day trip to...

Day Trip to... the AIRPORT ?!?

I know this sounds strange, but the Nagoya airport in and of itself is a destination! Tourists go there all the time to shop, eat, watch planes, and even take baths! I wanted to do a trial run to see if I could get to the airport by myself anyway, so I decided to make a fun trip out it.

First, an aerial view of the layout. The airport is on a man-made island with one road & train line in and out! I marked a tiny red arrow where the Sky Deck is on the map, so you have a "You Are Here" point of reference.

Every where I look in Japan is festive holiday stuff. Here is a giant snow globe with the airport mascot dressed in his Santa gear.

Nagoya airport has an outdoor "Sky Deck" to watch planes take off and land. They also have a gender-segregated indoor public bath so you have the plane activity to keep you entertained as you soak. I have not tried the "bathing nude in public" business yet, but it's on my list of things to do in Japan. My biggest fear is that the bath tubs will be too darn hot for me to handle, so I will just be stark naked sitting on the edge with water up to my ankles... (Can't you just imagine the Japanese women thinking "Who is this giant white lady, and why isn't she in the water?!") Plane touches down.

I love the ocean as the backdrop as it taxis to the terminal!

I went browsing through all the stores, but did not make any purchases. Before catching a train back to town, I did pop into an Italian cafe for a strawberry/pineapple gelato cone! Yummy!!

The train ride was pretty easy. I'm becoming a pro at all of this public transportation business. I bought a first-class ticket on the way there, meaning I had an assigned seat and there is room for your luggage. This is most likely the way I'll need to get to & from the airport in the future. On the way home, I decided to "slum it" in a regular train car. It was packed, a little smelly, and I was getting nauseous from riding sideways. Oh yeah, and a woman sitting next to me really wanted to practice her English out on me. (Train rides are sort of my personal time, and I usually enjoy the silence and people watching.) I guess I've learned my lesson, and I will spend the extra $4 to ride in comfort for 35 minutes on future trips!!