Day 1 click HERE
Day 2 click HERE
Day 3 click HERE
Day 4 click HERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Destination: Okinawa (Japan)
Duration: 5D4N 31 Mar to 4 Apr 2019
Mode of travel: Solo free & easy, with 2 KLOOKs
Flight: Jetstar - $360 with 15kg baggage to and fro (good deal right!)
Accommodation: Naha West Inn $306 https://78west-inn.jp/en/
Weather: Sunny and extremely windy around 16 to 22 degrees
Currency: approx. SGD1 = ¥80
Time difference: 1 hr ahead of Singapore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
04.04.2019
There was nothing much I could do on the 5th day cos I had to leave the hotel around 6.30am to ensure reaching the airport at 7am for the 9am flight back to Singapore.
Traffic was extremely smooth and I was at the airport within 10mins.
Outside the airport looked like this, no human, no vehicle at sight. It's a contrast with busy Tokyo airport.
I joined the check in queue. After 15mins, I estimated that from where I stood, it's gonna take more than an hour for me to reach the counter.
Some years back, I had mentioned that I hated self check-in machines but now, I wished they were here.
I dumped my luggage in one of these lockers which I saw just opposite the check in queue. I was in a gang jiong state and inserted the coins as stated. I only realized that I had coined in about S$5 >.< after I had done it *face palm*.
I should had ran away with the door close without paying lolxx.... Nothing valuable inside in the first place, S$5 just few away with my stupidity.
Anyway, my purpose of ditching the luggage was to run to Pork Tamago Onigiri which opens at 7am.
From far, I saw no queue at the eatery. However, there a group of girls, about 4 or 5 of them looking at the menu board. I was sure that once they decided what to order, they would go to the cashier. Waaaaa..... I was like more than 20m away from the eatery, I tell you..... I ran like I never ran before, I MUST reach the cashier counter before the girls!!! I would die if I queue behind them!
I made it! Just in time. The girls were done looking at menu and queued behind me the moment I touched the cashier's counter. I was grasping for breath and the astonished cashier asked if I was ok, waahaahaahaa.......
I made my order and got them within 5mins.
With lots of drama and love, I bought five yummilious Okinawa's onigiri for my family as dinner.
Pork Tamago Onigiri is located on the 1st floor at the Domestic Area. I don't have the unit number but you won't miss it, the area is not big.
After which I head back for check-in again at the long queue.
My flight was 9am and located the boarding gate and decide to go in at 8.15am. I didn't want to go in early to sit and do nothing.
I continued exploring Naha Airport. Made my way to the 3rd and found a quiet A&W.
I can't understand the queue at Jewel's A&W, ever.
All shops were open and busy at 8am.
When it was about time, I went to a FamilyMart which was diagonally opposite the boarding gate. I bought sandwiches to eat on board and slowly sipping my green tea latte till 8.15am.
I went to the gate, the crew told me wrong gate, pointed me to the left. Alright, still had time, I walked to the left most gate. Shocked, I was told wrong gate! This time I began to panic. Till today, I still don't know why none of them was able to tell me the correct gate. Whatever it was, I ran to ALL the boarding gates in Naha Airport. The cruel joke was:
None of the gates I ran to were correct until the last one. The correct international boarding gate was at the right most end of the airport. I was panting and sweating, my mouth and throat was dry like desert.
The Jetstar cabin crew was waving her arms shouting repeatedly "Singapore, Singapore, last call for boarding now!!" Waaaaa lau eh.......
I ran to the water cooler to save my desert, waved back at the crew, only managed to get a few mouthfuls of water and ran up the waving crew plane about 10 to 15mins before it took off, hur hur.... If hubby was with me, he would had scolded me to death, haahaahaaa.....
Most of my free & easy trips will have minor hiccups like this which all became life time memories. I always share them to my friends where they get the same dose of laugh bombs no less than listening to Kumar. I ever lost my wallet, lost my phone, left passports in hotel when already reached airport, went to the wrong airport, cab smoke out on the way to airport etc.... oh my.....
So, for this case, if I missed my plane, will Jetstar re-issue me another ticket or do I have to purchase another air ticket? Insurance covers miss flights??
Anyway, I was safely on board.
I am not sure when I can come back......
After I calmed my nerves, ordered mineral water on board (it's so expensive but myself was to blame).
Sandwich was yummy but I ate only one.
Bored to death on plane with no entertainment and I wasn't really able to sleep.
Just a minute before landing.
Thank god for the safe flight, I love our Changi Airport.
My family's dinner from Okinawa's Pork Tamago Onigiri.
I had tugged this butter loafs from FamilyMart also.
Quite like it and couldn't find it at JB City Square's FamilyMart, sad.
My shopping hauls wasn't extensive, mostly food.
Everybody say must buy Okinawa sweet potato tarts so I bought.
It's individually packed, so it's easy to distribute to friends and family.
The reviews were fantastic but I personally didn't fancy them and had a hard finishing them.
This was a combination of sweet potato and pumpkin.
This post completes my 5 Days Solo trip in Okinawa. Will be packing up my luggage again around 2nd week of Nov to Xi An China with my hubby while my elder son is in NS and the baby one on internship.
Despite of me assuring hubby that we could some save money with free & easy, he preferred to be "safe" with package tour (he's not ready to take another hiccup and screw up from me, haahaa...). To give and take, respect the bread winner is the way to a harmonious marriage.... moreover he is paying, very 好命 already, no reason not to go along!
We secured a "travel with celebrity" package with CTC Travel. It's our first time with them and also our first time Rayson Tan. Trying different modes and ways of travel is good experience as well.
Looking forward excitingly!
No concrete travel plans for next year. I am looking for a job before I exhaust my bank account and the destination/s will depend on how much I can earn.
This space will probably be a little dusty till then.
Meanwhile, life goes on, do swing over to
which takes over Dayre.
Bye bye!
