Travel log: Flight and arrival

I arrived at the airport with plenty of time, so of course there was
very little wait time for check-in or security. After sitting at the
gate for awhile they announced that the flight would be making an
unscheduled stop in Los Angeles to get more fuel. Apparently a volcano
had erupted on Friday north of Japan on a Russian island and the ash
it was spewing was in our flight path. An alternate route would
require more fuel. A few minutes later it was announced that the
fueling would be done in Atlanta. I boarded the plane, but we just sat
at the gate. Then it was announced that the flight was cancelled.
A special flight would be made the next day, all bags would be kept on
the plane, and accomodations arranged at the Ramada Inn. I wasn't sure
if it would be easier to go to the hotel or just go home. I settled on
the hotel so that it would be easy to get back the next day.
The hotel experience was not the best, but the breakfast buffet was
decent and it was easy to return to the airport. Of course, check-in
and security took much longer this time. After some more anxious
moments waiting on the Tarmac we finally took off. I watched movies
the whole way, about six of them, as the flight was 17 hours.
Atsuko met me at the airport and we took trains to Musashi Koganei
where her father picked us up. He drove me to Big World 21, a hostel
in Fuchu. The place is painted very colorfully, which gives it a
certain charm. The room is small but comfortable. The bathroom down
the hall is quite smelly, and the showers are only on the first floor.
Still, the place works well for me as a cheap rental (we had to
reserve it for a month, even though I'm only here for two weeks, and
it's still cheaper than a hotel). I took a shower, ate a bento box and
slept through the night.