Day 53: 88 Temples - KIX

Soon I fly home where I will go back in time and land 7 hours before I take off.  I will be in San Francisco just in time for number two son's birthday.


I did a short walk over to my father's property just to check it out and then to the train station to figure out how to get to the airport.  There is a direct express that leaves every 30 minutes.  I bought a regular ticket but had the feeling I needed more.


I was kind of anxious to get to the airport.  I didn't feel like trying to plan something for an hour and I wasn't very focused anyway.  Check out was at 11 and I headed out.  The streets were packed with tons of Chinese tourists rolling giant roller bags all over town.  I thought I would get some ramen for lunch and make my way to the airport slowly.


The place I picked had a line of roller bag tourists in front so I kept walking.  Maybe I could get something at the train station.  The train station was crazy.


Using the go up strategy, I entered the department store attached to the train station and went up.  12th floor only had fancy places with lines.  The 11th looked similar but I wandered around and found a collection of ramen restaurants.  I bought my food ticket and soon had a table.  The problem with ramen is it is a poor choice if you want to kill some time.


I took the exciting route to the train station and had more than enough time to make the 12:30 train.  On board there was a placard that said you needed an extra express ticket for this train.  Every seat had the placard ... I guess it came up a few times.  A pretty young female conductor was going around selling the express tickets.


The train leaving Kyoto was less than half full but was full by the time we got to the airport.  A couple got on with the biggest yellow suitcase I have ever seen.  The giant yellow roller case got to sit next to me.


So I'm at the airport and the United counter doesn't open for an hour and a half so I'm stuck outside with my bag.  This airport is nuts so I hid out at the dropoff area.  It was quiet most if the time but I did get a bus load of boisterous guys repacking all their tourist booty all around me.


United had a self check-in kiosk.  I used it and it spit out a luggage tag.  I put the luggage tag on my bag.  I then stood in a Bag Drop line that had zero advantage over the slow line.  It didn't make a lot of sense.  Now I'm just waiting on my plane.  I'm looking forward to getting home.







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