MIA -> DFW -> NRT -> HND -> OKA

So close. We almost made the trip from Key Biscayne to Okinawa without incident. But the bus from Narita airport in Tokyo to Haneda got bogged down in rush hour traffic, and we missed our last flight. When the bus finally got to the airport, we grabbed our backpacks, carryons, and big suitcase, and speed walked as fast as we could to the Japan Airlines security entrance. We had been traveling 25 hours. An hour later and after much conferring among 4 JAL employees with their computers confirmed there were no more flights to Okinawa tonight. We are booked on a 6:15 AM flight tomorrow. I only slightly wept.

As we waited for our new tickets to be issued, the domestic terminal began to close. I knew it was a bad sign when the security employees turned in their badges, bowed to their supervisor, and left. The shops closed their doors. Even the construction workers walked past on their way out. Since we could not spend the night there, we decamped to the international terminal, open 24/7 and a 10-minute shuttle bus ride away.

We have opted to spend the night here rather than trying to find a hotel and be back to the airport by 5:00 tomorrow morning. Sleeping on airport seats seem easier than trying to find a taxi at 4:00 AM.

Joining Other Airport Campers 

Now it’s 3:00 AM, and after dozing on and off on a fairly comfortable bench near the observation deck, I am buzzed with jet lag. In the background a young woman’s voice gives a continuous announcement to be careful on the escalator. Sounding like “very, very bad, very, very bad”, the recorded voice echoes throughout the terminal. Maintenance has begun vacuuming so nap time is over.

Almost everyone is wearing face masks, trying to avoid the coronavirus coming out of China. Flights and tours are cancelled. World leaders pontificating. Hospitals gearing up. Patten’s friend Jack is back in Fort Lauderdale, which I am sure makes his mother very happy. He is sending boxes of masks to his coworkers in China. We remain unmasked, relying on others not to spread disease.