We were able to set a late check out, and so we had time for a leisurely breakfast inside the nearby Queen Victoria Building. With our coffee we enjoyed a bagel with smoked salmon and eggs Benedict. The seating was nice, taking up the center aisle of the shopping mall around us. Two Chinese guys needed two tables to handle all the food that they ordered – they ate like starved wolves.
We stashed our suitcase at the hotel and then went down to the Quay to catch a ferry to Manly. I think I had visited there on a Christmas a long time ago, and so we thought it would be fun to go back. The ride was really nice – good to be out on the water – and we got some great views of the city as we went.
Upon debarking we walked a short distance to Manly Beach. It wasn’t super sunny but it definitely felt warm, and it looked like the locals were happy about it. There was surfing, volleyball, and plenty of restaurants lining the street facing the ocean. We enjoyed a slow stroll down to the end of the beach and back, and then thought we might have a drink at a restaurant. One place was almost closing but we managed a beer and some bubbles before they shut the door.
For lunch we walked back to the harbor and then around to the east and found a small place that served pretty good crab rolls and calamari. With our drinks it was a little pricey though – maybe we were paying for the ocean view. It was a peaceful meal, contemplating the long flight ahead of us back to Japan and to work.
After riding the ferry back we decided to go ahead and get our suitcase and Uber to the airport. We had hoped to use the train service but it was completely closed while we were there – something unthinkable in Japan. Maybe next time it will be open and we can try again.
At the airport we were able to check in and go through security and immigration fairly quickly. We were searching for fish and chips and finally found it at an Italian restaurant near our gate. I also ordered a hamburger, and it was a struggle to get all that fried food down. I guess my stomach was switching back from vacation mode.
Before we knew it, it was time to board and we sat in the back center of the plane. I was hoping to get some sleep like our incoming flight, but unfortunately one child started shrieking as soon as they dimmed the lights. It took more than an hour to calm him down, and I didn’t really sleep well after that. But other than that slight hiccup it was fine.
We transferred through Haneda airport with a weird “customs>immigration>customs again” system. The Japanese customs systems is always confusing and disorganized – even the staff don’t seem to know how it works at any given moment. Kuniko was visibly frustrated with the staff and I couldn’t blame her.
It was an easy flight back to Osaka, and then we caught a bus and a train back to our place, arriving home about 10 am on Monday. It was a great trip – now we have to get ready to host another wedding couple next weekend!
