Japan Day 1: It's like a magic carpet ride

How hard is it to wake up at 4am on a winter morning? Not at all, it seems! Both kids are in full alert mode as soon as we tell them, "Hey, wake up now, we're going to the airport." Their eyes opened so eagerly, as if they've not slept at all during the night.

Thanks to them, I have rediscovered the joy of plane flights, after all those years of lack-lustre work related travel. (In my last employment, I have flown so far, so long, so often, that I became a silver class frequent flyer member with 140,000 points after merely 18 months. Plane flights have became a matter of "here we go, let's get on with it and find a way to kill those hours stuck on a seat.")

But here, in the all too familiar airport, together we've discovered the joy of visiting the Wiggles shop where EggEgg ogled at every merchandise on display, the delight of finding MacDonalds at the vast terminal just as we are starving, and the thrill of running to the boarding gate while juggling with brown paper bags and OJ on one arm, a toddler in the other, while voice-controlling a 3yo running behind shouting, "Wait for me Mami! Wait! My suitcase is stuck!"

A breakfast on board, a short plane flight from Sydney to Gold Coast, a lunch at the terminal, a long flight from Gold Coast to Tokyo, another meal on board, a long train ride into Tokyo downtown... there was not a boring moment. Wonders never ceased:

The MacDonalds breakfast was magical. "Wow, we've got OJ and hash browns! Does anybody want some muffins?"

The plane flight itself was magical. "Look, we're on the runway." "What's this? This is the emergency exit guide." "What does this button do? Don't press it! It's for calling the air-hostess." "How do I flip down the table?" "I wanna turn on the light. I wanna read the emergency exit guide again!"

Even the puny Gold Coast terminal was magical. "Wow... is this the plane that we're going to fly next?" "Wow... that is the petrol truck for filling up the plane." "Wow... that plane is going to take off!"

Why were we ever worried about the long transit and flight times? It seems that we adults are the ones who can't stand a moment of boredom. Only children know what they are looking for.

By the time we reached our hotel in Tokyo, it was 9pm. Still full of energy and adrenaline.

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

(Lyrics from the movie "Aladdin")