Chilled over Siberia

An epic journey. Up at 5:30am to shower and complete packing, followed by a hearty breakfast cooked by Hiroko. Then Toby, Romy and I were driven sleepily to Shizuoka shinkansen station by Hiroko. The moon was big and still full and Mount Fuji was clear and pink in the dawn. It was if Japan was making sure it would be remembered.

I was sorry to say goodbye to Hiroko in Shizuoka. She has been wonderfully hospitable and I've got on with her extremely well.

Despite the train being busy we managed to get seats next to each other, and bulleted into Tokyo, with Toby and me taking photos of Mt Fuji from the window.

At Tokyo Romy guided us through the huge mazy station and put me on the airport train. Toby kindly hefting my case about as my back and leg were still somewhat rubbish. Fond farewells to Toby and Romy. Not sure which country we'll all meet up again in, but that all adds to the fun.

Then an hour's ride to the airport. I had checked in online and my seat number of 20A made me think that I had been upgraded. So when I got to Narita airport I breezed past the queue and nodded when they asked me if I was business class. No waiting at all. Later I discovered that I hadn't been upgraded at all. Amazing what self-assurance can get you.

A weird thing happened to me on the flight home. I actually enjoyed long stretches of it. The stewardesses came over to talk to me shortly after take off as I was trying to snap (not very successfully) Mt Fuji from the air. The plane wasn't full and there was nobody sitting next to me, I had loads of legroom, and later an attentive Japanese stewardess kept asking me if I wanted another Heineken and looking faintly sorrowful if I refused. Sat there listening to my iPod audiobook and looking down at the clouds and the landscapes following the progress of the journey over the top of Asia on the plane's map. Amazing mountains in the far east of the old USSR. Both ways were almost completely free of turbulence too. Not like so many of my flights across the Atlantic. Over Europe, the cloud broke up over the edge of Finland. It looked really interesting. I'd like to go there one day.

Twelve hours on the plane, and then Heathrow. I have a cold so my ears were horrible. But picked up my case instantly (business class priority - ha!) and was on the tube quickly and easily - had a quick chat with Mum between tunnels. But felt short-changed that the Victoria to Brighton train wasn't a shinkansen.

Wonderful feeling to be home - so nice to have somewhere to call your own in this big wide world. Bought a few provisions checked my email and a fast messenger conversation with that lovely Sarah in Florida who happened to be online before sleep.

Sank into bed, grateful for the home I had to return to, and for my safe journey.

Below Hiroko and me this morning outside the Bowers School of English, Mount Fuji snapped from the shinkansen, and Japanese mountains from the jumbo.