The last leg

Day 15

Yep, time to return.

We sorted out breakfast at a coffee shop near the hostel and decided to go all out on the pastries. Gluten and sugar combo, I'm ready to fall in love with you again!

We headed to the airport and checked-in early. I'm happy we decided to go early because we got  a check-in desk trainee who took a while to check-in 4 people, 4 backpacks and 2 bike bags. Nevertheless, she did her job well and with the usual Japanese grace so we were patient.

Jorge and Will had noodles for the last time in Japan. Manuel craved for fries and went everywhere to find them. He came back empty handed. In the end, there was a burger place just around the corner from where we sat. I had a burger and he had fries. Fries were not worth the bother. Manuel waited forever for a portion of it and then they were sub-standard.

This time I flew much better. I refused to sleep as I was trying to trick the jet-leg. I watched 4 movies:

• La La Land. My initial reaction to this movie  was 'What the hell is this?'. I persevered and half way through the movie it actually got interesting. The end is unexpected. Partially because it is not your typical Hollywood ending, and partially because it manages to have two different endings at the same time, a good and a sad. Once you cope with the boring first part of the movie, you are then rewarded with a good story.

• Harmonium. A very emotional Japanese movie dwelling on betrayed friendship, family, regret and revenge. Winner of a Cannes Film Festival award. There's no action to it, it is a proper drama. It's worth watching.

• Fantastic beasts and where to find them. J. K. Rowlings, what more do I need to say?

• Hidden figures. Black empowerment and women empowerment. It's never out of fashion!

I decided to say goodbye to Japan with a Karen Millen dress. I soon regreted using a designer piece.
I poured coffee on the dress. There was a minute of panic and then I raced to the toilet. Airplane toilets are not just small and scary, they are not designed for hand washing items of clothing. Whilst one hand is engaged in getting the water to pour out of the tap, you are left with only one hand to wash. As anyone who has ever handwashed a piece of clothing before knows, you actually need two hands.
There I was, in  the smallest imaginable sink, using one single hand to hold the dress and wash it at the same time. Let's just say it is not an easy or eficient task.
I washed as much as I could, inundating the toilet floor at the  same time. I had to dress it again as I had no other clothes with me. I decided to put the blanket provided for sleeping underneath the dress to provide some insulation and my designer piece became a very unfashionable ensemble. At least I wasn't cold!
Back home I desperatelly tried to wash the dress, time and time again, with different speciality products. I learned that coffee stains are very hardy and nearly impossible to remove once they dry. All I can think is that it was the first time I wore the dress and that it cost me £200... Sad!
We arrived in London at 9pm, took a taxi home and to bed we went. I fell asleep thinking about our next trip. Japanese Alps, next time it's where we're going.