It is currently 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, in Tokyo. I exited the plane from Toronto at approximately 4 p.m. and I am still in the airport. As Tom Petty once sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.”
After we got off the plane, we were ushered to a row of seats where medical professionals, volunteers and officials would stop and check our paperwork. Every little while, we would all get up and move forward to the next set of seats. Eventually, we ended up at a table set up with people who checked us through the first checkpoint and sent us on to the COVID-19 testing.
After waiting in another line, we eventually got to a medical professional who scanned our passport and other information, gave us a vial and sent us to an area to fill it with saliva. We were told not to drink for at least a half-hour prior to taking the test, so I had not had anything to drink since I was on the plane and it took me a bit to produce enough saliva to fill the tube.
Once that was done, we were sent to another table, where they again checked our paperwork, checked my medication and then sent me into a lounge, where there were hundreds of numbered chairs set up. I sat in my assigned chair and that’s where I am sitting now, as we await the results of the COVID tests. We still have to pass through customs, pick up our baggage and get our credentials validated, all before we can leave the airport.
The flights over were uneventful, the first one just a short trip from Boston to Toronto. The Toronto airport was very quiet, but I was able to buy a couple bottles of water and some snacks for the 12+ hour trip ahead.
The flight from Toronto to Tokyo was fairly empty. In my row there were seven seats (2-3-2) and there was just one other person in the row. They served us a couple of meals plus a wrap and granola bar snack. I got some sleep, listened to some podcasts and basically zoned out to pass the time.
It’s now been close to three and a half hours since I left the plane. Not sure how much longer I will be in the airport, but the first part of the journey is now complete.
This was the scene three hours ago when we got off our flight from Toronto. We are still in the airport.
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