ありがとうございます, 東京 - Arigatou Gozaimasu, Tokyo!

From Andhra Dining, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags. And imagine the convenience - we ordered an Uber taxi. We had been using Uber in Mumbai, and always found it super useful, but little did we imagine that the app would be of use to us in this alien land, where the language barrier makes communicating with taxi drivers really hard...

After a 30 minute Uber ride, we reached Haneda airport and had to wait a while for the Peach check-in counters to open...

As we waited, we reflected on our trip to Tokyo. We were pleased we finally made it to Tokyo and enjoyed Japanese hospitality to the fullest. We got to experience the peace and calm that Fuji-san and its surroundings had to offer. And not to mention, the incredible and diverse culinary experiences we had in Tokyo, including the spicy tastes of home...

As we get ready to board our Peach Airbus A320 flight into Incheon, all we can say ありがとうございます, 東京 - Arigatou Gozaimasu, Tokyo, or Thank You, Tokyo!

Plane Spotting With A Twist...

Yesterday, I realised that my yellow fever vaccination certificate had expired. The certificate is an essential travel document to visit certain countries where yellow fever is endemic, without which one can get detained for a period of upto a week...

Given that travel schedules are at best uncertain, at worst last minute, I decided to get myself vaccinated today, taking advantage of the New Year holiday lull. The quarantine clinic at Incheon Airport administers the vaccine and the vaccination becomes effective after a 10-day period...

So I headed to Incheon Airport earlier today for the shot and on the way, I was greeted by the wonderful sight of an Asiana Airbus A380 lifting off...

When you see the A380, you find it difficult by any stretch of imagination to believe that this "whale" can actually fly... 

But it does, it does gracefully lift off, leaving me amazed and awestruck!

Plane Spotting At NAN .... Part 2

And here we are at Nadi International Airport for our flight back to Incheon...

As the sickly realisation that the vacation is over, I find the perfect antidote - Plane Spotting...

There comes in a Fiji Airways Airbus A330...

I can imagine the plane will be full of curious tourists waiting to explore Fiji...

Man, I love that livery...

And guess the coincidence - this is the Island of Yasawa-i-Rara - DQ-FJV...

This is the same plane that flew me in a few days back from Hong Kong into Nadi...

And what do I say about the livery - I just love it!

There's the Korean Air Airbus A330 that will fly us into Incheon today...

And shall I say I am really feeling blue...

And here we go...

Lazing Around The Marina...

And with the whole afternoon washed out, we roamed around the Denarau marina, admiring the imposing and impressive clouds that TD04 has brought in...

A view of the villas across the marina - some of these villas have their private jetties. The rich and famous from the United States, Australia and New Zealand have their holiday homes on Denarau, an idyllic, cocooned lifestyle as compared to the rest of Fiji, something like "life in a bubble"...  

There is a wide variety of boats around here - yachts, speedboats, sail boats, etc...

The hills of Nausori Highlands in the background. We were to visit Nausori Highlands today, but there is a flood-like situation there today...

Selfie time...

A clear reflection on water...

"Jolly Bula"

The clouds tell why we were advised against visiting Nausori Highlands today...

Well, I didn't imagine this would out to be a Plane Spotting opportunity...

An Air New Zealand Boeing 777 lifts from Nadi heading to Auckland...

And what a clear shot, ain't you impressed?

And now we walk back to our hotel!

Bula Again, Fiji!

It's time to say Bula Fiji again...

A JetStar Airlus A320 at the parking as we commence landing into Nadi. Viti Levu has been battered away by a tropical depression TD04F since yesterday and threatens to wash away our holiday here. Fiji appears to be on an alert fearing that the depression may worsen into a cyclone - Cyclone Winston had caused a massive devastation in February 2016...

This beauty was my ride from Faleolo to Nadi...

"Welcome home" - Fiji Airways Bowing 737 in the hangar...

"Bula! Fiji Welcomes You"

Immigration clearance took quite a lot of time - the queue was long. And then when my turn came, the officer followed the "visa on arrival" rules to a T. She wanted to make copies of my tickets, hotel reservations, credit cards and my Korean visa. That took 20 minutes as there were others who were also ahead of me in this queue. And then I was good to go!

Yay! My holiday begins - it's time to say Bula Fiji!

Plane Spotting At APW

I was very excited to be here at Faleolo Airport, especially at the prospect of Plane Spotting at this picturesque airport...

The plane, the greenery, the beach, the emerald-blue waters, the deep-blue skies with white-gray clouds - what an exotic locale...

This FijiLink ATR-72 will fly me to Nadi today...

Boarding the ATR-72...

The lovely livery of Fiji Airways...

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Dream)liner comes in from New Zealand...

I love the Air New Zealand livery...

The Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Dream)liner at its parking bay...

And here we go!