Returning

As long as I am able to, I will be traveling to places I want to see. And those where I want to be. So at the end of November, I found myself back at Portland International Airport. Which is rated highly by many. I think because it's one of the more easier to figure out which way to go airports along with the vendors there keeping prices more in line with what is sold outside of the airport. Along with decent places to eat at like Tamale Boy. Breakfast was a Portland bowl without eggs this time.

While watching the planes roll by.

And there's my non-stop flight. Flying on a day before most people fly, it worked out for me.

Up in the air they made an announcement. Because below was Alaska. Without clouds.

Apparently, it's rare when Alaska is visible from the air, like this. Snow covered mountains and frozen glaciers for miles.

Meanwhile, I actually got the meal I wanted. I don't know why airlines are so bad with meal planning, but almost every flight I get stuck with having to eat something I don't want. This time it was miso salmon from Chef Naoko of Shizuka restaurant and MUJI bentos. Wonderful Japanese food at those places. This meal might not have looked like much, but it was delicious. Also I was happy to enjoy those little heirloom tomatoes.

Finally reached my destination. Japan.

More snowy mountains below.

Far away city in Hokkaido. Possibly Kitami.

Goodbye Hokkaido. Maybe one day I will see you from the ground.

And hello Iwate, Honshu. 

While I had been remembering the last time I was in Japan at this time, this flight down the coast was a lot like that flight on March 11th, 2011. Kamashi below.

Over Miyagi Prefecture and that's Kesennuma below. Thankfully this time nothing bad was happening below.

Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture. One day I want to explore the northern coast of Honshu. One day.

And after a short time in immigrations and customs and then a short wait for my train, I reached Ikebukuro in Tokyo. While it was early for it to be dark, the nice thing was I could see some illuminations from the train. Including one that isn't mentioned by most websites, but was extremely pretty and I knew I would want to see it. This was the view from my hotel room. Not the most exciting but better than having an office building directly opposite.