Damn Tokyo... dammit I say. This town just doesn't want to let me go. I missed my flight to Bangkok and am currently exhausted and feeling sorry for myself. My departure time was 6:30 PM, so I left Aurelio's place at 3:45 thinking at most it would take 1 1/2 hours to get to the airport, getting me there by 5:15 at the latest. Admittedly, that was still cutting it a bit close but I had no bag to check and I really hate sitting around the airport for no reason. Well, I got to the airport over three hours later at 7 PM, my flight long gone. The United agent said he couldn't help me and that I needed to go back to my travel agent since it was at their discretion to help me out. So, I schlepped myself all the way back to Aurelio's for yet another night in Tokyo and went to the agency this morning. It should have come as no surprise... the Japanese are notorious sticklers about "the ruuuuules" and they blamed United for their inflexibility. Go figure.

I bought a new ticket to leave tomorrow for 47,000 yen (about $450) and just have to kiss the $400 ticket I already bought goodbye. *whine* I am trying hard not to think about the fact that that is over a month of travel around Southeast Asia lost. It's particularly difficult for me to still be here because I've made a mental shift already. I was done with Tokyo a long time ago and yet I am still here, which is tough to swallow. It's gotten rather gray and chilly around here and I am ready for some heat, a change of scenery, and maybe some different food.

My mood is probably not helped by the fact that I am feeling a bit out of touch with a lot of people back home. This is the part where I encourage those of you reading this to send me email once in a while and let me know you're alive. Traveling can get a bit lonely and communication with the people I love makes it all feel right.

I have no motivation to explore Tokyo any further and am now going to select a movie from Aurelio's vast collection and wait for tomorrow...