Japan Preparation - Passports & Money

Getting a passport in a short amount of time without paying the extra $150 can be fraught with difficulties. For me the first difficulty was getting decent photos taken. The first place I went to (a pharmacy) took very poor photos where my head was not large enough. Unfortunately I didn't read the passport application closely enough and missed the part about my head needing to take up 80% of the photo. After having my photo returned I attempted to remedy the situation by getting photos from Kmart. I then panicked as my witness was not replying to emails so I ended up getting the boss from my second job to sign it. After sending in my second set of photos just weeks before requiring my passport I was starting to get a little worried that it would arrive in time. I rang the department of justice earlier this week and they assured me that the passport would arrive by the 20th of July.

Thankfully a courier arrived on my doorstep yesterday with a package containing my long (well not really) awaited passport.

After recieving my passport I felt confident enough to buy some Japanese money. I now have ¥22,000 which may not buy me a whole lot but at least I'll be able to get some gifts.

So my travel plans are now coming together very rapidly. hopefully I will be fully prepared by the time I depart next wednesday. My current plan based on what I know of my plane ticket is:

Depart Auckland at 630pm on Wednesday the 22nd

Arrive Sydney 8pm the same day,

Depart Sydney airport at 9.55pm

Arrive Tokyo airport 655am on Thursday the 23rd

Catch an inter airport shuttle for ~$50 between Narita and Haneda airports

Fly out from Haneda at an unspecified time (my brother doesn't communicate very well)

Arrive in Kochi (at least I think Kochi) at some other unspecifed time.

Hopefully then I'll be able to use the net and then get some sleep. I'll probably be able to film at least some of my trip as I'll take my little camera as carry on luggage.

Now I just have to find out the details of the internal flights, figure out how to catch the shuttle between airports and brush up on my limited japanese. I can't even remember numbers past 10 :(