41 hours of flight. How did I survive it?!
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| On board NH2 - one of the few Star Wars themed planes! |
So ANA was punctual, gave really sincere customer service, served good food (choice of Western or Japanese), offered a wide range of in-flight entertainment (enough for 41 hours, waddya think) – but I found the seats to be uncomfortable! Firstly, the width was quite narrow. Even for a skinny person my elbows rested naturally on the arm rests that divide the seats. My legs are rather long and I found the legroom to be barely sufficient when performing occasional stretches. In addition, I didn’t like that the cushion material felt rubbery and my butt suffered. Otherwise, ANA was fine. SQ still the best, imo.
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| Finally we arrived! |
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| Feeding the wild squirrels who roamed freely and had a spring in their steps. I mean, hops. |
There is a saying in Rome that if one tosses a coin into the Trevi Fountain, one would be back in Rome again. I wonder if there is a similar saying for the reflection pool in Washington DC, for I found myself back here after exactly a decade!
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| Washington Monument in the background |
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| Mr Lincoln looking ever so pristine and respectable |
Human memories are amazing – every monument and attraction were the same as I remembered them to be. It felt strangely familiar to be standing back on the same polished floor of the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial, as well as the base of the Washington Monument; the latter of which I still recall comprised bricks of two different colours because the initial builder ran into financial problems! However, one stark difference is that 10 years ago it was scorching hot, whereas this time around it was spring and weather was very very comfortable! It made walking relaxing and enjoyable. In addition, during this trip I got to view the monuments and memorials after dawn and they resemble gold figurines under the night sky.
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| The original plane that the Wright Brothers made history with! |
Of course, there is work to be done. Headed 3 hours south towards Staunton City, who was a neighbour with Shenandoah National Park (where blue ridge mountains reside). The hotel we stayed at was a historic building and located in an area lined by many beautiful small shops selling quaint souvenirs, sustainable food, handicraft and homemade gelato. A pity most shops close at 5pm and we didn't have a chance to patronize many of them.
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| Testing in progress |
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| Why I like ang moh weather - very blue skies, sunny day and cool temperature. Shiok! |
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| Spotted a few sakura trees here and there |
Factory Acceptance Test was concluded in a couple of days, successfully. We signed our names on the equipment to endorse the testing; more so to ensure that the product would be the same one being shipped and subsequently installed in our premise!
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On the 13h flight from DC to Narita, I groggily slid the window shade open and was stunned to see this breathtaking view:
I checked the flight map and noticed the plane was flying in far northern Canada. I believe this will be the closest to the North Pole I'll ever be! Unbelievable views. Apart from snowy mountains there were ice glaciers that covered miles and miles up to the horizons.
Transiting at Narita airport, we made sure to treat our tastebuds to the freshest sushi and sashimi . Mmmmm!!!
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| Japanese sushi to die for! Fish slices so huge they suffocate the rice! |
It was my first time being away from yx for such a long period of time. Missed her very much and thankfully for internet I was able to receive videos and images of her! Kudos to wifey who held the fort and probably levelled up after independently caring for yx.
