CENTRAL AIRPORT, NAGOYA

================= TODAY IS A RED-LETTER-DAY HERE: With nothing much to do [unless I stay home the whole day and watch that MARATHON which is broadcasted LIVE on TV], and be with my lonesome self [again!].... my friend and I decided to spend the day DRIVING AROUND. * WE BOTH opted for the New CENTRAL AIRPORT or the CHUBU KUKO somewhere in NAGOYA. I have never used this new airport since I arrived here early this year. I thought it would be best to familiarizemyself with the new terminal since I'll be going back homethis Xmas Holidays. ** WE STARTED early. We wouldn't like to be caught in the familiar traffic, you know... "THE EARLY BIRD CATCHESTHE WORM" thing.... ONLY, what we caught was the intermittent rainshowers all dayfrom SHIZUOKA to AICHI-KEN. *** I was up at around 3 A.M., and had enough time to get ready before NAOKO came with her TOYOTA NOAH. She drove all the way to the AIRPORT. We stopped in some PARKING AREA where we had WASHOKU [JAPANESE CUISINE] Breakfast: grilled SANMA [TAURY], NATTO [that foul-smelling [!]FERMENTED SOYA BEANS ], MISO SHIRU[MISO SOUP], and SHIRO GOHAN [WHITE RICE]. She enjoyed it;...... I didn't. **** THE WEATHER didn't cooperate, so we had to drive carefully and reached CENTRAIR [short for CENTral AIRport: you see, the Japanese have this thing about short-cutting some words... ] at around 8. ***** IT WAS HUGE! It was built on reclaimed area in the middle of MIKAWA BAY.... just like KANSAI AIRPORT in OSAKA. The airport was imposing and can beseen from afar, before one enters the area leading to the long Bridge that connects the Airport to TOKONAME City. ****** It boasts of its own HOTEL right at its doorstep! I took all the Brochure I can get, just in case no one brings me to the airport. Iba na raw po ang HANDA, db? ******* THERE WERE 2 PARKING AREAs, each one can accomodate as many as 1600 -1800 vehicles. Despite these,there was a long queue at the Gates; I wondered why, and Nao remarked that most who go there are just like us:for sight-seeing! Hee-hee! Apparently, we were not alone in the Curiosity Department, huh?!! ******** WE went around... and feasted our eyes on all things, especially the SHOPS....which sells everything: from OMIYAGE[s] [PASALUBONGs] to Food Stalls: STARBUCKS, BAGEL & BAGEL [NY Style], to JAPANESE CUISINE of all sorts... .There were BAGS, and GLASSES,CRYSTALS.... lots and lots both men and women would crave for.... And yeah, you're right! The DUTY-FREE is located INSIDE, AFTER ONE CHECKS IN with the IMMIGRATION. ********** I can't help but buy some small things:hair pins/ornaments, crystals, SENBEI [Japanese Crackers], & TSUKEMONO [PICKLED RADISH & OTHER VEGGIES]. I also found a red pair of glasses [good for costume parties: It's HALLOWEEN soon....], MASK [purple cat-like one/good for CostumeParties with my students...] et cetera.. My friend bought lots; she had oodles of wads,anyway! ********** FINDING something for lunch was quite easy: there were lots of shops to choose from. I had a BAGEL with SALMON AND CREAM CHEESEand a cup of LATTE. Nao had a cup of Japanese Soup and a freshly-baked MELONPAN [BREAD din yan, noh!]. I didn't think it was a heavy meal, but we both felt we were full. Why is it so I will never understand.... Kapag nasa bahay ka, sunod2 ang kain, yet never felt satisfied, ei? Ah..Ewan! *********** ANYWAY, after walking through the SKY DECK and viewing the TAKE-OFFs and LANDINGsof a number of HIKOKI[s] [AIRPLANES], we decided to call it a day. .......'Nga pala, sa a tin, may bayad na yung makapasok sa "VISITORS LOUNGE" kaso nga lang, parang nasa kulungan ang siste if you're looking from the ARRIVAL area. ************ WE paid the PARKING FEE [300 Yen/hour]and headed for home. It was unbelievable, but the rate stared us right into our eyes:900 yen! Translation: we were there for three hours! Ho-hum..... ************* I am just wondering... HOW COME WE CAN'T COME UP WITH WORLD-CLASS AIRPORTS like this one? What happened to our own? WHEN are they going to honor their words and give Caesar his due? WHY can't we be as precise and as high-tech as our neighbors? So many questions: So many remain unanswered.... *************** RAINY DAY. WALKING THROUGH SHOPS. EATING BAGELS. DRIVING ALL DAY. *************** *