I ate while the scenery rolled by below. Here is a typical “yummy” crew meal:

Then it was time for my rest break. The bunkie relieved me, taking my seat as I left for the bunkroom in the cockpit and made my bed:

Sweet dreams:

Three and a half hours later I was awakened by the chime. A couple of cups of coffee and about three hours later we landed at Kansai International. It was approximately 5 pm local, about 1 am body clock time (ouch!). I got to land, and it was fun as always. I’m always grateful and a bit amazed that this is my job, that I actually get to fly this venerable, whale of a je
t, which surprisingly is quite graceful and maneuverable. On our final approach, the sun was setting and the cities ringing Osaka Bay–Osaka, Kobe–glittered like sequined patches on black silk. A hundred feet from touchdown several dark forms whizzed past. Birds. No surprise that the Hudson water landing is in the back of my mind in that second, all of the pilots’ minds, but had we hit our feathered friends at least the asphalt wasn’t far below!

After clearing customs, I dozed during the long, 45 minute bus ride, exhausted. With a sense of resignation, I drag my bags through the luxurious lobby and to my room. The work day is over. I sip a drink in my room, check e-mail and unwind. By 8:30 pm I’m asleep.

I wake at 10:30 pm, for it’s morning at home. I take two melatonin lozenges then am able to sleep some more, until about 3 am. I get up to write until the café opens.

Here’s the view from my room.

Very sterile, industrial, lacking the charm I love about Japan. On the higher floors there’s a great view of the docks where the huge container ships load and offload. It’s fun to watch sometimes, to imagine where the ships are going–or where they came from.

The hotel is 5-star excellent, a no-expense-spared property with acres of wood and stone.

Even the elevators are decked out.

It is simply gorgeous, but out in the middle of nowhere. I imagine it would normally rely on companies and business folks attending shows at the convention center next store but with the economy as poor as it is worldwide, it was a ghost town.

I love a Japanese breakfast.

read and ate then returned to my room to write until I could workout. I tried sleeping before the late afternoon pickup back to the airport, but couldn’t. I was tired when I got to the plane. It was the middle of the night body clock time. It was a marathon of effort staying awake until my break arrived at about 5 am home time. My break was an allotment of only 2.5 hours.
n> The chime didn’t wake me this time. I woke to a pounding on the door and the Bunkie yelling, “Sue! Wake up!” lol. I usually never sleep that heavy but needed it. Refreshed, I performed my first officer duties for the captain’s landing at San Francisco International about 3 hours later. I drove home to Sacramento, about 2 hours away. It is Tuesday. I am tired. Friday I do it all again.