We knew this would be one of our most challenging travel days,  since we needed to change trains 2 times. And it was! 

We went to the station last night to get the tickets so we would be prepared!  Good plan.   We got the help of a very nice agent to use the green machine ourselves.  She walked us thru which clicks to make on the machine to purchase half our tickets and then we were going to do it again for our other 2 travel companions….. She moved quickly and of course,  trying to do it the 2nd time,  I missed a crucial step!  She kindly showed me again!  We made it thru the process,  successfully purchasing the 3 train tickets in sequential rows!  So far,  so good!

So this morning we arrived about half hour early and we’re able to find our track ok.  However,  on looking over our tickets, We realized that we weren’t in the same car on the 2nd leg but at least there were 2 of us together so we had a buddy!  And,     our transfer times between trains were really SHORT!  Scary short!   8 or 9 minutes to get off your train, queue for the escalator or elevator,  since we had bags,  get to the transfer level,  find the signs with the next track and find an escalator down or up… all in the large station of Osaka.  Murphys law,  it turned out to be impossible for us!  Oh and We didn’t realize that the little pile of printed tickets we purchased needed to be inserted into the ticket machine all together,  so that slowed us all down at the entrance to our section! 

Bottom line:  we missed our train, our leg from Osaka to Tsuruga… and the last leg too.  We had to go to the office and get another train.   We had reserved seat tickets,  and we learned later,  we could possibly just have  hoped onto the unreserved seat car on the next train to that destination… but who knew?  Anyway,  another nice young lady at the ticket office said,  “missed trains aren’t refunded”!  PANIC!  Almost! But she would do it for us just this 1 time!  She printed us all new tickets,  all together,  so we were of again.   We had only about 15 minutes to get back to the track we needed,  but we did it! 

OK!  We were on the 2nd leg. and it was ticketed with another very short transfer time.   This time we had a map of the next station and a video of how to go from the regional line’s incoming track to the Shinkansen tracks, which really helped!  We found each escalator and ticket gate ok  but Emmett’s ticket for caught in the machine…. don’t ask!  it just jammed.  Bert and Cheryl rushed on ahead, up the escalator,  and jumped in the first open door,  figuring they would just walk thru to the right car!  good decision!  In the meantime,  Emmett had no ticket!   The agent opened the machine and just gave him another ticket…. not his seat,  but he took it and ran!  I was waiting at the escalator and at the top,  we just ran for the first open door,  1 minute before the train started moving!  We were at car 10 and our seats were in car 4!  We pushed out way thru all those cars as the train picked up speed and were delighted to find Bert and Cheryl in their seats!  What a relief! 

The adventure wasn’t over though,  even though we’re we arrived at our destination,  we still needed to put our tickets through the exit machine…. all is them.  Emmett had them in his pocket but the ticket the agent had given him worked for him so he was outside the gates,  and none of our single tickets worked!  We asked at the agents window why and she said we needed all the tickets,  so  he brought me back the stack of missed train tickets!  yea! She paired them off and found the 3 pairs and said these are ok, but she found an extra and wanted us to pay the fare again for that 1?  for what?  there were  only 3 of us needing a ticket out, we had 3 pairs of tickets to get out!  I couldn’t understand what the problem was!  I just picked up each pair, gave 1 set to Cheryl and 1 to Bert and walked back over to the exit machine, put both tickets in and left! 

By then we were all exhausted and on our one last nerve!  We only had a15 minute walk to our hotel,  straight out of the station,  and we managed to get down there, still baffled and confused by the fiasco at the station!  And thankfully,  we were all still friends,  still talking to each other,  and just a few blocks to walk!

Our hotel was markedly nicer than the last one and welcoming as we checked in…. well, 3 of us did!  Then Cheryl got to the desk and there was no reservation in her name!  Some time ago,  she had found she had 2 reservations,  1 I had made for 3 rooms when we were first planning and then 1 she made when everyone decided to pay their own,  rather than me having all the hotels on my card.   She saw 2 and canceled 1, but had accidentally canceled the wrong one!  Luckily,  the desk said they had rooms,  but it would be cheaper for her to go back on line and book it! 

Finally we are all here,  and resting after an early dinner ( no lunch option during all that train travel!).

I can’t even count the number of lessons learned today!  But I’m glad today is over!  Thank God. he was watching over us and got us here!