Passport received, flight booked

It has been a busy week, but with great relief I can say that my passport has finally arrived from Hong Kong. I don't need another passport until 2024! I wonder what will happen over the next 10 years…?

As soon as I received my passport, I started looking at the price of flights back to Scotland for Clara and I. Upon advice from a former colleague, I checked the KLM website and discovered some very competitive prices. On Tuesday, the price quoted for two return tickets from Japan to Scotland was 300,000 yen - manageable. Based on this price, I used the KLM website to reserve and pay for the tickets. However, the VISA payment would not work. I tried using my Mastercard, and still no success. As the KLM customer service helpline closes each day at 6pm Japan time, I had to wait until Wednesday afternoon before I could try once more.

Apparently, because my credit cards were both issued in the UK, they cannot be used on the internet to pay for tickets in a foreign country. Hmm……what's the point of having a bloody credit card then?

I ended up having to ask my bank to purchase the tickets in the UK and then having the funds debited from my account. However, the 24 hour delay resulted in the tickets increasing in price by 100,000 yen, or a little over £630.

Despite all the delays, frustration and additional cost, Clara and I are now excited at the prospect of spending 2 weeks back in Scotland. Clara's first full day back in Scotland will be her 13th birthday.

Between now and our departure, we will be busy buying Christmas presents, birthday presents, and planning how to spend our days in Scotland. Looking forward to some fun and relaxing days.