There is no easy way from Argentina to Japan. Associated Press Photographer Natacha Pisarenko's trip was more complicated than most.

From the full-body protective suits worn by fellow travelers in Buenos Aires, to the long wait at Haneda Airport in Tokyo for results from COVID-19 testing, Pisarenko's roughly 35-hour journey to the 2020 Summer Games was longer than most but otherwise typical for the thousands of athletes, officials and media descending on Japan's capital this week.

With the opening ceremonies days away, foreigners are arriving in droves despite the city's state of emergency prompted by surging COVID-19 cases. Visitors are under strict protective protocols that begin with testing 96 hours before their flights and will continue throughout their stays.

Travelers wait their turn to enter the airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Pisarenko's trek began in Buenos Aires, with a stop in Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Japan. Masks were mandatory throughout, but some travelers took extra precautions. A few in Buenos Aires donned protective coveralls, gloves and plastic face shields — at least one kept the body suit on during the flight to Frankfurt.

Several steps awaited at Haneda Airport, including saliva virus testing, rounds of paperwork verification and the validation of Olympic credentials. A bus took Pisarenko to a taxi, and the cab finally brought her to her hotel. The tiny room hardly fits her clothes and gear, but out the window is a pleasant view of the city at sunset.

Passengers sit on a flight from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A passenger sleeps on a flight from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A passenger looks at his phone in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A passenger boards a flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Tokyo Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A flight attendant closes the overhead compartment on a flight to Tokyo from Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A wing of a plane is seen through a window on a flight Monday, July 19, 2021, from Frankfurt, Germany to Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A flight attendant shows the food options on a flight to Tokyo from Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A breakfast sits in front of face masks on a tray table during a flight to Tokyo from Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The Tokyo Skytree is seen through the window of an airplane upon approaching Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Associated Press photographer’s Natacha Pisarenko documents rest on her suitcase at Haneda Airport in Tokyo upon arriving Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A sign directs passengers arriving in Tokyo, Monday, July 19, 2021, to get their COVID-19 tests before being allowed to enter the country. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People arriving for the 2020 Summer Olympics wait for their credentials to be validated before they can leave Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Associated Press photographer stands on a social distance marker while waiting to get her 2020 Summer Olympics credential validated before leaving Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People walk outside the Tokyo Big Sight that houses the International Broadcast Center and Main Press Center in Tokyo, Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A man sits at a desk at the Tokyo Bay Washington Bay Ariake Hotel on Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Associated Press photographer Natacha Pisarenko’s gear and clothes sit in her room at the Tokyo Bay Washington Bay Ariake Hotel on Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Text from AP News story, AP PHOTOS: A 35-hour Olympic journey from Argentina to Tokyo, by Natacha Pisarenko.

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