Departure Day.

I spent the morning cleaning the last few things in the apartment. Eventually, I realized that my cellular phone had been deactivated 24hrs earlier than planned. No goodbyes still yet unsaid. Due to this, I was unable to contact John who was taking me to the Airport, but was certain he’d show up as promised. Took Enzo for one last walk, and spent a bit of time upstairs with Linda and Woon, my landladies. John swung by about 11:30a and we were off. He dropped me off and we said good bye. Now, I am traveling with a lot of shit. The computer, the general over packing which I do, and the wardrobe I have got to have because I am too big to fit into the racks of cheap clothes everyone else brings home by the truckload from Thailand. So, in the end, I have to check an extra bag which costs me $160 for the two flights I am about to take. This is fine, as it all has to come with me. Customs screening goes well this time, with no Canadian Homeland Security shakedown like last time. I get on the plane and pop an Ativan to assist on the hellish 13.5hr trip to Hong Kong next to an Indian seatmate who doesn’t realize he didn’t pay for 1/3 of the cost of my seat/ticket. Due to the every ½ hr reminders of an elbow shot, I didn’t get a wink of sleep on the flight. We land in HK and I try to choke back 2 smokes in the smoking closets, before I get on the next plane for Bangkok. This leg is much nicer, and only 2.5 hrs. Once again, I don’t sleep, but before I know it, we are landing in BKK. For those of you thinking of traveling to Asia, I would take a pass on Cathay. My other trips to BKK were on JAL, and I found them much better. Cathay seemed even more cramped than usual airlines. Maybe it was the seat configuration. I don’t know, but the staff all seemed like they had better places to be and rushed through offering drinks and snacks etc. JAL always made you feel doted on if nothing else. Also, using Narita as a hub, gives you a 10 and 6 hr flight, versus a 13.5 and 2.5 using HK.