Wow. I Slept Through An Entire MONTH That Time...

This man could have undoubtedly have found a more peaceful place to be snoozing than along a walkway in the departures terminal of Taoyuan International in Taipei... but there he was.

Most of you have heard the expression "be careful what you wish for", and I'm here to bear witness it might be something we'd all be wise to take to heart more often.  This past few months I'd been happily bobbling along, working on three of my five regular, ongoing projects and trying to convince myself I didn't truly need to visit Asia as much as I wanted to. Friends in the Land of Smiles would regularly send tempting emails about one enticing festival, event or place they thought I ought to be at or a part of, but I managed to stay on task... until the middle of January, anyway.

Then one day about seven weeks ago an excuse came to light, an opportunity arose, an airfare I couldn't resist popped up and - after a 20 hour voyage - I found myself again trudging along through the arrival corridors of Suvarnabhumi International Airport. It was a somewhat spur-of-the-moment decision, and while I don't regret making the trip it was another whirlwind series of adventures that find me in somewhat of a damp heap today; back at home with a pile of laundry needing attention, two full notebooks and another daunting heap of pocket notes, scribbled on whatever happened to be within reach at the moment. 

So, now that you know where I've spent the past five weeks or so, I'll try to fill you in on more of the details as time allows.  Now that I'm home my life will return to what passes for normal here, so while I'd like to post like I used to, that's not going to happen. I'll make an effort, though. 

This trip I caught up with a precious few of my Thai friends and only three of my usual farang contacts, but I did meet some new folks, ventured off to some new spots with a couple of old stand-by friends and stayed in a handful of new places. As usual, I took a lot of pictures - in fact, I believe I set a new record with close to 8,000 in five weeks - but then I was slowed to a near-standstill by a cold for about four days.  

So, let's give this another kick in the butt and see what happens. It's nice to be stateside again. To those who sent email and other messages asking where/how I was - thank you.  

To those who wrote saying they wished I'd begin posting stories and photos again: be careful what you wish for!

Unexpected Layover at Taoyuan International, Conclusion

Our service in the boarding gate was nowhere near this polished, but it was appreciated.

[Part 2 of a story begun last Friday. Part 1 is here]

OK, where were we?  Ah, yes... my aircraft had experienced some technical difficulties, and I'd been disembarked (along with more than 300 others) back into a boarding gate at Taoyuan International airport in Taipei, Taiwan. We should have taken off for the West coast of the USA several hours before, but here we sat. I'd already taken a sleeping pill for the long haul, and had been fighting sleep off for a couple of hours. All of us were a little displeased, at the least; some more vocal than others. There. That's the Tweet Version. Here's the rest of the story:

By now we were well past 02:00, and my sleeping meds were in full swing.  My head dropped down any number of times, and occasionally I'd wake myself back up with a loud snort - to the delight of two nearby Chinese children, grateful for any kind of diversion in this bare gate environment. It took another 20 minutes or so for the rumbling at the counter to die down, but many of the people weren't placated by the assurances of the gate employees, and they continued to grumble as they found a spot to sit and stew in their own juices.

Speaking of juices, shortly after we'd plopped into the gate chairs to wait, carts from the plane (I guess) appeared, serving us all juice, water and soft drinks.  Wisely they didn't choose - or weren't allowed to - serve alcoholic beverages, and who could blame them? Irate travelers in the wee small hours are difficult enough; boozing them up wouldn't make things any easier for much of anyone.

I toyed with the idea of hauling my camera out and documenting this misfortune, but 1) there really wasn't much to see, and 2) the people around me were not festive folks.

About 30 minutes or so later EVA carts with what would have been our flight meals came wheeling off of our plane, with the stewards and stewardesses pushing them along.  When you're in your seat as the meals come by you don't get much of a look at the boxy carts they push along the aisles, but out in the open in the gate area they look pretty beat up, most likely from being slid in and out of racks on- and off-board. At least, that was my guess by the scrapes along the sides.

Dining in an airplane seat behind First- or Business-class can be an adventure, depending on the over-spill from passengers seated next to you. Sit between two wide-body travelers and you're likely to end up eating your meal looking rather like a preying mantis. In the gate area there were people sitting in chairs, on window ledges, on the floor and a few actually stood, balancing their tray on one hand while eating with the other.  This led to further entertainment for the nearby kids, as one tray tipped and its cargo slid noisily to the floor.  Woke me up, anyway.

To a captive audience, most anything's entertainment...

I don't know where they found the replacement aircraft - and I probably don't want to know - but with EVA's main hub being there at Taoyuan International it was probably just a spare of some sort.  A round of applause rose as we saw it pull up to the jetway, another 75 minutes after the food had rolled off of our first "ride" and it had been taken back to the stable, so to speak.

Announcements for boarding were made, and a worse-than-usual crushing queue of passengers assembled to get back on board and be on their way.

Strapping myself back into my seat I was fighting sleep big time, but I did pull out a pen and paper to note the time on my boarding pass: it was now 05:34, and the sky was beginning to glow on the Eastern horizon. The entire mess had taken a little over six hours, and has been - so far - the most strange flight delay I've been a party to.  The loudest of the "I'm gonna be late" guys was still going on about it, vowing to get free flights out of the mishap, and perhaps he did. There were gracious offers made when I wrote a letter or two to the Northern California and Taoyuan headquarter offices, and I just as gracefully accepted.

Those letters, though, would come a few days later. Now I just re-set my watch to "home" time, put in my ear buds, leaned against the bulkhead by my window and was out in a minute flat. I slept through take-off and whatever else happened for the next eight or nine hours, waking up to the smell of breakfast somewhere late in the afternoon, according to my watch.

So, not quite an unexpected overnight layover, but a layover nevertheless. I don't remember when I've been as happy to stand in line to have my passport stamped and hear the agent say "welcome back."

That extended and unexpected layover was an experience, but I don't need to have it pop up again any time soon.

Immigration at SFO

Getting Laid (Over) At Taoyuan Airport, Taipei

It had been a wonderful month in the Land of Smiles, but I had run myself ragged, as usual, so I was quite ready to return home. The privilege of travel is a valued commodity - in my mind, anyway - but at the end of it there's truly nothing like getting back and sleeping in your own bed.

Wistfully, I sat in the Taipei EVA lounge, watching people in the immigration lines one level down. "One more long nap and I'll be doing that," I thought to myself, polishing off the last of my pork bun and salad before folding up a Chinese newspaper for a friend back home, tucking it into my book bag and getting up to head out to the boarding gate, down the escalator and through the assortment of boutique name-brand and duty free stops. It was closing in on 23:00, or 11:00pm.

I don't know about you, but that stretch through the airport - in my case from upstairs at the lounge, out along the gate walkways and down to where you check in for the flight home - can sometimes seem like a couple of miles.  The excitement that makes the outbound journey has faded, I suppose, replaced by travel fatigue and the knowledge that the realities and responsibilities of life are about to take their standard stranglehold on my time. On the outbound legs I walk with a spring in my step, but on the way home I tend to shuffle a bit. Or a lot.

A little different view of some of the duty free shopping at Taoyuan International in Taipei

The flight from Suvarnabhumi to Taipei had been on time, and after a reasonable layover I was scheduled to leave on a later flight home from Taoyuan this trip. I was looking forward to the longer flight so I could adjust to the time difference and just maybe cut down on some of the jet lag I usually wrestle with. Boarding began, and I settled into my seat.

Because I don't sleep as soundly on planes as some folks I know I take advantage of an aid prescribed to me by my old "family" doctor.  By "family" I don't mean he's a relation, but let's say he'll never marry and sire children like many of my friends have. It was one of the reasons I started seeing him 30 years ago. For the first handful of years, when I lived a more colorful life, I was probably a difficult patient. Since I've changed habits we now have a deal that he rarely prescribes anything I'd likely want more of, and if he does it's with good reason, and in a limited quantity. I sometimes get an odd look from the pharmacy folks when I turn in a prescription for four sleeping pills before a trip, but so it goes.

This time I was glad to have them, and as I headed to the gate I washed one of them down with the last of the water I'd picked up in the lounge. The aircraft that was waiting when I got there, and I was happy to see that the staff were already shuffling papers as I waded in among the other 300-plus passengers. Soon a young woman took the microphone to announce they'd begin boarding shortly, and most of the crowd rose as one to press toward the boarding queue, as usual.

I waited until the wheelchair folks and "those traveling with small children" were taken aboard, and then joined in at the back of the bunch. When my class was called I worked my way through them, boarded, and settled in for my trans-Pacific nap. I don't often eat much of the meal served after take-off if I'm planning to sleep, so I buckled my seat belt and watched the ground crew scurry around on the tarmac around our aircraft for a few minutes before closing my eyes and cat-napping a bit.

The cabin crew going through snapping the overhead bins shut soon woke me up, but as the regular announcements were made and I felt the gentle push of the plane's movement away from the gate I again closed my eyes.  We moved out along the tarmac towards our departure runway, but stopped just short of actually heading out to it.  There we sat for about 10 minutes before the announcement was made: "Ladies and gentlemen - we're experiencing some technical problems with the navigational system of our aircraft this evening, and the captain is trying to isolate it. We appreciate your understanding while we try to resolve this problem."

OK, I thought. Just a short delay. Another 10 minutes passed before the next announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. We will be taking off shortly. Flight crew: please prepare for departure." Having missed our original place in line we moved out and joined the back of the queue of waiting aircraft.

Shortly before I'd have guessed we'd be next to turn onto the main departure runway there was another announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen - we're still experiencing some technical problems with our aircraft this evening, and we'll be moving out of the queue to resolve it. Our captain has elected to re-boot the main computer system." While this announcement was being made you could hear the engines powering down just after we'd turned onto the last possible side area so as to allow other aircraft to pass us. There we sat for another 15 minutes. Finally the engines apparently began to rev up again, and a collective murmur of relief went up throughout the cabin.

Most of us aboard probably thought as I did: we were moving along to circle back and re-join the departure queue, but that wasn't the case. The public address system popped on and off a couple of times, and then there was another announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen - our captain has decided to return to the gate to allow a maintenance crew to come aboard and check the systems. Please remain seated and we'll keep you updated." Didn't bother me... I was close to zoning out, anyway, but I pushed myself to stay awake so as to hear what the problem was. After all, this was the metal tube that was to hurtle me five thousand miles across the ocean at 30,000 feet, and I'd rather have them find out what's wrong before we take off... wouldn't you?

We sat. And sat. And sat. For nearly an hour.  Finally, the words none of us wanted to hear crackled from the speakers above: "Ladies and gentlemen - we're sorry to tell you that our captain has decided we will be taking another aircraft this evening, so we'll be asking you to disembark from this aircraft and return to the boarding gate. Another aircraft will be brought to that gate as soon as possible."

As the ground crew moved about frantically below to attach the jetway and begin the process of removing all of the baggage and cargo a low, rolling round of complaints began to rise from folks in the cabin around me, with "You've got to be kidding me" and "I'm going to miss my connecting flight" seeming to be the loudest. One man stood up, shouting, and banged his head on the overhead baggage compartment above him, which didn't improve his mood any. Somewhat bent over he loudly went on to the people in the rows behind him about missing his flight, as if anyone sitting there listening to his tirade could do anything about it - or, indeed - cared.

It took a while for them to prepare for our disembarkation, and as is often the case people assembled their carry-on items and packed into the aisles, pushing toward the front exit doors and packing themselves in a fashion those of you who are familiar with military basic training may remember as "nut to butt".  I sat in my seat, figuring that due to our circumstances we were going nowhere fast. I let the thundering hordes off ahead of me and then took my time getting off the aircraft.

Once off the jetway we were directed into another boarding gate to wait. People jockeyed for position at the counter, waiving their arms and creating a somewhat musical cacophony of concerns and complaints. "Two parts Stockhausen, one part Yoko Ono, and a smidgen of some other form of concrete," I said to myself, but out loud. The man next to me almost made the connection and replied with "Sounds more like a bunch of cats in a burlap bag being soaked with a hose."  He might have been closer than I was.

[The conclusion to the story on Monday]

A Foreign Affair

Tom Waits in concert 1976

A friend cornered me during a social event the night before last, breathlessly relating yet another tale of a bar boy who had become the love of his life. As he's quite the butterfly while on the road I had to ask (to his chagrin) which of his rented admirers this might have been.

To be clear: I have no problem whatsoever with people who are primarily sex tourists - whatever floats your long boat, I say. As long as they show their rented admirers some respect and treat them as they'd themselves wish to be treated, what's the problem with being a participant in the transactions of the World's Oldest Profession? My grandfather used to say "as long as you don't do it in the streets and scare the horses", and that's probably as handy a measure to use as any. But I've already veered off topic, so let's return to my friend's new love.

I've known him for at least 20 years, and while he's a good-hearted person overall he's a strongly opinionated, my-way-or-the-highway kind of guy. The closest I've ever come to coming out on top in a debate is to agree to disagree about the topic at hand; the best one can hope for when talking with someone who has more immovable opinions than Thailand has motor scooters. As usual, I simply smiled, said "good for you" and wished him luck. I suggested he keep his emotional guard up and keep his options open.  Hearing him speak two breaths later of soon getting back to the clubs in Bangkok I'm guessing that's precisely what he's going to do!

The overwhelming majority of stories I hear from people who are on the prowl while on holiday are more firmly footed in the land of the short term (or butterfly) relationships. I know a few U.S./Thai couples who are sharing life across an ocean between visits, but they're part of an extremely small percentage of couples I've seen made it work. Most I know are happy with a loosely-bound coupling, if they even consider anything more than casual hook-ups.

If you're single and far from home - unless you're joined at the hip traveling with someone - you have the opportunity to savor the moment when the thought comes to you that you're a stranger in a strange land, and, for at least that moment, nobody knows you and nobody that does know you has any idea where you are.  That idea terrifies one person I know, but I find it usually makes me feel pleasantly giddy.  Granted, you have to suspend your fears for a bit, but your odds of being harmed while walking down a country road in Isaan are certainly no higher than they are in your own neighborhood back home.

So... what the hell does any of this have to do with the "Foreign Affairs" title or the photo up top today? Since you've stayed with me this far I suppose you deserve an explanation, so, as convoluted as it is, here's the Reader's Digest version:

I became a fan of Tom Waits back in the early 1970s. The man's own singing voice can set off nearby car alarms if I'm playing his recordings at much of a volume, but he's a songwriter (and more importantly a storyteller) who can paint a picture with his lyrics that can move me like few others can. How can one not appreciate a song about leaving someone without saying goodbye that begins "I will leave behind all of my clothes I wore when I was with you", or lines like "the rain sounds like a round of applause" or "how can you close your eyes and say good night, and go to sleep without me"?

I've seen Waits perform, but I've only had the opportunity to get proper pictures of him on stage one time - in November 1976 - and one of those photos is the lead picture today.

While I'm out wandering about in Thailand the tune and lyrics to his song "A Foreign Affair" often come to my mind, for some reason. Maybe it's inspired by that "nobody knows where I am" thing, but often it's while observing other people visiting the same place.

I'm posting the lyrics below, and below them are audio and YouTube links to an Asian guy playing and singing a credible version of the song... certainly as good as what I sing to myself while walking. For those of you willing to try Waits' original version it's at the very end of today's post.

A Foreign Affair

When traveling abroad in the continental style 
It's my belief one must attempt to be discreet 
And subsequently bear in mind your transient position 
Allows you a perspective that's unique 

And though you'll find your itinerary's a blessing and a curse 
Your wanderlust won't let you settle down 
And you'll wonder how you ever fathomed that you'd be content 
To stay within the city limits of a small Midwestern town 

Most vagabonds I knowed don't ever want to find the culprit 
That remains the object of their long relentless quest 
The obsession's in the chasing and not the apprehending 
The pursuit, you see, and never the arrest 

Without fear of contradiction "bon voyage" is always hollered 
In conjunction with a handkerchief from shore 
By a girl who drives a rambler and furthermore 
Is overly concerned that she won't see him anymore 

Planes and trains and boats and buses 
Characteristically evoke a common attitude of blue 
Unless you have a suitcase and a ticket and a passport 
And the cargo that they're carrying is you 

A foreign affair juxtaposed with a stateside 
And domestically approved romantic fancy 
Is mysteriously attractive due to circumstances knowing 
It will only be parlayed into a memory






The Tom Waits version. You've been warned... his style easily qualifies as "an acquired taste".

Cambodia, Pt 2: Arriving At PNH International, Phnom Penh

I flew into Cambodia from Suvarnabhumi International in Bangkok. Not because I didn't want to make the trip by bus from the border, but because of time limitations. One of these trips I'll make the overland route instead of the over land one, because you do see much more by car, train or bus than you do from a plane.

If you fly, you'll have to decide for yourself which airline you choose to deal with. Bangkok Air long had a lock on flights from BKK to Siem Reap (currently between $123 and $241 round trip, depending on the type of ticketing), but now there's also Cambodia Angkor Air (between $100 and $390), so Bangkok Air has had to compete.  Flying into Phnom Penh from Bangkok adds the possibilities of Air Asia and Thai Airways, too.

I flew into Phnom Penh with AirAsia to avoid the (then) high Bangkok Air fee into Siem Reap, but they now fly from the old Don Muang airport and still only into Phnom Penh... but things can change... so unless money's no object, shop around.

My AirAsia flight was on time and comfortable, and my Thai friend was pleased I'd bought the better seats so he could stretch out while watching the clouds roll by. The food was basic, but decent. I don't remember much about it, to be honest. We arrived on time, and it was a quick trip across the tarmac from the plane to the arriving area.

Leaving Phnom Penh International, looking for a taxi

There are two ways of going through Immigration at PNY, Phnom Penh International: prepared in advance, and at the arrivals counter.  My guess is it's much the same at the Siem Reap airport or at the border if you're arriving by land.

If you decide to take the easier route, you can go to their Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa page and take care of it before you go. That's what I did. As it turned out there was quite a line, so it saved me a lot of time. You upload a photo when doing the e-visa and print the thing out to bring with you.

If you want to fill out the form like the one below (or something similar) when you arrive, just make sure you have a passport-type photo along with you and be my guest. My Thai friend held up his Thai passport and was processed almost immediately, no extra photo was needed.

The "On Arrival" Cambodian Immigration Visa form

While there is (naturally) a Cambodian currency, you're not likely to need much of it, as the US Dollar is not only widely accepted, it's often preferred. The country runs on them, if I may generalize.  ATMs give you US dollars, but do some research on banks and ATM fees. I've heard some horror stories from folks from Australia, Canada and other places, so read some travel forums and be informed.

Personally, I brought US currency from home for anything I figured I couldn't use a credit card for.  As always, I'd suggest notifying your card issuer before you travel the dates they may see charges coming in from a foreign country.

OK, so that puts us on the ground in Cambodia. Have a good weekend, all.  Super Bowl Sunday coming up, and I intend to catch up on some reading!

Cheap Flights To Asia: Air Tickets For "Westies"

While I've flown out of Seattle and Los Angeles, SFO is my normal departure and arrival point.

Closer to the beginning of this blog in March of 2010 someone sent me a listing of travel agencies they'd done their own research on, saying it might be of interest to me or the readers here who live on the West coast of the USA.

I ran across it this weekend while clearing space on a hard drive and, while I haven't spoken to 98% of these places in a while I'm offering it up here today as a reference for the adventurous who are looking to make a trip somewhere in Asia any time soon.

Brokers and agencies can have different resources and contacts, and sometimes have access to blocks of tickets via their agency's agreements with an airline or other means.

My apologies in advance if you find yourself getting some disconnected numbers, but in addition to your own web searches through the more common channels (some of which are mentioned here and here) one of these just might pay off for you.

All of the agencies listed below sell tickets to Asia to the general public - or did at some point.

Air Brokers International Travel Service (San Francisco) 800-883-3273, 415-397-1383, fax 415-397-4767
Airbound (San Francisco) 415-834-9445 fax 415-834-9447
All Continents Travel (Los Angeles) 800-368-6822, 310-337-1641, fax 310-645-0412
All Star Travel (Santa Clara) 408-247-9743, fax 408-247-2762
Anglo California Travel (San Jose) 408-257-2257, fax 408-257-2664
STA Travel (Berkeley) 510-642-3000, fax 510-649-1407 (San Francisco) 415-391-8407, fax 415-391-4105
Travel Design Unlimited (Mountain View) 415-969-2000, fax 415-966-8262
BET World Travel (San Jose) 800-747-1476, 408-229-7880, fax 408-365-1101
Brendan Tours (Van Nuys) 800-491-9633, 818-785-9696 
The Budget Traveler (Sausalito) 415-331-3700, fax 415-331-1377
Canatours (Los Angeles) 213-223-1111 
Cathay Travel (Monterey Park) 818-571-6727 fax 818-571-1831 
Char-tours (San Francisco) 800-323-4444, 415-495-8881, fax 415-543-8010
Cheap Tickets (Los Angeles) 800-377-1000, 310-645-5054 (San Francisco) 800-377-1000, 415-896-5023
Destinations Unlimited (San Diego) 800-338-7987,619-299-5 161
Discover Wholesale Travel (Irvine) 800-576-7770, 714-833-1136, fax 714-833-1176
Expanding Horizons (Santa Ana) 800-421-6416, 714-564-8330
Festival of Asia (San Francisco) 800-533-9953, 415-693-0880, fax 415-693-0884
Flight Coordinators (Santa Monica) 800-544-3644, 310-581-5600, fax 310-581-5620
Global Access (San Francisco) 800-938-5355, 415-896-5333, fax 415-227-4641
Japan Express (Los Angeles) 213-680-0550 
Jetway Tours (Los Angeles) 800-421-8771, 213-382-2477
K and K Travel (Fullerton) 800-523-1374, 714-525-4494, fax 714-525-4586
Omniglobe Travel (San Francisco) 800-894-9942, 415-433-9312, fax 415-433-9315
Picasso Travel (Burlingame) 800-247-7283, 415-579-1900 (Los Angeles) 800-742-2776, 310-645-4400
Rebel Tours (Valencia) 800-227-3235, 805-294-0900, fax 805-294-0981
Skytours (San Francisco) 800-246-8687, 415-777-3511, fax 415-777-9290
STA Travel (Los Angeles - West Hollywood) 213-934-8722, fax 213-937-6008, (Los Angeles -  Westwood); 310-824-1574, fax 310-824-2928 (Santa Monica) 310-394-5126, fax 310-394-4041
Sun Destination (San Francisco) 415-398-1313 fax 415-398-1399
Sunco-Carison Travel (San Francisco) 800-989-6017, 415-291-9960, fax 415-291-9950
Supersonic Travel (Hollywood) 800-439-3030, 213-851-0333

Tokyo Travel Service (Los Angeles) 800-227-2065, 213-680-3545 

Travel Time (San Francisco) 800-235-3253, 415-677-0799, fax 415-391-1856
TS Travel (Woodland Hills) 818-346-8600, fax 818-883-4624
Way To Go (Los Angeles) 213-466-1126
World Link Travel Network (Los Angeles) 310-342-1280, fax 310-342-1288  (Santa Monica) 310-453-8884, fax 310-453-7924

Happy hunting. Let us know if you find a gem.

Finding Cheap Flights To Thailand: Reference Links

The coast of Northern California on a flight home one trip

There are so many sites where you can do due diligence and - with luck - find cheap air fares and hotel rooms I hesitate to begin listing them, but since they're important to note as references, I'll put some up here today. These don't take the place of agencies and other brick-and-mortar places for everyone, but for the adventurous they're definitely worth a look.

This isn't anything like a comprehensive list, but it might save you re-creating the wheel, if you know what I mean.  Take them as my preferences (like my preference for EVA Air), and with a grain or ten of salt... then do the legwork and make up your own mind. No penalty, no foul from this referee, that's for sure.

 Kayak was recommended to me by a forum friend some years back, and overall they've been my site of choice.  I invariably start here, and if I don't find what I'm happy with I add others.  Truth be told I usually check the others before clicking "confirm", anyway - and as we covered Friday I often find decent deals by going through the airline I'm considering.

I have two friends who think very highly of Orbitz, and one that doesn't. I've not found much there that I couldn't find for within a few dollars elsewhere, myself. Don't forget to check sites like Travelocity and Hotwire, either; they (like Orbitz) handle so many bookings that they have enormous buying power in some cases.

More and more companies are popping up, though, and checking a travel forum or two can alert you to them. I've had Priceline recommended to me, but I've heard tales of folks being locked into flights (possibly because they weren't paying close enough attention) and I'm leery of that "name your own price" deal. Just be aware.  Again, suggestions on sites you've found to be handy (or hellish) are welcome.

Kind of a short post today, sorry. Family obligations, but joyous ones.

Next: peripheral reference links.

Finding Cheap Flights To Thailand - An Overview

Dawn one Thailand-bound morning as I waited for my connecting flight

The internet can be a marvelous tool for doing research, but advertising and deceptive linking have almost given it more drawbacks than benefits.  Take airline tickets, for example - and we will, today. I can suggest the sources I've used in the past, but since those are only based on my experiences you'll unfortunately have to do some of the legwork on your own.

Online travel forums can be a help, but sometimes the best references can be people you know and trust on one level or another, especially if you consider those sources with some amount of care.

Travel agents can be an enormous help if you're brand new to the idea of international flight, but you still have to do some research yourself if you intend to make an informed decision. Different travel agencies can be allied or connected to different outlets for blocks of discounted seats, and that can be a big help - if you know where to find them.  I'd suggest trying several different places, and advice from other travelers can again be the key here.

Dealing directly with the airlines themselves is another way of looking for deals, but fares can change with the direction of the breeze on any given day, and you need to be aware of that and, if possible, do some checking on fares over a period of a couple of weeks. Change your travel dates in their search engines, too, because different days will give you different results.  There are also often "classes" of tickets that are priced differently based on the miles awarded for each leg of your journey.  If you're one who enjoys that cat and mouse game that adds another dimension of probable frustration; I usually choose not to pay all that much attention to whether I'm getting 100% of my flight miles credited or, say, only 80% of them.  It's almost too minor a difference for me to worry about, but that may only be me.

I choose to get to Thailand comfortably, but that level of personal comfort is a relative thing, I know.  What may seem fine to me may seem hellish to others.  Still, I'd always choose not to spend my holiday money on more of a flight than I need; there are many other things I'd rather spend it on. That said, here are some airlines I'm familiar with, and how I'd rate them overall:

JAL - Japan Airlines - B+
I found the ticketing process, the on-time dependability and the employees I met to all be exemplary.  They also did deals with an agency I dealt with about a decade ago, and I got a round-trip economy seat for $610 round trip, with all fees and taxes included.

EVA - EVA Evergreen Airlines - A
My old standby, and where I tend to look first.  Booking directly through their site is often fairly simple, and they offer specials from the West coast of the US, especially from LAX (Los Angeles). The cabin staff are very attentive, and they offer a wide range of amenities - especially if you join their free frequent flyer program.

United Airlines - C
Domestic (for me here in California, anyway) airlines are just that: domestic, basic, little or no frills or amenities unless you popping for First Class, and the employees all too often tend to act as if they're doing you a favor by giving you much of any dollar value. I've actually had surly flight attendants. The cabins haven't been up to snuff - for my money, anyway - and I don't find much value to them period.

Cathay Pacific - A
A little more expensive than EVA, but their reservation system, staff, cabin crew and amenities by class are all on the same level as EVA.

If you're concerned about safety overall, you can do a Google search for airline accident rates and find several sites that list safety issues by airline and by region of the globe. I figure any time I'm hurtling along at 500 miles per hour 30,000 feet off the ground in a metal tube I'm literally flying on faith that the damn fool thing won't suddenly plunge to the ground, but there's no need to ignore safety records to save a few hundred dollars, either.  Do some investigation.

If you intend to book your own tickets, again do some checking on forums or travel sites to see which days of the week (and times of the year) are better buys.  Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays I've found to be the more reasonably priced days to fly.  I've heard from several sources that the best time to be checking for ticket prices is Tuesday 12:00 East coast time, or 09:00 West coast time.  Prices can change not only from day to day, but within the same day - for the same identical flight.

Booking well in advance is standard advice worth noting, but there are also "last minute" fares when an airline is trying to fill a flight before cancelling it altogether, too.  And then there's just plain old dumb luck...

Let this merely be some food for thought, since some of you are thinking of the cold weather ahead and the warmer days in Thailand. We'll come back to it again with some sources for you at the beginning of next week.

As always, you input is welcome!

Comfort Zones: Don't Let Fear Choose Your Path

A somewhat less-than-perfect panorama of part of the skyline of Bangkok from the Asia Hotel, circa 2005

I was drawn into a conversation yesterday with a fairly well-to-do physician friend - I'll call him Tim - who will be off to Thailand tomorrow for five days.  Personally, if I wasn't going to be flying in the lap of luxury (so to speak) I don't think I'd even bother going that far for that short a stretch, but to each their own.

Tim was sharing the story of his first visit to Thailand, a somewhat spur of the moment stop on a "suit shopping" trip he'd taken to Hong Kong many years ago; a stop suggested by a Thai woman he'd sat next to on his outbound trip from here.

He was worried (OK, afraid) he wouldn't be safe, that his lack of knowledge of the language would leave him helpless and vulnerable in a strange land, that he would be lost and alone in what he'd always thought was a third world country. He spoke with his airline while in Hong Kong, re-routed his homeward flight and stopped for four days in the Land of Smiles.  He's been back many times since.

Stepping onto the Thai Air flight that would take him into Don Muang airport he was taken aback by the smiling woman who welcomed him aboard with a wai and said to himself "Wow... this might not be quite such a primitive place after all", and settled in for the short hop.  He arrived near midnight and was directed by another airline employee to what he felt was a reliable ride to the old Meridian (now part of the Holiday Inn chain) hotel, and off he went. The taxi driver spoke very little English, which didn't make him any more at ease, especially when he was asked why he was visiting and he said he wanted to go to the Night Market.

He wanted to look for the knock-off merchandise friends at home told him was so inexpensive, but the driver began wiggling his eyebrows up and down, beginning the sing-song routine most of us who have been there have heard. "You want girl?" he asked, and Tim, somewhat taken aback said "no". "Boy? You want boy? I know where you can find," but that wasn't the idea, either. My friend just said "No, no girl - no boy. I'm going shopping."  That brought the standard offers for tailors and jewelry shops, but Tim was peering out his window, ignoring further questions as they moved along quickly through the darkness.

Turning off of what Tim thought looked like the "right" way they went down a darker side street, and then onto another, darker still.  Tim worried where the hell he was being taken when they pulled up to a hotel that didn't look anything like the Meridian he'd expected.  Going inside, he found he was at the wrong hotel, and got an employee out front to let the driver know that.

Soon they were pulling up to the correct hotel, where again he was greeted by the pleasantly gracious staff. His room was waiting, and the bell boy, instead of merely dumping his bags in the room and holding his hand out for a tip, showed him all the features of the room and explained how they all worked.  Tim was impressed, and fumbled for what he hoped was an appropriate gratuity.

Still too spooked to go out anywhere that first night he holed up in his room, took a shower, and went to bed.  The next morning he had a fine breakfast at what he thought at the time might have been the best buffet in the city, stepped outside of his hotel, climbed into a cab the man out in front had hailed for him and was off to the Grand Palace.

He's been back at least a dozen times since, along with another few dozen countries around the globe.  The tales he has to tell are plentiful and colorful.

The point is this: don't let fear choose your path. I'm not advocating just landing blind in a completely new country or culture, but with a bit of legwork there's a wide, wide world of adventures out there. Stretch your comfort zone a little and try exploring some of it.

Trip Report 3: Bangkok Ho!

Panorama section of the Bangkok skyline from Baiyoke Tower

[This is Part 3 of a trip report about my most recent visit to Thailand. Part 1 is here, and part 2 is here.]

Because of the delay in boarding at Taoyuan International in Taipei we were almost an even hour late arriving at Suvarnabhumi International in Bangkok.  This time I moved along in a more sprightly manner and still had a bit of a problem keeping up with my friend. He was quite the excited bunny to get out on the town for the night, so I did my best.

The first ramp up to Immigration, on a regular day

It was just past lunchtime when we got off the plane and stayed ahead of the pack from our flight, but it ended up being a moot point when we arrived at the left turn from our gate lane into the arrivals area of immigration; the lines were not only filling the normal area "queue up in a line and wait" area, a solid mass of humanity had spilled out and down two thirds of the carpeted incline. I'd never seen it so bad.

By the way - the ramp image above is from the February 3rd, 2011 "Arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport" post. If you're a true "newbie" I'd suggest slogging through that in addition to other reference sites.  Really.  It'll save you time and trouble.

The orange icons are immigration - arriving from the E, F, or G gates most people would stop at the first area to their left, but sometimes it's better not to.

Remembering that there was another area a bit further along the gate lane; another 50 yards or so, and also to the left.  My friend didn't want to try it, but having spent over an hour in line in the past I figured I'd find the alternate area.  When I got to it I was pleasantly surprised to see more or less normal lines, and I was through and heading to the baggage carousel in about 15 minutes. Where I came through was down near the lowest-numbered baggage carousels but I strolled over to #22 where our bags were going around and around.

Luggage carts are free - as they ought to be everywhere, in my opinion - and after collecting our stuff and having nothing to declare we headed towards the logical lane to exits, those marked "Nothing to Declare". For some reason there was only one of those open that day, and there were several folks ahead of us with at least five oversize bags apiece that agents wanted to look into.  We waited.  And waited.

When my turn came, luck was evidently on a break of some sort and I was asked to open two bags, the first time in well over a dozen arrivals.  They didn't do more than paw through the first couple layers of each, so it didn't take long - and after the delay caused by the people ahead of us it didn't seem much of a bother at all.  The agent picked up a couple of the toys I'd brought for some of the orphanage kids so I asked if he had kids.  When he said yes I handed him a few, and he thanked me.  Waved along we walked out into the Arrivals hall.

The "approved" taxi stand issues you a ticket at the counter

At the taxi stand in front of the terminal at ground level we hired a ride for the 40 minute (more or less) ride into Bangkok proper, arriving at our first stop on the trip: the Trinity Glow Silom hotel.
As we were only going to be there for two nights I didn't fully unpack, but I did shower and rested for an hour or so, until it was getting closer to dinnertime. It was only a little after 6:00pm, and we had our first night in the Big Mango still ahead of us.

Although my friend and I would be having very different adventures on this trip, we were both ready for them to begin... and they did, soon after.

The lights just beginning to show at dusk in Bangkok

Trip Report 2: Transferring In Taipei

A New Year dragon greeted us past the security checkpoint at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei

[This is Part 2 of a trip report about my most recent visit to Thailand. Part 1 is here]

Deplaning after a long flight is usually a relief for me.  Sometimes I'm able to sleep sufficiently on my own, but not consistently, and slumber via prescribed pharmaceuticals isn't proper sleep for me; it merely passes time. The old saying about sleeping best in our own beds is, I believe, a valid one, but not something that keeps me from throwing my circadian clock off with the reckless abandon of a college-aged kid when the opportunity arises to jump a dozen time zones or so. 

That said, I'm usually a little dopey as I make my way along the breezeway from the plane to the arrival gate at Taoyuan International some 13 hours after boarding in San Francisco, my preferred departure point. In addition to the signage directing you to the transfers area there's often an EVA employee there to wave you in the right direction.  It felt so good to move around more than one can on a plane, even though I make an effort to get up and stretch at least a couple of times on a flight as long as this one is.

I had dawdled a bit getting off the plane (talking to a stewardess), so although we were seated near the front there were quite a number of folks who'd gotten off ahead of me.  My friend was a bit ruffled by the time I got to the arrival gate, but so it goes.  I heard a lot more about it when we got to the security area and caught up with the others from our flight, all queued up in a surprisingly orderly single-file line, but it was a good 50 yards long, stretched down a hallway. The transfer security area is a limited affair; two belts for your carry-on stuff and a single scanning doorway, so it can be slow.

Large illuminated signage clearly show you where things are

We got through security and made our way to the EVA lounge, which is just a hundred yards or so from where you enter the terminal from the transfer security area. The dragon up top was there to welcome us, floating near one of the main information booths and next to a seating area where folks watched TV, read, toyed with electronic devices or dozed. There were also a few terminals for folks to access the internet, as you can see in the photo below.

Taipei being home turf for Evergreen/EVA the lounge is larger, better stocked and better staffed. I can't compare it to others there, but perhaps someone will comment on their favored lounges in Bangkok, Taipei or other locations. Anyone?

A small portion of the complimentary food and drink area.

One side of the seating area in Taipei's EVA lounge

On the left of the photo above you can just barely see the magazine side of the literature wall that separates the buffet from the seating area.  There are multiple copies of a wide range of titles in both English and Chinese, and if you don't finish one you're welcome to take it along.  The other side of the wall contains eight to ten different local and international newspapers.  

The wireless internet is free and usually fairly fast, and time passed fairly quickly before it was time for us to leave and head to the gate.  

Looking down from lounge level

Just as we arrived at the (full) boarding area they announced that the flight would be delayed by about 45 minutes "due to traffic control", so we just cooled our jets and waited. At least we weren't put onto a plane festooned with Hello Kitty, like the one below that taxied by as we waited for our ride.

I passed the time visiting with a husband and wife from Vancouver who were coming from Hong Kong where they'd visited her family, as they do every two years. Now they were making a stop in Thailand for a break on Koh Lanta, which they highly recommended.  I'll look into it for a future destination, too.  Also on the Malacca Straight it's to the Southeast of Phuket.

Finally aboard our flight to Suvarnabhumi International I got myself situated for the final leg of the journey, listening with one ear to the familiar safety lecture. I've heard it so often that I'm well aware of where the emergency exits are; the more worrisome thought is the distinct probability of being trampled to death on the way to one by other panic-stricken passengers.

Raindrops skittered almost horizontally across my window as the wind outside pushed them along while we roared into the gray sky and were - finally and truly - Bangkok bound. Just another four hours or so to go...

Trip Report 1: Bangkok Bound

Night shot of SFO International by Hakan Dahlstrom 

Since I often learn a thing or two from people's travel or trip reports I'm offering one here myself.  I'm not in any danger of Frommer's or Lonely Planet calling to beg me to join their team but I have made enough trips to have learned a few things. No need for some of you to recreate the wheel, as the saying goes - and if this helps anyone, it's worth the time.  It may well be broken up into a few installments, but we'll see how it unfolds as my schedule drags me along this week.

So, here's Part One...

My friend arrived along about 5:00pm as I was doing my final departure review.  As he sat and double-checked our flight information in-between his more recreational web surfing I went over my packing list one last time; trying to avoid minor past mishaps. [If you're new to the fold here I'd suggest reading the post about packing your bags. It may well make things easier for you if you don't already have your own routine as a seasoned traveler.]

Packing for a longer trip (such as this 3-plus weeks in Thailand) begins a week or so in advance, when I put a suitcase or two onto the bed in the guest room and start adding things as I think of them.  Socks, underwear, my swim suit and other things that are OK with some wrinkles can go in early; shirts and other things can wait on hangers until the day of travel. 

Gift-type items can also be packed early. Expatriated friends often have things they'd appreciate me bringing along, such as items covered in the post "As Rare As Hen's Teeth" in January.  Items for established friends are easy enough to pack ahead of time, too.

As covered more thoroughly in the packing post if you expect to meet or make new friends where you're going you might want to take a few small tokens of friendship as gifts along with you. Things that represent your area are often appreciated; scenic calendars of California have worked for me. I'd purchased a half-dozen of them late last Autumn and tucked them away in my office, where they damn near won the game of hide-and-seek.

Expect unusual items to raise the curiosity of the TSA inspectors. I often travel with enough wires and electronic cables for various devices that it usually earns me a tag like the one to the left.

I'm a "roller" more than a "folder" for clothes that will wrinkle. You can find lots of info about both online - including YouTube video demos - but if I take my time and do it properly I've had the best luck with rolling clothing to pack.  If you find you absolutely must take a suit (you poor bastard!) there's an interesting clip below.  Naturally, taking a suit to some Asian countries is akin to carrying coals to Newcastle.



Bags finally packed and ready I checked my carry-on to make sure I hadn't missed anything that would slow me down at the security checkpoint and assembled my junk by the front door, remembering for once to take the Swiss Army knife out of my pocket and put it into an outside pocket of a bag I'd check. I'd rather not say how many I've had to toss into collection bins at security over the last 11 years.

My best friend - who doesn't care to travel but is fine with house-sitting - helped the two of us load into my car and we were off on our long ride to San Francisco International. The plan was to arrive there the suggested two hours ahead of flight time (standard for international flights) and we were a half-hour ahead of schedule when we were dropped off at the curb at SFO.  Pre-printed documents in hand we rolled our way to the EVA check-in counter, were waved over to a premium window that wasn't busy and were on our way to security within five minutes.  A good start, I thought.

This is a good example of NOT traveling light.

An advantage of flying in the off hours is shorter lines at the security check. It's not fail-safe, but from my experience if staffing is as it should be you're more likely to be through the humiliating process faster if you hit there in the late evening.

We had a large group of folks (more than 10, but less than 15) on their way back to Taiwan that didn't seem to understand the process and repeatedly set off bells and buzzers. After struggling along putting things into bins to ride the x-ray conveyor they themselves had to go back and forth through the scanning archway. Finally they were diverted - one by one - through that "hands in the air" body scanner device.  I think they should take a quick snapshot from the waist up of everyone in it and sell them somewhere further along the line; somewhat like they'd do in an amusement park near the end of the roller coaster.  Might afford them enough money to hire a few more employees to speed things up.  Just a thought.

If you're not a member of any sort of frequent flyer point group I strongly suggest you do some research to find the one best for you and sign up. I earn generous points from a credit card deal that's still paying off after a decade, and I tend to stick with EVA for a variety of reasons, so I have quite a number of flight miles with them.

One of the perks is admittance to the business/elite/travel lounge (all located past the security checkpoints), where you can wait in comfort for your boarding time.  There's a lot about those here.

Part of EVA's lounge at San Francisco International

My travel companion wasn't yet an EVA member, but he was given the option of joining me anyway - for a fee of $25.  That seemed excessive to me, but 1) you can't easily put much of a price on comfort, 2) he was on vacation and entitled to some extravagances and 3) the call liquor is free.  My friend doesn't drink, but if someone did they could do up that amount and still weave to the plane.

Knowing there was a meal coming about an hour after take-off I didn't eat in the lounge, but I did have some tea, read the paper and took a dose of "Airborne," a vitamin boost supplement that allegedly helps one fend off illnesses shared by the other 400 souls seated around you on the plane. It may all be psychosomatic, but I take it.  More on staying healthy on planes here.

I watched a man in an aloha shirt, shorts and sandals go back and forth to the Johnny Walker, each time a bit slower and less steady.  I didn't ask, but my bet was on him joining the legion of guys who'd soon be on the beach with a rented admirer by their side and looped by noon daily.  I felt kind of sorry for him when he was denied permission to board the plane with us, but all of life is choices and I guess he didn't think that one through very well. Security helped him choose how to leave the boarding gate area.

Settled into my window seat (I sleep better being able to lean) I looked at my watch as our plane began to back away from the gate right on schedule.  I looked back to my friend across the plane and a row back, gave him the "thumbs up" signal, and we both smiled.

We rolled our way out to Runway 25, and as the pilot gunned the engines and we began to rumble and roar our way North along it my mind raced with anticipation of the weeks ahead. When the heavier vibrations stopped as the wheels left the runway I leaned my head against the window, watching the Bay Area slip away from us until we entered a layer of fog and all went dark.

For the next 12 and a half hours or so we'd sail along at around 33,000 feet through the black night sky; the outside temperature hovering near -6F.  I stayed awake long enough to eat some of the meal they brought around, but I'd already taken the sleeping pill my doctor gives me for such flights, and I went to sleep soon after; waking up as we cruised over Japan.  Most of the people of Sendai, Yonezawa and Nagano far below us were probably sound asleep as we sailed overhead at a ground speed of 500 miles per hour.

A couple of hours before we were due to land at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei the lights above me on the left side of the plane began to emit a reddish glow, and over the next ten minutes or so changed gradually to pink, orange and yellow, moving across the width of the cabin as though the cabin ceiling was the morning sky.  Soon the cabin was lit normally, and the smell of omelets and congee filled the cabin as the breakfast cart was wheeled through.

Repeating a previously used image for the newbies

We landed slightly ahead of schedule, and it felt wonderful to get up and be able to walk about freely as we set foot in Taiwan, on our way to our connecting flight to Bangkok.

Home Again, Home Again - Jiggety Jog

While it's been a better month in Thailand than some visits here over the years, my time has again drawn to a close and it's time to gather my stuff together, sit on suitcases to make everything fit and do some final catching up by phone with the friends I couldn't make time for this trip.

My list of friends here in this magnificent place continues to grow, and the camaraderi I share with them - much like the guys above - is something I value a great deal.  Thank goodness for email and skype to fill the time until I'm again Thailand-bound.

As is usually the case I expect to have my internal clock knocked for a loop as I jump a dozen time zones and the International Dateline, but it's my plan to be back posting by Monday from the US of A.  I never look forward to the butt-numbing 20+ hours of travel home, but there's something compelling about being in my own bed, and that's where I'll catch up on sleep this weekend.

I hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever it is you end up doing.

Jeremy Lin's "Linsanity" in Taipei

The entire area to my right was leaned towards the other larger TV

Passing through Taipei I just witnessed something I've never seen before.  As you can see above, the lounge at Taoyuan airport was close to full this evening, and the two large screen TVs were both tuned to different  news networks.

Evidently there was nothing to report other than what newly-idolized freshman basketball star Jeremy Lin thought about most anything - from basketball to food to shoes.  One report after another after another. There was even one with cartooned diagrams that explained what some of the celebratory moves mean as used in the USA among players - the fist pumps, etc.  Honest to God. It's not in English, but even I understood that one.

His coverage has been going on steady now for over an hour; one somewhat contrived looking report after another, and many eyes are glued to each one. It's nice to see the support he has here, and you can see the joy on many people's faces when they see him on TV... and not just the men who regularly would follow sports, either; the woman picking up used plates and glasses was watching the screen and not what she was doing and dumped the leftover food onto the floor instead of into the bus tray on her cart.

Making my way to Suvarnabhumi - will check in again soon when my schedule smooths out a bit.  I'm going to hit the ground running there, but I'll be around.

Into The Wild Blue Yonder, Bangkok Bound

A view most never see (not my photo)

Well, the countdown has finally worked its way down to zero. After months of anticipation and planning it's finally time to put the blog into its full upright and locked position, fasten my seat belt and prepare for taking off. 

There will be some new lodging to report on, and hopefully another notebook full of stories to share. In addition to the usual days in Bangkok I'll be spending time with the students and families I sponsor, have a few days at a convention, a few visiting a good friend now in a new area and some at a beach bungalow-type resort a friend has reserved for me - where, I'm told, I'll see few other Westerners. 

I'll try to post along the way, but it's going to be a busy few weeks and it's a safe bet I'm going to miss days posting. Keep checking in as your time allows, though, and we'll keep in touch.

Next stop: the Big Mango.