Well, the adventure has begun, and it's been a doozy. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and I'll give you the rundown.
First: before I ever even left home, I lost my house keys somewhere between my front door and my ride's truck. You who know and love me are just shakin' your heads, aren't you.
Thought I’d never get there:
Flew from PHX to LA on Fri and spent a great weekend with my family; then 11 hours from LA to Tokyo on Monday (connected to Singapore.) What was really freaky, and totally disconcerting, was that from LA to Tokyo, every time I peeked under the window shade, it was still blazing daylight. In the Tokyo airport, we had to wait while guys in Haz-mat suits walked up and down the aisles looking for anyone who could possibly be carrying swine flu. Afterwards we were herded off the plane, rushed around the corner and through another inspection, and ordered to reboard no later than 6.40pm (it was 6.10 when we deplaned, before the whole reinspection process). I was pulled out of line because of my gel items - had a sunscreen that didn't fit the protocol -- even though it had already been through 3 different airports by then. In any case I begged, he relented, and I made it back to the plane just as they were starting to close the doors. Whole process took an extra 15 seconds or so, but nearly long enough. That would have been a Totally different blog. Have some cool pictures of an incredible burning red sun setting over the Land of the Rising Sun as we were taking off.
Next flight was 6 hours from Tokyo to Singapore. We arrived in Singapore at 1.15am. I needed a pit stop, and ducked into the ladies' room. Apparently the two older women ahead of me recognized the international Potty Dance, which translates to "My Bladder's About to Burst" in any language, and waved me ahead of them. In the few seconds I was in there, the place emptied completely. Kind of cool, since it gave me the chance to look around without looking like a stupid tourist - but really, when was the last time you saw black granite countertops and live plants in a public restroom? I quit gawking and went back out into the terminal - and it was deserted. Completely, totally deserted. 
Not a living soul (or dead ones, that I'm aware of) in the place. Wild!!!
I came out and found the Sky Train to take me to the other terminal, where my next flight would leave – in 8 hours. Unfortunately, I also found and indulged in the Starbucks there, which completely eliminated any possibility of sleeping through the wait. As I was wandering to my next gate I turned a corner and there was a stunning oasis right smack in the middle of the terminal. There’s a koi pond complete with a bridge, surrounded by hundreds of orchids of every shape and color, all in full bloom. It was breathtaking. Upstairs, there's a 24-hr food court, convenience store, and Entertainment Area where you can watch movies on the biggest plasma screen I've ever seen, play video games, or sing Karaoke...
I went down to my gate and fidgeted and tried to do crossword puzzles for the next several hours. At 5.15 a young man dressed in a uniform stopped and told me that I shouldn’t be there by myself, and that there is a “Transient” hotel nearby for “people like me”. About the time I started wondering what it was about my appearance, aside from that haggard sleepless spent-twelve-hours-in-a-fetal-position look, that made him think I was a “transient,” I realized that he was right – sort of. There is a “TranSIT” hotel on the premises of the airport, where travelers can check in, shower, stretch, even sleep for however long they are there between flights; until he said it and pointed to the tidy little sign nearly over my head, I didn’t know anything about it.
I slept through most of the Tokyo-Singapore leg, but was rudely jolted out of sleep by the toxic smells of my neighbor's dinner. UGH!!! For the record, we had already been fed 3 times by this airline so far (same plane, same crew, and everything from LA). Up until this point, everything had been fabulous. Have no idea what he had in his vegetarian entree, but I think Kimchee in putrid poi would be more appetizing.
Arrived in Thailand at the Phuket Airport right on time, and disembarking was the easiest I've ever experienced. Again with the Haz-Mat team, but this time went much more smoothly, and by the time we made it to the baggage claim area, our belongings were neatly stacked and waiting for us. Grabbed my pack, a porter handed me a cart, and I steered it past the three people waving signs, searching for one with my name on it.
After the third pass, the porters were starting to look at me funny, so I took my cart outside and fended off the barrage of taxi drivers and hustlers. Still no sign of my ride. After a very anxious ten minutes I was having visions of being stranded, with no ride, no place to stay, and a very long six weeks to think about internet reservations. Anders, the volunteer coordinator, came up and asked if I were Jennifer, then told me I had walked right past him -- but he didn't think I was the one he was looking for, because I looked like I knew what I was doing, and not as if I were waiting on someone. Go figure. Oh -- and that I look better in person (see? Definitely not photogenic at ALL, if I look 'better' after 20-something hours of travel and little sleep than in a posed pic sent so he would know who to look for!)
First: before I ever even left home, I lost my house keys somewhere between my front door and my ride's truck. You who know and love me are just shakin' your heads, aren't you.
Thought I’d never get there:
Flew from PHX to LA on Fri and spent a great weekend with my family; then 11 hours from LA to Tokyo on Monday (connected to Singapore.) What was really freaky, and totally disconcerting, was that from LA to Tokyo, every time I peeked under the window shade, it was still blazing daylight. In the Tokyo airport, we had to wait while guys in Haz-mat suits walked up and down the aisles looking for anyone who could possibly be carrying swine flu. Afterwards we were herded off the plane, rushed around the corner and through another inspection, and ordered to reboard no later than 6.40pm (it was 6.10 when we deplaned, before the whole reinspection process). I was pulled out of line because of my gel items - had a sunscreen that didn't fit the protocol -- even though it had already been through 3 different airports by then. In any case I begged, he relented, and I made it back to the plane just as they were starting to close the doors. Whole process took an extra 15 seconds or so, but nearly long enough. That would have been a Totally different blog. Have some cool pictures of an incredible burning red sun setting over the Land of the Rising Sun as we were taking off.
Next flight was 6 hours from Tokyo to Singapore. We arrived in Singapore at 1.15am. I needed a pit stop, and ducked into the ladies' room. Apparently the two older women ahead of me recognized the international Potty Dance, which translates to "My Bladder's About to Burst" in any language, and waved me ahead of them. In the few seconds I was in there, the place emptied completely. Kind of cool, since it gave me the chance to look around without looking like a stupid tourist - but really, when was the last time you saw black granite countertops and live plants in a public restroom? I quit gawking and went back out into the terminal - and it was deserted. Completely, totally deserted. 
Not a living soul (or dead ones, that I'm aware of) in the place. Wild!!!I came out and found the Sky Train to take me to the other terminal, where my next flight would leave – in 8 hours. Unfortunately, I also found and indulged in the Starbucks there, which completely eliminated any possibility of sleeping through the wait. As I was wandering to my next gate I turned a corner and there was a stunning oasis right smack in the middle of the terminal. There’s a koi pond complete with a bridge, surrounded by hundreds of orchids of every shape and color, all in full bloom. It was breathtaking. Upstairs, there's a 24-hr food court, convenience store, and Entertainment Area where you can watch movies on the biggest plasma screen I've ever seen, play video games, or sing Karaoke...
I went down to my gate and fidgeted and tried to do crossword puzzles for the next several hours. At 5.15 a young man dressed in a uniform stopped and told me that I shouldn’t be there by myself, and that there is a “Transient” hotel nearby for “people like me”. About the time I started wondering what it was about my appearance, aside from that haggard sleepless spent-twelve-hours-in-a-fetal-position look, that made him think I was a “transient,” I realized that he was right – sort of. There is a “TranSIT” hotel on the premises of the airport, where travelers can check in, shower, stretch, even sleep for however long they are there between flights; until he said it and pointed to the tidy little sign nearly over my head, I didn’t know anything about it.
I slept through most of the Tokyo-Singapore leg, but was rudely jolted out of sleep by the toxic smells of my neighbor's dinner. UGH!!! For the record, we had already been fed 3 times by this airline so far (same plane, same crew, and everything from LA). Up until this point, everything had been fabulous. Have no idea what he had in his vegetarian entree, but I think Kimchee in putrid poi would be more appetizing.
Arrived in Thailand at the Phuket Airport right on time, and disembarking was the easiest I've ever experienced. Again with the Haz-Mat team, but this time went much more smoothly, and by the time we made it to the baggage claim area, our belongings were neatly stacked and waiting for us. Grabbed my pack, a porter handed me a cart, and I steered it past the three people waving signs, searching for one with my name on it.
After the third pass, the porters were starting to look at me funny, so I took my cart outside and fended off the barrage of taxi drivers and hustlers. Still no sign of my ride. After a very anxious ten minutes I was having visions of being stranded, with no ride, no place to stay, and a very long six weeks to think about internet reservations. Anders, the volunteer coordinator, came up and asked if I were Jennifer, then told me I had walked right past him -- but he didn't think I was the one he was looking for, because I looked like I knew what I was doing, and not as if I were waiting on someone. Go figure. Oh -- and that I look better in person (see? Definitely not photogenic at ALL, if I look 'better' after 20-something hours of travel and little sleep than in a posed pic sent so he would know who to look for!)
