Flying To Bangkok

The long 14-hour flight from Montreal to Beijing was uneventful but very long. We found the food, not to our taste but other than that, no issues. No turbulence on both flights and I have to say that the Air China pilots landed those planes including the one Beijing to Bangkok very smoothly. We found it a little interesting that an air marshal recording lets you know that if you don’t obey the rules during the flight, you will be punished, and at the end of the flight they thanked us and bowed. Very civilized. 

Our connection in Beijing was so tight that when we arrived at the gate the flight was boarding. We had about 45 minutes to deplane and get to the next gate and because we had to go through another security check, we just made it to our seats. Even though the planes were less than a hundred meters apart at the gates, the airport was an Air China hub and the ground crews had about an hour, our luggage didn’t manage to load.  So, at 3:00 am, after almost 24 hours of travelling, we were standing in a long line to report our lost luggage with some very irate people. This little saying was behind the clerk at the claim luggage desk. “Less noise is more voice”. Seemed appropriate because all of this was not the fault of the people at the lost baggage area.  It’s easy to lose track of that under these conditions and vent on the nearest airport official. On the positive side, the driver of our hotel waited patiently for our arrival for 3 hours and so did the guest house. The people were all super nice and what matters is that we arrived safely.

Arriving at the Guesthouse was also an adjustment, the jet lag is a big issue- a 12-hour time difference is big, but we thought a nice hot shower and bed was a good start but alas, no hot water.  It seems because we were on the 3^rd floor, we were last on the hot water circuit. No big deal, just another adjustment. Travelling is all about adjustments and coping and putting things into perspective.  It makes everything easier, getting angry or frustrated does not help in any way although that’s sometimes easier said than done. After a decent sleep in a comfortable bed, the next day is always better. The Guest House contacted the airport and our luggage arrived the next afternoon, so no harm done.  All is good, we are starting our adventure and life is good!

 A quick word about our accommodation, we are staying in a moderately priced guest house a little outside of the old city and “modern” city (Thais differentiate the two this way) and we have to say, it was like a little oasis away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok with a pool and lush vegetation but because of the location, we needed to take transportation to the core of the tourist areas. There was a sign that said, “no smoking” and “no Durian” (the Asian fruit which apparently has a potent stench) therefore being forbidden in the room. We have not yet encountered the fruit but if we do, I’ll let you know how that worked out for us. 

This is something to consider in almost any city, staying slightly outside the core usually makes accommodations more reasonable but it’s good to check on access to local transportation-buses, tuk-tuks, subways etc. 

~Travel like no one is watching~