Bangkok and beyond...

Finally!   After endless hours of research, months of reading reviews of small hotels and flight schedules, polishing the house, creating banking online, and getting all of our proverbial ducks in a row, we hit the road.  Departed our house at 5:15 am for the ride up to LAX, sipped very nice champagne in the business class lounge, and got settled in our seats for the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong. Movies were a disappointment.  Managed to watch 3 and eat dinner even thought it was really breakfast time.  Then with the help of half an Ambien, slept for 4 hours.  Woke up and only had another 5 hours to go.   The lounge in Hong Kong is much nicer.  Comfortable seating, dimmed lights, beautiful food and drink selection.  And best of all, small private rooms to take a shower and refresh.  Back on the next plane for the final flight to Bangkok ~ a very bumpy ride.   After two meals on the original flight, several snacks in the lounge, I could not imagine taking another bite.  Told the stewardess not to bring me any food.  Shut my eyes and drifted into a exhausted sleep.  For some reason my ice cream radar went into overdrive and I came to just as they were handing out small Haggen-Dazs containers of goodness.   Always room for ice cream!  On full alert now.  Sugar rush.  Landing was smooth, getting through immigration a breeze, visa on arrival, and since we had 1000 baht, we didn’t have to stop to change money.  Taxi was new and the driver drove safely.  An auspicious beginning.  Arrived at our hotel at 1:30 in the morning.  The doorman remembered us and said “welcome home”.   We signed in, got tucked in, took another Ambien, and fell asleep to the sounds of working barges and boats cruising along the Chao Phraya River,  just beyond our window.  27 hours and we had arrived!