In Bangkok...twenty air hours and ten restless on-ground waiting hours later

I’m impressed by my first travel experience with Lufthansa and Thai Airways. The in-flight service was pleasant and attentive, and I enjoyed listening to the German and Thai that I couldn’t understand. The food was quite good, particularly the chicken & eggplant green curry with fragrant rice. I was tempted by the wine, but I didn’t want to end up completely bloated at the end. That’s no way to greet your boss for the first time!

Frankfurt Airport was a bore. That wait was the most difficult, being the 2am~7am chunk of my regular sleeping hours. With few seats in the waiting area, I couldn’t lean back on anything or get comfortable without getting dust bunnies all over me. So I decided to convert US$20 for just €10 in return and used 20% of that on a Haagen-Dazs macadamia nut brittle ice cream cone (might as well get happy) with which I sidled up with my book next to a cute puppy waiting with its person. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t occupy my entire 5 hour layover, so I eventually found myself rocking head in hand, waking with a jolt every time I nearly fell over flat on my face asleep. I was thankful when they finally announced my gate number about an hour before my flight to Bangkok, so I could go check in.

One good thing about international flights is the chance to catch up on movies and sometimes sleep. This time, success on both counts! So I watched two movies to edumacate myself on Marvel comics, wrapped myself in a cocoon, and fell right to sleep. The Spanish woman next to me didn’t know a lick of English, but with me on the aisle, she just crawled over me whenever she wanted to get out. Neither of us minded, so we had a great 10-hour relationship.

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is much nicer, clean and bright with lots of cafes, noodle shops, and places to chill (key!!). Plus, they’ve got the cutsie character thing going on (“Asia” nostalgia for me) and remakes of American “standards” playing over the speakers, like The Bangles’ Eternal Flame, bossa nova style (combining two of my favorite genres...). Here I converted US$20 for about 650 Thai baht, and used 10% of that on a Thai style iced tea, nothing fancy.

But I am well-rested and excited to arrive in Vientiane at midday after just one more short 1-hour flight from Bangkok, with the rest of Friday (and the weekend!) ahead of me to settle in. Bring it on; I’m ready!