Time to go!

well, our time here has come to and end. bummer...but it was great to get a taste and has just whet my appetite to come back and see more.


we had a full breakfast trying to eat up our groceries...and of course we went for a walk and to get a last view of our wonderful surroundings...and i was in search of just one more massage...


so fun. our last minute stuff was done quickly and we headed out around lunchtime...


grabbed a taxi and then got sucked into the thai check-in procedure....apparently, all the check-in counters are shared and only open two hours before the flight. so we found out which counter it was and for the first time in our recent memories, stood in line for over and hour, to wait. it paid off because things just got progressively more confusing...no problema for these experienced travelers...just kidding, it was fairly painless and we had time to relax before the flight.

after we got to Bangkok, THAT's when it got exciting for me.

i had to wait out at the check-in counter to get my seat.. they released them 8 minutes before the deadline to be at the gate. i only had to go through passport control, security and go over to another terminal to get to the gate...(heavy breathing here)

once in Hong Kong, i was sent to the transfer desk...in the E terminal...by train....once there, this lovely woman took one look at my paperwork and said i needed to go to the "staff" transfer desk in terminal A...the problem was, i had 45min. to catch my flight..unfortunately, she was unconcerned with this little detail..fortunately, another gate agent caught the panic in my eyes and said she would take care of it...which she did. unfortunately, she waited until the requisite 8min before i had to be on the flight. so i did the ole OJ run through the airport (pre-Nicole) and went through security, got on the train, went two terminals over and got out at gate 48 and only had to get to gate 80. luckily i had on my "sensible" shoes and ran like....

once at the airplane, i realized i must have gotten the last seat on the 747 and literally EVERY seat had a seat...all i can say is whew!! and 12 hours later we landed at LAX...kap kun kah!!

in the infamous words of Dorothy on her way home from Oz..."there's no place like home"....