Half a world away

Door to door transit hours: 32. Cab, plane, plane, shuttle, plane, cab. "Sleep" hours: 6. The first flight from Ottawa to Chicago I made the terrible, terrible mistake of trying to fly without Gravol. Spent the majority of the flight making sure the vomit bag was close at hand. Thank you, turbulence. Spent 4-hour layover in Chicago hiking it off, doing laps of the terminal wings, and trying to get some activity before the 13 hour flight to Tokyo. We flew with the sun the entire way, though it set a little bit over Alaska, then rose a little bit as we came south again. Strange. And oh my, the mountains of Alaska are spectacular! We could see Mount McKinley in the distance, though the closer peaks looked even bigger!

 

Though our layover in Tokyo was only an hour and a half, it was still enough time to experience a 4.8 earthquake. Lucky us! I was trying to nap on the floor by the boarding gate, and thought the vibration I felt was the first round of passengers walking down the boarding ramp, but then I sat up and looked at Mark, and realized it wasn't. But the cumulative effect of the Gravol in my system kept me relaxed. But still, Hello Earthquake not nearly as endearing as Hello Kitty.
 

Safely in the air again, we experienced the joy of Japanese hospitality. Japan Airlines really has it figured out. If it's this good in Economy, I wonder what it's like in Business Class. It's hard to even pin down what's different, but let me describe the food as a means of comparison. American Airlines: cold, clammy bun topped with grisly bologna and solidified Cheez Whiz. Japan Airlines: delectable, beautiful dishes of sushi, noodles, vegetables, crafted with care, served with non-plastic utensils. The good stuff.

 

In Bangkok, things went smoothly enough, but we definitely overpaid for the cab. We agreed upon a price before getting in the cab, but then of course as soon as we start driving away, he tells us that there will be an additional airport fee per person, plus a toll fee... What should have cost about $12 cost almost $20. But it was 12:30 am, and I just wanted to get there, so that the adventures could really begin!