The ride to Bangkok

Long plane flights are no fun and this 17 hour journey is sheer torture. You can only sleep so much on a flight and I have had my fill.

The main worry is if we'll have enough time to catch our connection in Bangkok to Phuket. My friend and I decide who'll exchange money and who'll stand in line for the visas so that we can optimize our time. We were to land at 6:45 a.m. originally and then take a connection to Phuket at 10:45 a.m. But because of the delayed departure at LAX, we'll arrive an hour late. Is that enough time to get visas, collect our luggage, leave excess baggage at the left luggage counter, run over to the domestic terminal and checkin for the domestic flight? That question occupies our minds for the duration of the flight.

The airline has messed up our meals. We had signed up for Indian vegetarian meals and the ticket agent confirmed that our meals preferences was in the system when we got the boarding passes. But the flight attendants claim ignorance. One earnest FA asks us if Hindu meal would be ok instead? We say yes and he brings us back trays that are clearly marked as Muslim meals. In the same row at the other end is a Muslim who is given a Hindu meal. He throws a fit and the head steward apologizes furiously. Femme thinks the steward must be a nice guy.

We sleep some more. I make some headway on the book.