Musings on Midlife's Misadventures: JET LAG... NO LUGGAGE... MAD DASH...

but we landed in Bangkok almost twenty four hours after we left Canada. Of course, I cannot travel without my usual adventures! I landed in Toronto late March 2nd, with less than 48 hours to departure and what happens? At 3:00 am I am up the rest of the night, with vomiting and you guessed it! I spent the entire day in bed, well nursed by Rose, aka The Princess Traveler. As usual, my timing was bad, but it could have been worse. By departure time I was right as rain. Some kind of twenty-four hour stomach flu I guess. At my weakest moment I thought, “OMG, they will take my temperature in Bangkok and put me in QUARANTINE!” I think stupid thoughts when I am sick!

We made our connection in Mumbai by the skin of our teeth. The maintenance crew clapped when
we rounded the corner of the embarkment bridge. We were escorted from immigration, but no courtesy cart. We hoofed it! Our luggage has yet to follow, twelve hours later, but we are hopeful of delivery tomorrow. What do I remember of my first steps on Indian soil? The airport terminal was mainly carpeted.

I am OVERWHELMED by Bangkok. By EVERYTHING... the sights, the sounds, the smells, the crushing contrast between excessive opulence and deep poverty, the language, the heat (34 degrees with the humidity, at 9:00 pm) and just the size of the city itself, population 10.5 million! I have never seen so many skyscrapers of assorted sizes, shapes and colours, along with pitiful hovels.

Out and about in Bangkok...