On the Road with Brent & Erika

We got off on Saturday without any hitches with a parental send-off. It was a brutal flight itinerary though. Our first was to Vancouver - 4 or so hours. It seemed to be mostly vacationers on their way to Alaskan cruises. A friendly and old bunch. I spilled cranberry juice on myself. No stains. Then, after a long customs line in Canada (why?), we left for Hong Kong. This was the long haul - 13.5 hours! Luckily, Cathay Pacific Airways hooked us up with individual TVs with many entertainment options. We watched some recent Hollywood fare and some funny British hidden camera shows. I love those. We did end up sleeping, however. Erika slept half the flight, some of it completely underneath her provided airline blanket. She looked like a Halloween ghost, but she said the airplane was too cold. Lastly, Hong Kong to Bangkok - 2 hours. Uneventful. It's weird when you are in transit like this because it seems that you exist in this insulated place outside of time.

That put us in Bangkok at around midnight. We found our way to a nearby hostel and slept a few hours and freshened up. The jetlag plan hasn't worked flawlessly. Up predawn every day so far, but considering it's a 12 hour difference we are doing quite well. Anyway, we went back to the airport the next morning for a flight to Phuket. This is an island in southern Thailand famous for its beaches. We booked a little bungalow at a small, secluded beach and relaxed. After 36 hours of almost straight travel, it felt nice to just walk along the beach, watch the sunset and chill.





Now we are in a little beach town across the bay from Phuket, Ao Nang. We have booked a couple day tours to snorkel and sea kayak that should keep us busy for awhile. This beginning part of our trip has been really refreshing for us - to be together in such beautiful surroundings. It's like a second honeymoon.

--Brent