Foie Gras Sushi

We had dinner last night at a sushi restaurant Seiryu Sushi that was a twenty minute walk from our hotel. The draw for this particular place, other than it was known good sushi, is that they have Foie Gras Sushi.

I had never heard of these two things together, and it seemed like I needed to try it. The place was great, good sushi. I had the standard set of salmon and tuna, and one order of the foie gras sushi. It was delicious. Like butter on butter on rice.

We walked back from the hotel through Pat Pong Night Market, and saw the sea of bar girls and watch vendors. Even at night it's sweltering hot and I'm sweating through my shirt. It feels good to get back to the hotel and air conditioning after even a night walk.

Original Red Bull

I found the original Red Bull and it is delicious. Keeping me going on this day after getting so little sleep.

Foot massage

Near the massive reclining Buddha at Wat Pho there is a massage school that gives foot massages. I'm enjoying a foot massage right now as relief from a long travel day. Feels wonderful. 

Made it

I'm here in Bangkok. Of course I can't sleep because my body says it's 5pm; but everyone here is asleep because it's 5am Saturday morning.

I arrived at the airport about 20 minutes later than scheduled, mostly because we sat and waited to take off in Hong Kong. The Thai Airways lounge was a good place to relax, nothing fancy. There was food and I ate a pork bun, but I didn't eat a lot. I had bottles of water and used my computer on the free wifi. There were a combination of tourists and business people, like in any lounge. A real cross-section of nationalities.

I went to the gate when it said we would board, and waited another 20 minutes before we actually did. The plane appeared to be a similar retrofitted version to the United flight I just took. The business class seat was in the 1-2-1 configuration making lots of room and privacy. Business class wasn't full even, so there were empty seats around me.

I love that they put a real orchid on each seat to remind you they are Thai Airways. The food was great, I had curry and rice. I watched a move. The entire flight was 2 hours 20 minutes, but closer to three hours with all the waiting. The service was excellent onboard.

On arrival I went through immigration, which was not a long line but it still felt slow. After getting to the immigration officer, he kindly shared that I could have gone through the Thai Airways "Royal Silk" line because I was business class and it would have been faster. Information that would have been helpful before I waited the line.

I hit the ATM to get some local currency before taking a taxi to the hotel. No problems getting money out but the ATM fee is huge - 220 THB which is like $7 USD. Taxis were plentiful. I found one, he seemed to know how to get to my hotel.

The taxi ride took 30 minutes. He asked if it was OK if he took the highway. When I said "whatever is fastest" he got really confused. I realized I needed to just stick to "yes" or "no". Turns out the highway means tolls, and tolls mean he has me pay in cash when we drive through. So super glad I got the cash when I did!

Arrived at the hotel about midnight local time. Almost exactly 30 hours from when I left Chicago. Hotel is great. A standard business hotel without a lot of character, but clean and a big bed and a good shower. And wifi. Everything is closed, so I'm waiting until the sun comes up at 6am to go for a run.

Showers

I took two showers during this journey. Once at SFO polaris club, and one at the Thai Airways lounge in Hong Kong. I highly recommend it if you have the chance. It only took 15 minutes and I feel so much better on arrival. I will probably shower again at the hotel. But airport showering is one of my new favorites. 

Travel dork

These two ladies in line in front me me actually turned around, looked at me and laughed. After saying something like "look at that travel dork" in another language. But it was clear. Maybe because I took the opportunity to pull out my calf compression sleeves and put them on. Or maybe just because I am a travel dork. 

Rules

I started thinking about travel rules when I was flying to Singapore. I think the total set of rules would be interesting to compile. I will start with the ones most pressing in my mind.

1. Eat whenever you can. Never turn down a meal.
2. Beer is like bread.
3. Taking a shower is almost as powerful as taking a nap.
4. Do the things appropriate for the time zone you're in even when it feels weird.
5. Never travel economy when you can travel economy plus. Never travel economy plus when you can travel business class.
6. Always go to the airport lounge. Even if for 5 minutes.
7. Be grateful for everything. This one probably should be #1.

I was in San Francisco yesterday

And now I'm in Hong kong. It still boggles my mind that I can travel across the globe so fast. Astonishing. 

You know it's good when

You know it's all good when you wake up on a flight and see you have 2 hours left and think, "man, I wish I had more time on the plane." I slept great in this seat. I asked for a mattress pad (to complete the magic trinity of memory foam pillow, pajamas and mattress pad) and knocked out. I'm not sure how much I actually slept but at least six hours. The beer helped. And the bourbon. This seat is amazing

A family

There's a family onboard in Polaris Business that brought their child; under two as a lap child. The parents and who looks like grandma. The child is crying continually. I find myself reminded of my Singapore flight; the others who were in business class and complained about the screaming kids. To me, I'm just glad I'm not responsible for entertaining the child. I'm able to watch a move. Use my computer. Relax. I'm sure I'll be able to sleep. I find the crying child a reminder that I'm grateful. And sorry for the parents. Twelve hours to go. 

I watched Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Montatna. Such a strange movie. I'd like to watch Black Panther, but it isn't on the entertainment system. 

I still love the pajamas. And here comes the ice cream sunday cart.

In flight pajamas

I'm sitting in the new Polaris Business Class seat in my in-flight pajamas. It's like Christmas and my birthday all in one. The seat is A-mazing. The best part is a side table so I can put stuff on the table without my main tray. The main tray itself is amazing, it pulls forward from a hiding place under the entertainment center. So much surface space.

Favorite parts; cabinet for various storage. Gel pillow. Other pillow. Slippers. Privacy. There is real privacy here. I even have this little light that looks like it belongs in a jazz club lighting my little cubicle. Funny how such a small space on a plane can feel HUGE.

Tight connections

There's a guy chatting with me while we board the plane heading to Beijing. He is worried about making his flight in San Francisco. He has only 45 minutes to catch the one flight a day to Beijing. And I am worried about my two hour connection in Hong Kong. I hope he makes it. Good travel karma all around. 

Red Bull

These are my people. Thailand is the original home of Red Bull energy drink. More caffeine in a brown-glass bottle. I'm going to have to try the original.

Thailand is the original home of the Red Bull brand energy drink - a licensed and re-branded version of Thailand's original Krathing Daeng (กระทิงแดง, "Red Bull"), complete with the familiar logo of two bulls charging at each other.

The Thai version, however, is syrupy sweet, uncarbonated and comes packaged in medicinal-looking brown glass bottles, as the target customers are not trendy clubbers, but Thailand's working class of construction workers and bus drivers in need of a pick-me-up. And a pick-me-up it most certainly is; the caffeine content is higher even than Western-style Red Bull, and packs a punch equivalent to two or three shots of espresso coffee. Krathing Daeng and its many competitors (including M150, Shark, .357 and the inevitable Karabao Daeng, "Red Buffalo") are available in any convenience store for 10 baht a pop, although in some places you can now buy imported European Red Bull for five times the price.

Source: https://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand

Here I go again

I'm heading to Bangkok via San Fransisco and Hong Kong. I leave in the morning. I'll be gone about four days. In transit two of them, hopefully spending the other two eating street food in Bangkok that might include grilled insects and visiting a temple or two.

I'm excited at the opportunity to fly on the new Boeing 777-300ER with the redesigned Polaris Business Class seat. I'm really excited. To spend 15 hours exploring that seat in my in-flight pajamas and slippers. They may have to pry me out of the seat when we arrive.

I'll let you know how it goes, and hope for no travel disruptions. The connections are tight.