Seat Time

A 1:30 AM transpacific flight is a good thing.  First, I've been up all day so I stand a better chance of getting some sleep.  Second, there is something special about an airport that is a ghost town.  I love sliding down the empty aisles past the locked up bars and trinket stands.  The S-Gates at SeaTac are shut down except for the duty free shops and the counters are all closed except for the few international flights heading out.

Twelve hours to Taipei.  I start a movie, preferably one I have already seen.  This puts my brain into neutral.  I watch "The Hangover" and wait for the meal.  For dessert I pop an Ambien and start a second movie, "The Grand Budapest Hotel."  I won't be awake to finish it.  

The doze comes on.  Neck pillow, butt cushion, blanket and ear plugs.  The Ambien kicks in and I go into a state that can't rightly be called sleep, but is not awake either.  In and out, in and out, shifting positions in a semi-dream state until the cabin lights come back up.  It is time for brekkie.  Almost six of the twelve hours have disappeared.  That's a good flight.

I know I'm going back to Asia because I have congee for breakfast.  Much better than a pre-fab mini-omelet.  Out of the darkness come the lights of Taipei, suddenly, appearing out of the blackness of the Pacific.  And then we are down, no flames, always good.  

Taipei is one of my favorite airports.  Big, civilized and well laid out.  My newest discovery was an outdoor smoking patio.  With three hours to kill I smoked a short cigar and chatted with a Montreal Ex-pat living in Saigon.  I love conversation with old Asia hands.  And yet more of the "What insanity are you Americans up to..."  I remain at a loss to explain it.  

Now it is time to drink coffee, watch the antics in the food court, and then saunter to my next flight.  A short hop to Bangkok.  The only grueling part of this trek will be lugging my bags throught the Sky Train and Metro to my super-secret lair in China Town.  I am packing far heavier than normal as I am schlepping more stuff back to Vienna.  Bad plan in a monsoon city, but it can't be helped.

So it goes.  The flying, the travel basics, all this feels normal to me.  I am back to what I am good at.  Next stop, rainy-season Bangkok.  As ever, Ciao for Now!