Friday, January 7, 2011

Who ever said it's about the journey, not the destination, never flew United.

Unlike most my big recent trips, this one I forgot to take my little notebook for writing daily observations and activities. So, I'll try and remember as much of the actual facts as possible. After this, I'm planning to make a separate entry that has more esoteric thoughts and less "what we had for lunch...", which is actually more interesting than it sounds since a couple times I wasn't really sure what I was having for lunch.

Let's go way back to last year, and pre Christmas activities. I shot out of Louisville destined for the ATL on the 23rd, in time for Festivus celebrations at Brick Store. Christmas eve was spent shopping with mom for what turned out to be my Christmas gift, and then some time at the Holby household visiting with the family, Adri, and the Lewii via Skype. From there, after some car trouble and a pickup (transportation problems were a theme for the weekend), I left with bags of contraband to be delivered to Southeast Asia. I was seriously worried about getting all this stuff in my bags. I managed twice!

Christmas morning came and family fun time was had, complete with traditional gorging on fried apple pies and bacon. In order to get back and repack for the long journey westward, I decided to leave Christmas day to head back to Louisville. And here the transportation problems cropped up again. Delta, based on a forecast of doom and blizzard like (for Atlanta that means 2 flurries) conditions, they canceled every SDF flight after 10AM. So, when I rolled up to the airport about 2:30, I was less than amused. I tried a route through MEM, but that was full too. SO, the backup plan... a new carrier has recently started flying twice a day between ATL and SDF. I called there res office and and made sure they were still operating, after an affirmative I spent $90 to buy a ticket.

I was one of 2 passengers, the other a young lady who's flight was canceled by Delta. The airline, Vision, reminds me a lot of Transmeridian, my first dispatch job. Even the person working the flight and I knew each other from the TMA days.

Sunday was spent running errands picking up those last minute items you suddenly realize you need for a long trip, and shopping with Grace via Skype for iPhone to get the right cords and last minute things they wanted hauled over. Given the random assortment of goods in my bag, I expected to be stopped by some one and asked "Why are you carrying all this??". Never happened. SO I loaded up my 2 backpacks, one large one small, with random collection of goods and a few clothing items for me. Laundry was done, I loaded up my new iPad with books and movies, and loaded out. First up was a 747-400F to Anchorage (about 6:15 hours flying time). This plane is reported by the crews to be cursed. Things don't work as expected all the time, and it's the first 744F off the assembly line and bought used from CargoLux, so who knows what's been done to it. Within 5 minute of arriving to the airplane, it was swapped, then swapped right back. We luckily got out not too late and were winging our way to the land of cold.

After a 5 hour sit in ANC, complete with 2 netflix movies on demand, I boarded the same airplane and we managed to leave on time (no swap, but one of the engines took some extra love to start). There were a full boat of jumpseaters on this one, and thus only could have managed a couple hours of bunk time. I elected just to camp in my seat and get what sleep I could there. Eleven and a half hours later, the wheels touched down at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kak airport. Since I didn't have much time there I never bothered clearing customs and went to find the United counter. This is where the transportation problems of ATL cropped up to beat me down again. Due to crewmember illness, (read Captain spent too much time in Wan Chai the night before... and if you know Wan Chai you know why that's funny) the flight was canceled. I was the first person there in line, and the gate agent was not real sure what to do with me. SHe asked how who I flew in on, and I showed her my airline ID and explained my journey via cargo, and she got slightly less confrontational and more helpful (maybe it was because I started asking questions that non employees wouldn't).

The solution, and by this time I just wanted to lay down on top of my 50 lbs of luggage and cry, was to fly me to Singapore, getting in about midnight, and leave on the first flight to Ho Chi Minh the next day, at 9:30AM. I asked if that was the only option... and yes it was the one that would get me there fastest. By this time the line had formed behind me, and she was leaning closer and talking in almost a whisper, since the option wasn't going to be available to any of the people behind me in line. Off to Singapore I went.

After an hour and 15 minute delay, we finally left HKG. Did I mention I wanted to cry?? I'm not a fan of flyin United, they seriously need to redo those plane's interiors. I had expected to be put up in the SIN airport transit hotel. It's right inside the terminal and doesn't even require you clear customs. Wrong, we were taken through customs, driven 30 minutes to a hotel on the other side of the airport . By this time, it's about 2AM, I'm tired, feel the funk of 20 hours of airplanes sticking to me, and about 700 miles past the place I want to be. Oh and I have to be up in 4 hours to go back and get on another plane.

Side note, the room I was given was nice enough, but I was confused by the design. There were two twin beds in the room, but the bathroom was designed with a window from the shower into the room. Not like a 2 way mirror, but you could see through. So if I'm sharing the room with some one I'm not sleeping in the same bed with, what makes them think I (or they) want me to be able to watch them in the bathroom?? It wasn't cleverly laid out where you had to step out of your way to to see out of the bathroom, it was big and placed so you couldn't help but be in front of it getting into the shower or sitting on the throne.

Anyways, I was up at 6:30, showered, stopped and had a quick bite of complementary breakfast, and started feeling a little more human. Next was a Singapore airlines flight to SGN. Talk about the polar opposite of the United flight. Gorgeous "Flight Stewardesses", comfy seats, leg room, food, personal entertainment systems, and smiles. After a 12 hour delay from schedule, I landed in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Clearing customs, declaring nothing (After as many countries I've been too, I'm still not sure what they want me to declare... but since it looks like hassle I usually just go with the nothing option and go on through). I had picked up a couple of Christmas gifts in SIN duty free.

I was greeted enthusiastically by Grace and Tanjoe! Talk about a relief. I also immediately started sweating profusely. I was still wearing clothes from the day before (except for fresh undies and socks), since I was afraid to unpack my bag for fresh ones and never be able to get it all back together. I had arrived in Viet-F'n-Nam and couldn't be happier (how many people have ever said that?).

Once we found a taxi, which was an adventure in frustration itself, and a preview of ow things work in country, we were off to the ivory tower. There, i let fly the zippers and straps and played Santa for the Lewii and Tanjoes. I can't say that I've seen some one so excited by a stain stick, an HDMI cord, and candy canes. And finally, I was able to put on clean clothes!!!

OK, since Firefox just crashed and this is getting kind of long, I'm going to stop this post now and start the next section.

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