Here I am again...

Well, here I am again, back on the trail! and I'm already 3 days behind in this diary!

People are always asking me _ "how long does the trip to Bangkok take".

And I'm always embarrassed to say I actually don't know! The reason has been that with all the
time changing, plus the International Dateline, and that I always change my time to be on time for the next flight I take, I just have never kept good records. This time I tried a little harder, and think that from the time I checked in in Atlanta, until I walked out of the airport in Bangkok,
it had taken 22 hours, with 5 hours of layovers, for a total trip of 27 hours.


Tuesday, April 6, 2010, Atlanta Ga, Til arrival in Bangkok, I had been on three flights - Atlanta to Seattle, Seattle to Tokyo, and Tokyo to Bangkok. The flights were all on time, had no
mechanical problems, the seating was "okay", and the food was good. It was all in all a very
good trip, and covered about 9,600 miles. It was a lot of hours to travel, but, boy, did I travel a long way.


Wednesday, April 7, 2010, Bangkok (It's Wednesday because we crossed the international dateline and lost what was left of Tuesday!) - - Arriving in Bangkok at 1:00 a.m. presented no problem.

The airport was busy enough that I didn't feel like the last one out, the taxi was easy, good,
cool, and the hotel was still open, and had a room for me!!! I'm at the "YOUR PLACE GUESTHOUSE", just across the road from the Hua lampong railroad station.

Although it is hot here, 86 degrees last night when we got off the plane at 1:00 a.m., I just got the FAN room, not the AC room, but I did get a bathroom with hot water. the room cost 600 Baht, $18.75.

The room with AC was 100 baht more,$3.15 more, and the room without a bath - where I stayed last time I was here was $4.00 less than I paid. --- I got a good hot shower, and 6 hours of good sleeping, the fan was very nice.

Thursday, April 8, 2010 - Bangkok - I arrived at the hotel at 2:00 a.m.. Took a good hot
shower,even brushed my teeth for the first time in DAYS! After 5-1/2 hours sleep
felt refreshed and ready! I had kinda wound down on the last leg of the flight from Tokyo to
Bangkok, and had gotten several hours of sleep - (not smooth uninterrupted sleep, but sleep my
body really appreciated!

After breakfast, this deluxe hotel includes it in the price, one poached egg (well done) two
pieces of white bread toast, coffee (good), and butter and jam, I walked over to the train
station and found out the train to the place I wanted to go was full for two days.

Disappointed, I started looking for the city bus to the Eastern Bus station, to check out bus schedules and tickets. Before the bus came - I thought of asking for a train to another location,
Vientiane, the capital, where I had gone last trip. I was able to get a ticket, and am glad to
get out of Bangkok.

Then I took a taxi to the Laotian Embassy, for my Visa into that country. That all went very
well also - except for the cost of the taxi to the embassy. The guy took me for a "RIDE.", and I
realized it - but what can you do? The meter had been set so the rate was okay - we just went a LONG way around to get there ...... so I decided - I made myself decide! - that it wasn't a big
deal and to just forget it. ouhh - that's hard to do!.... but I'm only talking about $7.00 so that
part wasn't a big deal - just the fact the guy was ripping me off! Returning to my hotel I got
an honest driver, and got back for 1/3 the price of going. $3.00 instead of $10.00.

But at any rate, everything has gone quite well, and as planned, (except for going to a
different border crossing in Laos.)

It is HOT HERE. I'm glad I got the AC sleeper for the train tonight, and I also got a lower
berth. 'PERFECT". The sleeper train cost $24.00, and takes scheduled 12 hours, actual 15 - 16
hours.So I get an air conditioned hotel plus transportation.

All for now - next contact I should be in Laos.
Johnny