This morning I decide not to visit the Embassy to retrieve my passport. I will be very upset if they simply destroy it,but i didnt have faith in my aility to navigate to the embassy by myself* and make my flight as my margin of error for getting lost was small. This passport has caused me much agnst and i just want to get my hands back on it. Now i must wait for the red tape of the State department run its course.
*To get from our hosel to the ferry involved two back alley shortcuts. and after that it was pretty much all new territory for us. And it is just nerveracking to travel solo with a ticking deadline,instead of the «well we will certainly get there at some point» of backpacking.
Following the advice of some fellow backpackers we tookthe river ferry to a skytrain station, which was a roundabout but senic path, and skytrained to the airport terminal and took the thiry minutes train that wisks you direct to the airport far out of town. We commended ourselves for mastering Bangkok public transit, as we had no mishaps or delays. Except at the counter, where once again China Southern tried to tell Sam there were no seats left, and once again Sam had to get fiesty. Poor girls got the backrow and not a happy flight. I had an empty seat next to me :)
Last night was good. We walked north of Kho San and watched river as the sun set and watched a bunch of old Thai ladies doing their outdoor dance excercise class. We tied to hit up our favorite foods one last time,snagging banna shakes, Pad Thai, late night roti, Papaya salad, and a surprisingly good Tom Yum in fried rice. The girls did some more shopping on Kho San Road, with Anna getting yelled at by a shopekeeper for attempting to bargain (still got thirty baht off the shirt she is wearing now). We ended the night at a classy rooftop bar listening to live music.
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The girls seem bored out of their minds currently, which is not good given the amount of traveling we still have ahead of us.
Sam has discovered the fist of the communist party and is unable to access Facebook. I've tried to nap a bit, as it is night in America right now, and had a nice snooze but did not sleep. Sam said I looked ridiculous laying on the floor with my eye mask on (Note that sam is currently alseep on the floor, albeit looking more tranquil than ridiculous). The international wing is not all that big and it is nice and familiar at this point. I feel the world is at your fingertips when I look at the Departure board or walk among the gates. Colombo, Singapore, Kathmandu, Melborne, Brisbane, Nairobi, Kuala Lumper, Doha. Guangzhou is the China Southern hub and flies direct to Vancouver, Chicago, LA, and NYC.
We have been approached by a representative of the Tourism Authority of Guangzhou to ask about what we thought about the city. All I'ediscerned from the China Daily i read on the first flightwas that it is mentioned in the same breath as Bejing ad Shanghai; we told him we haven't left the airport. He tried to talk to Anna twice in different parts of the airport - all those tall blonde white girls look the same, I suppose.
Anna and Sam are optimistic that this transpacific flight will be on a much better airplane than last time. Our Bangkok airplane was very nice, but I'm not optimistic. Off to find dinner, Anna's appetite is back.
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