Finally…We’re On Our Way!

We woke to the shocking and frightening news that DJT had regained the presidency. If you will permit me a short digression:

I was raised in a time that character was the primary requirement for our nations leaders.  That at the end of the day, citizenship is more important than partisanship.  I'm not so naive as to think all of our leaders have always lived up to the highest standards.  However, we have now elected a known serial liar, compulsive adulterer, sexual predator, felon convicted by a jury of his peers, fomenter of mobs, self-serving, and general all-around narcissist to lead our country.  What an outstanding role model for our children.

Let's add to that his disdain for facts and experts, believing he knows better than everyone else.  That our institutions, that have supported the longest growth since WWII are superfluous.  If NATO and the United Nations perish, they will not come back in our lifetimes.  If the aggression of countries is rewarded, more countries will  aggress.

It is said that we deserve the leaders we elect.  So be it.  I just hope I am wrong, and the current majority doesn't wake up with a severe hangover in the next 4 years. 

And Now On To the Travel Post

We made it!

After much planning and angst:

• Passports renewed – check
• e-Sims Installed – check
• Prescriptions filled – check
• Visas researched – check
• Test packing done – check (3x)
• Electronic cables figured – check
• Finnley care transitioned to Blakey – check
• Itinerary mapped out – check
• Innumerable other stuff done – check

We’ve opted to go carry-on only. Clothes for a week (there are laundries here). Wearing warm clothes for the flight.

Turns out our Delta “Premium Select” wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be.

Then our screens weren’t working, which they were able to fix. And the footrests didn’t work on our seats.

We made it to Seoul Inchon, which is big. Much walking, but very nice. Saw our first robotic floor polisher there. I didn’t think to take a picture.

Turns out the Inchon to Bangkok flight was in economy. A bit of Delta bait and switch.

Finally, we made it to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Much more walking. Immigration was a breeze. We just needed to do electronic fingerprints and facial recognition.

Coming from the U.S. we didn’t need visas. This is new since July. Even though Bangkok is the most visited city in the world, the Thai government is trying to increase the number of visitors and the length of time they stay.

Customs was essentially non-existent. We just walked out.

Finally,

We’d opted to have a hotel pickup. It was $40, rather than the $2 public transport would have cost, but after about 24 hours travelling, all we could think about was getting to our hotel.

Ellen grabbed our first Pad Thai at the night market across the street.

Apologies for the amateur-hour of this blog. We need to get in the saddle again. For a preview of what’s coming, here is a map of our currently-planned Southeast Asia itinerary:

And Now…Some Words from Ellen

I can’t help but sing the song, we sang as kids but with a few edits! ” Our bags are packed we are ready to go, standing here outside the door, Already I’m so lonesome I could cry . The dawn is breaking its early morn Taxi is waiting” Blakey is blowing the Horn. I hate to wake up to all this uncertain, scary news! But we are leaving on a jet plane, to try and live a life with out such divisive hate and fear. Being immersed in a country where you know no language, we are trying to scramble to learn ,Please, Thank you, Hello, and just smile at everyone as they all understand that language!

We had our first 20$ 2 hour massage and are off to see the King’s palace today! A little Ironic.