Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia
Day Eighteen – 1 February 2015
Weather – climate controlled airport and airplane.
Once again, my alarm clock got me going at 6 am. I was down to the lobby by 6:30 for the 6:45 transfer. By 6:40, the taxi drivers start asking if I want a taxi. One said the plane is not going to wait for me. The transfer shows up on time and it’s a very quick drive through the city on Sunday morning. There’s no one in the Cathay Pacific lineup and they even sign me up for their rewards program. My luggage is checked through to Toronto and I go to check out the airport. I pass through immigration, but there’s no security check.
Odd, I think.
Again, the shops are almost all high end. I use up the last of my Singapore $$ on a fridge magnet, coke and kit kat. Then I get to my gate to find that is where the security check is performed. Damn, I had to drink the coke before I got in.
The flight leaves on time and it’s just short of four hours to Hong Kong. The plane has the 4 middle seat configuration and the seats are very tight. The man next to me claims the armrest so my elbow has no where to go. Which generally isn’t a problem until I went to pick up my glass of Coke. My elbow got stopped short by his arm and I just missed the glass, spilling it all over his leg.
Thankfully, he didn’t speak English.
Though I don’t need to know what his language was to make a guess as to what he as saying.
The drink cart is right next to me and the attendant is fast with the napkins. Luckily, buddy is wearing dark pants. I’m wondering if they’re silk but if they were, I’m guessing he would have been in business class.
He doesn’t say a word and I get off the plane unscathed. I follow the signs for transfer (which can be missed as the door itself isn’t as well signed). I go through security there to the shopping area and pick up a couple Coke with my visa card. My gate requires the train ride between terminals but those signs are very well done. Luckily, I don’t hit another security check and get to keep my Cokes.
The AC flight is on time and I get the bulkhead seat that I paid $120 for so that I could get off the plane fast (so that I can race to the hotel to catch the first quarter of the Superbowl). I didn’t even take my carryon cause I didn’t want to risk people taking up all the overhead space, so I just have my computer and fanny pack. Everything I need fits in there or in my pockets.
Best part, the middle seat is empty. Once they close the doors, the guy on the other end looks and me and then the seat. I say ‘you take that half, I’ll take this half.’ Good deal. And to keep people from using the area as a bridge to the other aisle I plug my cell phone in and the cord stretches across.
Funny how my Hong Kong flights seem to pass so quickly. We were fed, I watched 300:Rise of an Empire and then took a two hour nap. I dreamt of football and Butlers again.
We got a noodle service half way through and 90 minutes before landing, a full breakfast. A couple hours before that there was a request for a doctor as someone was ill. I kept an eye on the map to see if we were changing course for Edmonton but we stayed the course. We’re scheduled to arrive about 15 minutes late.
Okay. I might miss the kickoff.
Just before landing, the flight attendant asked me and my pal if we would change seats so that the EMTs could see the sick passenger there.
She got me a seat just a few behind me so that I still can get off the plane fast. Then they announce that no one is to move once we land so that the EMTs can deal with the sick passenger.
Okay. I’m going to miss the first quarter.
Then two other people put up their hands and say they are sick.
Okay. I’m going to end up in quarantine with a plane load of Chinese passengers.
We land and pull up to the gate with the announcement made just before to remind people to stay seated.
Yeah, you know where I’m going with this. People still get up and get their stuff as if the announcement didn’t apply to them. (People who obviously understood the announcement as the word “but I…” was heard a few times).
Hey. I’m missing the Superbowl and I stayed put! LOL
In the end, I think they would have been better off getting the EMTs aboard and then emptying the plane while the patient was checked out. We spent 45 minutes in our seats while the three passengers were checked.
I got my sister to text me a play by play….which is funnier given that she didn’t have a clue about football.
We got off the plane and got to passport control just as the Istanbul flight emptied in front of us. Took about ten minutes for that line to go through the machines (very efficient) and then I get to the luggage thinking it should all be out by now.
Nope. They held it back until we were off the plane. The luggage started to arrive covered in snow.
Took a full half hour for my bag to show up.
Then it was halftime.
Yeah. All eleven flights on this tour went smoothly except for the tail end of the one I had meticulously planned out.
But I’m sure they heard me scream in the lobby when Butler intercepted the football.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
I managed about four hours of sleep and was up for my early flight and walked out into a snowstorm.
Hmmm. No worries. My plane arrived the afternoon before around 4 pm. Even with the snow and de-icing, we got to St. John’s on time.
The winds were pounding at over 80 kph as we landed. No worries. Air Canada once landed in the middle of Hurricane Igor’s gusts up to 130 kph.
As my sister picked me up, my throat started to feel scratchy and my sinuses filled.
Wonder if I’ll end up in quarantine yet.
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