The Year of the Dragon

The horrid LAX terminal

Yesterday/today/tomorrow we trek to Bangkok. It all started in LA with a full day of rest and pizza. Then, we proceeded to lug our 200lbs of crap back to LAX via the big blue shuttle. Thelma then went to apprehend another SmarteCart, when a man tried to sell her one for $5. She denied his request and quickly scurried off to help Louise once again battle the bags. Following the epic battle, we wandered aimlessly to the check-in desk, because of course there was no overhead sign for our airline EVA; however, every other airline in the world has a nice big sign. Awesome.

We made a friend at Gate C7.

Following security inspection, we found ourselves in the worst international terminal in America. 10,000 people, 85 degrees, 1 tiny bar/restaurant, 1 news stand, and another best buy kiosk. Needless to say, we found ourselves sweating, thirsty, and in need of new headphones. Finally, at the gate, we realized no one spoke hardly any English and there were about 10 different poorly labeled lines for boarding. So, we walked up to a guy, said "Elite" and he pointed us towards bus 55 which apparently made us the absolute first of 318 passengers to board.  Actually Awesome.

Hoping her wishes come true

The flight was completely uneventful and surprisingly comfortable despite my seat back that wouldn't stay in the upright position. However, our lives are never simple. Following our 15 hour flight, we arrived in the worlds longest hallway only to be herded into another security checkpoint, catching us completely off guard. Surprise, we both get flagged in security. Thelma had grooming scissors and I had a bottle of water, both of which are now Taiwan's property. After finding food (what we ate we are not sure), we ran into a Year of the Dragon wish writing stand. We wished for success, prosperity, and love.

Dragons tend to bite.

Our EVA air plane

After a short 4 hour jump to Bangkok, we found ourselves in the HUGE Suvarnabhumi Airport.  We walked for what was probably 2 miles and joined the hoards of people in line for entry into the country.  We jumped into the shortest queue.  Surprise! - Our line had the slowest immigration official ever!  The other immigration officers were processing 3 travelers in the time it took ours to process 1.  Awesome.  After waiting forever in immigration, we lugged our bags to find our ride to the hotel.

Mariya Boutique Hotel

Good food, rest, and relaxation to come!