Hello Everyone. How are you doing? It’s hard to believe it, but on Sunday, 16/2/2025, I will be in Thailand for two whole weeks! A lot has happened since I arrived in the Land of Smiles, but I’m still at the very beginning of my journey.
So, while you may want to know more about what I’ve been up to since arriving in Thailand, I am trying to be thematic in how I approach things. Suffice it to say that I have been busy. Before delving into Thailand, I want to simply start off by flying from the US to Asia. If there is a genesis moment to this journey, then it starts in the US. Perhaps not the most exciting thing, looking at the world through airplanes, but it’s my blog and I love telling stories through flight. So, kick back and enjoy.
First things first, I shall start with my departure from the US via SEATAC on my Alaska Airlines 737 going to LAX. The first leg of the journey was fairly common, with a side of international bumps. However, the plane I flew on was dedicated to our service members. It had a cool paint scheme, and I really appreciated Alaska’s added touch to thank our men and women who serve or have served. Nevertheless, I really wanted to take this picture to give some scale to the plane that was going to carry me across the Pacific, the Boeing 777. I always thought the 737 was big…
It’s hard to judge the scale of the two aircraft. The intake of the 777 jet engine is almost the same size as the 737’s body, making it a huge airplane. Although it’s smaller than the A380, it’s still remarkable in its size and fuel efficieny. The math I did suggested that I was getting close to 73 miles per gallon on my almost 7500 mile flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. Stuff that in your pipe and smoke it A380!
Aside from looking like an unsettled mad man that you don’t want to be stuck next to for 16 hours, this was really an awesome flight. If you’re going to Asia, I highly Cathay Pacific for their excellent service, including hot towels, real food, and noodle snacks; all served by a flight crew that can speak at least three different languages. Five stars. Since I took off in the dark, there really wasn’t much to see, so you’ll just have to take my word that it was a smooth flight into Hong Kong. Considering the week of air disasters America experienced with the run up to this flight, I was very grateful for an uneventful flight.
Even though I left in the dark, I saw one of the most breathtaking sunrises over the Pacific that I could ever imagine. No words can really describe the beauty and the rainbow of colors that came up as we descended into Hong Kong. This photo certainly doesn’t do this sunrise justice. The ice crystals and condensation inside the window certainly didn’t help, but it didn’t spoil the sunrise. No matter where in the world I shall roam from here, I will always remember this sunrise greeting me on my first trip to Asia. I was born out of darkness into the light and felt like a newborn seeing the world for the first time.
It was almost a surreal moment to eat breakfast, bathing in the rising sun and then landing in Asia for the first time. Once again, Cathay Pacific really shows itself as one of the premier carriers in the world. When I disembarked from the plane, I was met by Cathay Pacific staff who were looking for people who had connecting flights departing so soon that they didn’t have time to go through the normal security gates. Since I was not one of those people, I was able to leisurely stroll through the airport, go through Hong Kong’s equivalent of TSA, and arrive at my gate to take me to Thailand!
It was easier and more fun than I expected to go through the Hong Kong airport. What I saw of Hong Kong makes me want to visit this place again in the future. Also, before leaving Hong Kong, I wanted to highlight this unique airport gateway where planes taxi below. If you’re on the gateway, you can see the planes underneath, which is a cool feature! Now, just one more flight to go!
From Hong Kong, it’s only a short two and half hour flight to Bangkok. The South China Sea was covered in clouds, but they cleared off by the time I arrived over Vietnam (my first glimpse of SE Asia). It’s hard to underestimate the gravity of what it is that I am actually looking at. The US had a very ugly war here that didn’t have to happen the way it did. I’m reminded of the politics that killed many servicemen of my father’s generation; of what we got wrong, and of the things that we got right (more on that later). However, I’m not quite there yet. Vietnam, after all, is not Thailand.
While in deep contemplation about the machinations of the Vietnam War and the inconceivable advice of never starting a land war in Asia, I finally arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand! I still have to go through customs by this point, but the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau is nothing if not efficient. Before I know it, my passport receives its first stamp, I’ve exchanged my USD for Thai Baht, and I’m off to my designated pickup area, and get to have a Thai coffee as my reward for losing Saturday over the Pacific.
In conclusion, my flight across the Pacific Ocean was rather uneventful, which is how air travel should be. I got to see dramatic sights and navigate two airports that don’t utilize English as their native language. All the people I’ve encountered up to this point have been friendly, courteous, and nothing short of absolutely stellar. As a weird observation, the white people that I encountered up to this point weren’t American and didn’t speak English as their native language. However, we all understood that the only way we were going to get to where we were going was together. Wherever we come from and whatever cultural biases we might have mean nothing when we all become foreigners in a strange new land. That might make some people uncomfortable, but I say embrace it. Until we can understand what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land, we can’t understand who we really are and what is reflected in our own values. If being a stranger in Thailand has taught me anything, it’s that the Thai people take hospitality to new levels and are some of the most gracious hosts to all the guests that come to stay in their homes. They are proud of their country and excited that so many come here to dwell in their home. Until next time, be kind to each other, be curious about the world around you, and when you see a stranger in your town who looks a little lost, stop and say hello. Ask them how they are doing. You might be surprised to learn something about them, yourself, and make a new friend in the process.
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