I'm taking the "direct" flight from Bangkok to LA, which actually has a stop over in Tokyo. My flight leaves Bangkok at 6:40 am and so I do as thousands before me have and take the latest possible flight out of Phuket and spend the night in the Bangkok airport.
I get pretty lucky and find a flight that arrives at 12:25 am to Bangkok, so I won't have too much time to kill before I can check in for my flight and relax in the Star Alliance lounge.
I add one final adventure to my trip by forgetting my wallet on the Air Asia flight I took from Phuket to Bangkok. I remembered just as the doors to our shuttle were closing, so I had to spend the next half hour trying to get it back. I found the first Air Asia employee available and try to explain that I have left my wallet on the plane. He doesn't understand the word "wallet" even when I've written it down on a piece of paper. I try the word "billfold" which he also doesn't understand while flapping my hands open and closed and explaining that it holds money and credit cards.
He radios to the plane crew speaking rapidly in Thai and I hear the occasional "vauuullette" throw in. It is clear that this man has no idea what I've lost, but I feel confident that once someone sees it, they will understand.
We spend an awkward 15 minutes while his radio is silent and I have a final moment with 32 praying for the return of my wallet. Finally some Thai comes over the radio and he tells me they found it! Woot!
When the crew arrives, it is unclear who is more excited to open up the black bag they put it in - me or the Air Asia representative. The Air Asia guy quickly undoes the knot and pulls out - my wallet! A look of understanding crosses his face and I see him think so this is what this girl was looking for.
My time with my Air Asia buddy has made it very easy to find my bag - it's the lone bag circling the baggage carousel.
On my way towards International check in I walk by the minimart. With 15 baht left to burn (about 50 cents), I see what kind of damage I can do. I walk over to the beverage section and my eyes are immediately drawn to my BFF Milo. Milo is basically Ovaltine for kids (although Ovlatine is quite popular as well). It tastes like chocolate milk but is also packed with all kinds of good for you vitamins. Or at least that's what marketing has you believe and I am a sucker for marketing.
Doug is not a sweet person, and dessert in Asia is usually disappointing, so when I really had a sweet craving I would go for a Milo. I liked to pretend it was mildly healthy. This Milo was also exactly 15 baht. I payed the cashier and headed upstairs to enjoy my Milo and a final realization at how cheap food in Asia is. You would certainly be hard pressed to buy a beverage in an American airport for 50 cents.
Upstairs I found a well padded bench to settle in for the next couple of hours while I wait for the counter to open. These are my final moments in Thailand and I am sad. I think back through the past 3.5 months and I'm amazed at all that I've accomplished. This trip has been many things I hoped it would be and far more than I ever expected. There were times when I had to dig very deep inside myself and times where I had to go entirely outside of myself. I have learned and experienced so much and I am so grateful to everyone who helped and supported me.
As a tear or two ran down my cheek, I thought of Doug's infinite wisdom he once imparted on me - "Think how much it would have sucked if you weren't so sad to be leaving."
No comments:
Post a Comment