Travel Part II

Finally- in our seats – large camera bag successfully slipped on board as a carry on – no one even in the middle seat between us. The plane is taxing out. Things are starting to go our way….
“Attention Ladies and Gentleman –a passenger has requested to be removed from the plane for personal reasons. We will be taxing back in to let him off….”
Sigh. Sometimes you just can’t win. Plunk! And here is my tray of food. The tasty choices were pork or shrimp. Now I won’t even buy shellfish at Von’s, let alone get it on an airplane, so I opt for pork. Art is jealous. “That looks way better than mine,” he whispers. Looking is one thing. Cutting it, is apparently another. I dutifully saw away at the slab of pork with my serrated plastic knife. It isn’t making a dent in the meat, but the force I am exerting causes the meat to flip up and dump a tray full of gravy in my lap. Thank God I packed this ONE pair of jeans. It is still at least 9 hours till we land in Taipei, but I’ll have the scent of gravy to remind me of the meal all the way there.
It’s eleven at night in Taipei and Art and I are ready to crash into bed. We take a taxi to our hotel and can’t wait to catch our meager five hours of sleep before we have to rise again to catch a plane to Cambodia. Our hotel is very swanky… and missing our reservation. Yes, it certainly has not been my travel weekend. Despite the fact I have a confirmation number, a conformation PAGE and a prepaid room, they have no idea whatsoever. They do their best, but can only come up with ONE room with ONE bed. Now I know that Art and I expected to get to know each other better on this trip – but this is a little much. And I am quite sure his wife would not be thrilled. So we are currently waiting for the hotel manager to send up a cot for us. There goes another hour.
See you all in Cambodia….