Trek to Thailand

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This is not the first time I've traveled to Asia, and it probably won't be the last. Before every departure I scoff at the length of travel time. I've been on plenty of long flights... in hind site they always seem quick and easy. I'm sure in a few weeks this trek will be no exception. Looking back on the last few days I see it clearly as the grueling trek that it is. Needles to say, I'm happy to be finished. Here was my itinerary:

Jan. 2nd
1:00 pm: Courtney drops me off at the Fung Wah for my $15 3+ hr ride to NYC.

4:30 pm: Arrive to a rainy NYC where I meet up with Trevor, watch Notre Dame get beaten by Ohio State, then off for my 2nd annual Egyptian feast the night before leaving for Asia.

Jan 3rd
10:30am Steve arrives in NYC leaving from a snowy Connecticut, we kill some time with Trevor before our taxi ride to the airport at noon.

3:00pm: we board our flight and we embark on a 16 hr trip over the top of the world eventually arriving in Hong Kong.

Jan 4th
7:55am (NY time) we arrive in Hong Kong.

9:55am (NY time) we depart Kong Kong for the relatively short trip to Bangkok.

11:45 am (NY time) (almost mindnight local time) we finally arrive in Bangkok.

A few notes on the trip. First, the flight is always longer then I remember. One of the most depressing moments of the trip was seeing us cross the half way point of 8 hours and dreading the fact that I had another 8 left till Hong Kong. In addition, I had already seen the movies that were remotely interesting (and I use that term loosely for flicks like transporter 2) all the while Steve is snoring away in the seat next to me. I may have gotten half an hour at most on the trip. At least it was fun to see us cross just south of the north poll on the flight info map.
Flying into Hong Kong holds none of the nostalgia it used too. The new airport seems efficient and immaculate but I miss the good old days of flying into Kai Tak airport located in the heart of the city which necessitated swooping into town, seemingly within feet of apartment complexes. The new airport is remote, bland and without character.
Arriving in Bangkok at midnight local time presented a whole new set of challenges. Without reserved accommodations, it was 2 hrs before we got into town and found a guest house near Koasan Rd (the backpackers mecca) with two beds available.
Due to the time difference we were wide awake (although I hadn't slept since Trevor's) So we found a local bar, met a friendly Irish girl who shared travel tips and great convrsation. We ended up pulling an all nighter.
Today we grabbed a tuk-tuk (an experience in itself) and saw some sights in Bangkok including the grand palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Tonight we catch the late (read cheap) flight to Koh Samui, an island off the coast of Thailand.

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Photos

Kaosan Rd
Kaosan Rd, where Backpackers come for cheap accomidations. A great place to meet fellow farrang and get travel tips.

tuk-tuk
Tuk-tuk are the fastest and easiest ways to navigate the packed streets of Bangkok, although skillfull negotiation is needed to avoid getting ripped off. Of course being swindled is probably only $1 USD. For longer trips across the city however I'd definitely recomend a taxi. The exhast of the traffic can be quite over bearing.

Wat Pha Kaew
Steve and I at Wat Phra Kaew in Bankok