Ajijic to Ao Nang: Chronicle of my long journey

Saturday, 08:15 Central Standard Time

I’m at Guadalajara Airport awaiting the departure of my Alaska Airlines flight to LAX. This is the first of four flights that will take me to Ao Nang, Thailand. So my plan, to help pass the time between flights, is to write about my journey from Ajijic to Ao Nang.

It started when my alarm went off at 04:45 this morning. I was already packed, so all I had to do was my morning ablutions and get dressed. Luis was there to drive me to the airport, and I told him I wanted to leave by 06:00. At that time of the morning, it shouldn’t take much more than a half hour to get to the airport, which would put me here three hours before flight time.

I already had my boarding pass, and I’m traveling with carry-on only. So there was no need to arrive at the airport three hours early. But as Luis knows, I can get very stressed out when leaving on a trip, and rushing to get out the door at the last minute or worrying about delays just adds to the stress. I’d rather hang out for three hours at the airport than deal with the anxiety.

I had a leisurely breakfast at Los Otates, one of the new restaurants at the airport. GDL has been undergoing significant improvements, and there are a lot more food options, lots more open space, and better wider pedestrian walkways. It’s really quite nice, though they still have a ways to go with the exterior traffic flow.

My gate has changed four times. My boarding pass said D41. But the board said D42. When I got to D42, it was for a different flight.. So I checked the board again, and now it said D50. I walked to D50, and no one else was there, but after a few minutes, a parade of passengers arrived. 

Ten minutes later they announced that our gate was changing to D45. And that’s where I am now, waiting to board.

I’ll be back with more when I get to LAX. 

Saturday, 12:30 Pacific Standard Time

I was afraid this would happen.

Here I am at LAX. My flight arrived at 11:45. I breezed through passport control, walked from Terminal 6 to Terminal B (international departures), and hoped to be able to check in early for my next flight, which is not until 23:00.

I was able to check in online this morning, but they would not issue a boarding pass. Instead I got this:

Apparently they have to check my documents before issuing a boarding pass. And check-in doesn’t open until three hours before departure.

So I have eight hours to wait before I can check in. Until then, I am stuck in the land-side area of Terminal B.

By the way, I breezed through passport control by using MPC. The line was even shorter than the Global Entry line. In fact, there was no line. I was the only person in the line. (I hesitate to tell people about this option, which is completely free, lest it become popular.)

Isn’t it always the way when you have a twelve-hour layover? It’s only when you have a quick connection that you have to wait in a long line.

At the moment I’m parked at Planet Hollywood, where they have $25 burgers. I know prices at airport restaurants are always high, but sticker shock is a real thing when you come from Mexico.

I was going to get a day-use hotel room nearby, but there were very few options for last-minute reservations, so I’ve decided to just stick it out here.

Maybe I’ll check in later.

Saturday, 17:00 Pacific Standard Time

Nothing much to report. I’ve been camped out in a somewhat comfortable chair for most of the afternoon. A pleasant woman sat next to me for a while and got into a conversation with the woman on her left and then with me. She turned out to be a JW, which she mentioned twice, but otherwise was entirely not creepy. After a while she wished us happy travels and went back to her post.

I dozed off for a short while with my carry-on between my legs and my backpack on my lap. Can’t be too careful. 

Saturday, 19:30 Pacific Standard Time

I was first in line to check in for Business Class. And they started promptly at 19:00, four hours before flight time. I got TSA-PreCheck, so I was through security quickly, and now I’m in the Star Alliance Lounge. Yay!

It doesn’t make the day any shorter, though. And I still have about 2 1/2 hours before they’ll start boarding. But there’s food and drink and quiet, and good WiFi. I think I can tough it out till I’m on the plane.

Monday, 06:00 Korean Standard Time

I’m in the Star Alliance Lounge at Incheon International Airport (Seoul). The flight seemed to go quicker than I expected, which must mean I slept longer than I normally do on planes.

I booked my flight with Thai Airways International, but it turns out it was a codeshare, and I flew Asiana Airlines. This was disappointing, because Asiana is not nearly as highly rated as Thai Airways. And I read that Korean Air is about to finalize their acquisition of Asiana, and supposedly Asiana has been biding their time about updating their fleet. 

But the Business Class cabin was nice enough, and the flight attendants were friendly and did a good job. Still, this was definitely inferior to any of my previous experiences on long-haul flights in Business Class. There was no welcome beverage and no hot towels — just a wet-wipe. The food was good and was presented attractively, but it was not gourmet by any means. And the entertainment system had stopped working when I woke up from my sleep.

The best thing about flying Business Class, I’ve decided, is getting to take a shower while I’m waiting for my connecting flight. I just showered and shaved and feel fresh as a daisy.

This airport seems very modern and has broad concourses. And it’s very clean. It’s also very big. It opened in 2001.

Incidentally, I wondered why I couldn’t get a direct flight from LAX to Bangkok. It turns out there are currently no direct flights between the US and Bangkok. In 2015 the FAA downgraded Thailand’s safety rating. But next year they are expected to upgrade them, and direct flights should resume.

My flight to Bangkok departs at 09:35, so I have a few hours to relax here. I’ll post again when I get there, before the final leg of my journey.

Monday, 14:00 Indochina Time

I’m now at Bangkok Airport (officially Suvarnabhumi International Airport) waiting for my fourth and last flight, to Krabi International Airport, in southern Thailand. From there I have a driver pre-arranged via Welcome Pickups to take me to Ao Nang, where I’m staying four nights at BlueSotel SMART. My flight doesn’t leave until 18:25, so another long wait, and this time I’m not flying Business Class, so no lounge. And the waiting area is barely air conditioned, making it very uncomfortable, since it’s 90 degrees outside.

I expected I’d have to go through passport control and customs and then reenter the airport from land-side. But they have a dedicated area for domestic transfer immigration and customs and security, which was pretty efficient. (Actually, they seem to have two such areas, depending on where you’re flying to.) There are just six gates in this area, and there are no concessions — no shops or restaurants. It’s starting to feel like it’ll be a long long wait. 

My flight from Seoul to Bangkok was actually on Thai Airways, and Wow! What a difference! This was a much nicer Business Class by far than Asiana. The food was outstanding, and the service was excellent.

Monday, 21:00 Indochina Time

I’ve arrived at Ao Nang beach, and I’m in my hotel room. And, no surprise, I’m exhausted. I’ll finish this later, or tomorrow, after I get some sleep.

Tuesday, 05:00 Indochina Time

As expected, I fell asleep quickly and woke up way too early. It will take me a while to adjust to the time change and reset my circadian rhythms. Which is why I decided to come four days before my tour starts.

The flight from Bangkok to Krabi was just over an hour long. And they managed to serve a snack, some sort of pudding and a bottle of water in a paper bag. But my bag was missing a plastic spoon, and the pudding didn’t look particularly enticing. Plus, between two Business Class flights and two Business Class lounges, I have eaten enough over the last two days, thank you very much. 

My driver was waiting for me, and the drive to Ao Nang was about 40 minutes. Since it was dark, I didn’t see much. As we got close to the hotel, we drove through a bustling area of eateries that screamed beach resort. The hotel isn’t right on the beach, which is, according to the front desk clerk, a three-minute walk. And it appears my room faces the opposite direction, but it’s too dark to tell what’s out there. It’s a nice, spacious room.

The hotel has three restaurants, two bars, and two pools, one at ground level and one on the roof.

I have the day free today to explore and catch up on sleep. I’m looking forward to checking out the beach and the bustling area that was screaming last night.