May 25 - Hong Kong to Bangkok to Amman Jordan to Paris to St Pierre de Corps to St. Avertin....a 45 hour journey and that was just travel time!!!

Check out at the Mansion was 10 am so I hung around till then, packed my stuff and stored it with Mr. Phillip's wife - a woman apparently with no name. Every time I asked Mr. Philip he said "no - no name" and she just smiled sweetly. When he wasn't around I asked her her name and still, just a shake of the head so I named her "Annette". I told her that was her name and she liked it. We used it all week.

So Annette was guarding my precious belongs until 5:30 pm when I returned to the Mansion to have a quick shower and change and attempt to find the airport bus in the midst of the Hong Kong bus craziness. Factoring the wait for the elevator, the pedestrian traffic mosh pit and then waiting for the bus, I figured it should take about two hours and get me there around 7:30 in time for my 10:30 pm flight. To tell the truth I was already exhausted by the time I got on the bus. The day had been bright and sunny and hot - quite spectacular but the heat and humidity takes a toll.
Arrived at the airport on time and what a beauty it is - soaring glass structures and everything massive and awesome. Miles of grey marble and ceiling heights ample enough to hang airplanes inside for display.
By the time I got on the plane it had already been a full day. The first leg of my cheap bargain flight was to Bangkok. The 12 pm curfew was still in effect after the political disruptions and the flight from Hong Kong took just over 3.5 hours and we landed in the rain just before midnight their time. We sat on the tarmac while security undercover types boarded the plane and the plane was cleaned and then the rest of the passengers got on. I desperately wanted to jump off and catch a bus downtown to a street market where I know, even at midnight, there would be a row of beautifully peeled pomelos laid out waiting for a lazy shopper like me. There is nothing like Thailand for beauty and perfect fruit!

Next stop Jordan.