(Days 1 and 2, Wed. and Thur., Feb. 22 and 23, 2017)

This is my last day in America for who knows how long, if not forever. This definitely takes getting used to. Will I ever drive again? Many questions pop into mind. It hits home when you land and see the immigration officials. I am definitely a foreigner, now.

I had gotten reports that LAX was an unfriendly place that was difficult to navigate. I found it just the opposite. It is certainly big. However, the airport staff, the airline staff, and the TSA were all very nice and helpful toward me. God is definitely greasing the way for me. I even made money there. EVA Air said I couldn't have both my seats and take 4 luggage. However, I just had to pay for my 3rd suitcase and the 4th one they said would be carry-on luggage that they checked, anyway. They said I would get a refund for my seat.

My flight from LAX to Taipei was very nice. EVA Air is now my favorite airline. It is a Taiwanese airline run by their "Bill Gates." His main business is Evergreen Shipping. The plane was only 60% full. I had a 3 seat row all to myself. In fact, the only people that didn't were couples, families, and groups that were traveling together. The service was impeccable. The meals were huge and delicious. Their video screen was amazing. I watched movies and television shows, played games, and watched the progress of the plane. We had a strong headwind (135 mph) the whole way and the plain shook the whole flight, just like a train does. It was very relaxing. The 14.5 hour trip was a lot of fun.

The flight from Taipei was booked solid and on an older plane. But, it was only a quick 4 hour trip. By the time we ate, filled out our immigration forms, and made a couple of bathroom breaks, the trip was over, although I did fall asleep for a half our or so.

A car was waiting for me and we drove to the hotel. It is more spartan than the pictures. But, it is very comfortable and cool. Since the high in Bangkok is usually around 90+ and the low is around 80, Aircon is a must.

I was too busy traveling and it was too hectic to take pictures. I will take pictures today while I explore and learn how to post them tomorrow. It looks like Blooger.com allows 1 GB of pictures, so I won't have to worry about where to store my pictures for awhile.

Namaste from (halfway to) Nepal.