Trip Reports - AA/CX DFW-SFO-HKG-DPS-HKG-LAX-DFW (long and in installments)

Confessions of a sick traveler

First, we start with a confession. I’m a control freak (There Peaches – I’ve admitted it. Are you happy now?) The thing about control freaks like me… we can go at full speed for days/weeks/months on end – but we don’t ever quite give it up. So we have this little confession (which kinda follows on the confessional style that a FT friend and fellow irresponsible soul told me he sometimes uses with the priest… forgive me Father for this and all my other sins .) Uh huh, like you are buying that one….

So the first step to getting over the problem is admitting you have the problem. The second step is (well, since I’ve never gotten past step one in any multi-step program, I really wouldn’t know the politically correct answer is, but then again, when was *I* ever politically correct?) doing something about it. And what better to do than take a vacation? I mean I “real” vacation. You know, the kind that normal people do – where they don’t give clients a contact number and they don’t check voice mail and they don’t do any billable work.

Okay… we’ll have one more confession. I haven’t taken a “real” vacation in over two years (and hadn’t taken one for four years before that one)… see, when I leave town, I generally lug the laptop (er, as I’m doing now) and dial in obsessively and check voice mail and end up doing client work from the hotel room for a couple of hours a day. So there is no “real” separation. Alas, I’m not giving it up completely this time either. Baby steps, I’m afraid. Baby steps. The laptop is great for trip reports, however. I type MUCH faster than I write and it is much easier to type my notes and then glue them in my travel journal later. Cheating? Maybe, but it is the only way I’ll ever stay caught up at the pace I’m going.

So I decided that it was time for a “real” vacation and looked into actually taking a (gasp!) week off work. My first stab at this was booking an AONE6 ex-JNB back when the fares were unbelievably good. That, unfortunately, got a bit messed up (and for the sake of my sanity, I’m just going to say that I’ve moved on….) and so I for about a day retracted my vacation request. Then I caught myself at my desk thinking, “what the heck am I doing?”. See, I had put a CX F award to JNB on hold for the RTW and so I was holding a US-HKG flight in F (apparently the only one available for a set of days). On a whim, I called the EXP desk to check on award availability to Bali. Low and behold, it was available and the vacation request was resubmitted. I quickly told several people (not to brag, but so that I would have a conscious out there that wouldn’t let me back out of taking this vacation) and bam, I was doing this. A couple more calls in the coming weeks to tweak dates and flights, and all the sudden I found myself liberated from 135,000 AAdvantage miles that were sitting around. After minor therapy, I got myself over the notion that burning miles was a bad thing (particularly when I actually decided to price the ticket).

Day One – Is this thing ever going to start?

The “wrong” way to start the first day of your vacation is to work up until the time you go to the airport. This I now know. Then again, last night at 1 am, I was still logged onto FT Chat (and doing contract review for work in a side window) with an empty vacation suitcase and a yet to be unpacked suitcase from when I’d arrived home from the latest biz trip 25 hours earlier. I somehow managed to pack quickly and get to bed by 3 am. There really wasn’t much to it. Actually, I find it quite humorous, but I went out and bought a suitcase so large that I could crawl in it and zip it up. Quite a cumbersome thing, but I didn’t want to have to worry about over-shopping. Granted, I’ve been to Europe for a month with a suitcase HALF the size of this thing, but I figured if I was going to buy a gigantic suitcase, that I might as well do it right. Problem was, with the laptop and toiletries in the lime green mileage run backpack, I filled about a quarter of the suitcase. So the rest I filled up with 5 yards of bubble wrap, a roll of easy tear packing tape, and a collapsible 20” duffel bag. Shopping problem solved (I hope!).

Work was tedious. I had about 20 hours of things to do before leaving and about 6 hours to do them. I was already mentally on vacation, so by noon, I grabbed Peaches and headed out for a cheesesteak and some fresh air. The energy boost worked and at 3:58, I got the “are you ready to leave yet?” IM and yes, I was. I headed home where Peaches took care of making sure I had my essentials (sunglasses, keys) and home items resolved (lights off, door locked, rent paid – yes, taxes filed, dead dairy products tossed – no) before loading me in her car to hit the airport.

She dropped me curbside and went to find a parking spot while I got checked in at Terminal A. I haven’t checked an outbound bag in two years (and the last time I did, it got lost) so I was less than enthusiastic about doing it now. Of course, the polite but clueless gate agent informed me that my DFW-SFO flight was going to leave from Terminal C, and so I really SHOULD go over there to use their Admirals Club instead of the one at A. Uh huh, right. I’m thinking “Flagship Lounge”. Duh. By this time, Peaches had found her way into the terminal and was standing against a wall watching me get my bags scanned. We headed through security – me with boarding pass, she with her newly arrived Admirals Club card (agent’s words to Peaches – “so are you actually GOING to the Admirals Club today?”). Of course, I dinged the metal detector despite the minimal jewelry and non-steel shank shoes. Then I had to get my bags swabbed (and all I could think of it the Peachy-one testing positive for TNT on her tote in LAS on Tuesday). After five minutes of watching the minimum wage security screener trying to offer my purse and laptop to every single person who walked through security while I was playing the “stand on one foot” game, I finally was allowed to walk on.

“Flag Ship L” sans “Pedants”

A quick walk down the concourse and we were soon in the inter sanctum that is the Flagship Lounge. I helped myself to a glass of Perrier-Jouet while young Peachy fixed herself a very non-white White Russian (um, I think there is supposed to be something in there besides Kaluha, dear!). We perused the food offerings - veggies, fruit, guacamole and chips, cheese and crackers, hot goodies (chicken kabobs, sausage, mini quiches, mini chimichangas, etc.) and, much to Peachy’s delight, all-you-can-eat baklava. We chilled out and watched CNN and gabbed for about an hour before it was time for me to catch the TrAAin over to Terminal C for my flight. I reminded Peaches that she is “in charge” for the week with our team while I’m gone (her primary responsibility being to keep me semi-informed, cover for me with clients, and put out small fires so I don’t have a coronary while on vacation) and bid her farewell.

Come on ride the TrAAin

The TrAAin was crowded today, and of course, the A to C route is the “long” way but I lacked the energy after three glasses of champagne to walk, so I chilled. I’ve got some great TrAAin memories that go back to about when I was, oh, 18. We used to get beer and go ride around on the TrAAin to drink it. Yes, I’ve been an airplane geek for that long. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif (Actually, the truth is, we used to go out and goof off on the Hyatt Bear Creek golf course and the airport was our stopping point until midnight when the security guards quit the patrol on the golf course.) Ah, memories….

AA DFW-SFO on a 757 in F

This is the flight I’m supposed to be sleeping on. I’m not. I should have booked the boring MD-80 for that. Instead, I’m here and for once, AAtractions actually had a decent audio selection for the month. Channel 4 is all classic rock, so as we were taxiing, I was already knee-deep in novel #1 (I bought four for the trip, one of which I read in its entirety the other night LAS-DFW) and as we took off, I was listening to Supertramp.

I was a bit more than dismayed when from my perch in 6E the flight attendant informed me that I had a choice of “chicken, chicken, or chicken” for my meal. Um… what ever happened to “the odd kids sit at the back of the bus”? I thought of saying nothing but decided to ask “er, isn’t this an odd numbered flight” to which she responded by looking at her watch. Then she had a glint of recognition and turned beet red. She offered to ask the pilots if they would be interested in switching meals but I told her that all was okay – frankly this works out well as I munched in the FL and I really DO need to save room for the CX flight later tonight. My seatmate also noticed that they had reversed order, so I’m glad I’m not the only one who is flying too much.

I settled in with a glass of sparkling wine (lower-end methode that sells for about $6.99 at Costco) and my warm nuts. I decided I ought to be sticking with one thing knowing I’ll end up desiring multiple glasses of Krug in a few short hours and continued listening to the audio (frankly, the audio beats yet another horrid Everybody Loves Raymond episode – I’m telling you, EVERYBODY does not) while the FAs began serving dinner off the cart , hand-tossed salads and all. And oh my gosh ( freeupgrade are you reading this?), the salads even had OLIVES (plural). The tray table linens are back. I’m telling you, I’m beginning to feel so pre-9/11. Now if I can just get the security guys to quit feeling me up! I’m beginning to think I’m on a trans-con, what with a great Doobie Brothers song playing (which reminds me to go to OMNI to add that great Steve Miller concert where the Doobies WITH Michael McDonald opened at Starplex to the best concerts list). I’m already starting to de-stress.

So in the interest of conserving SOME of my appetite (and hey, I already have a feeling I’m going to consume more food in the next twenty-four hours than I have ever have), I sat and picked the olives and tomatos and capers and artichoke hearts out of my salad while nibbling a perfectly warmed cheese roll. Yum. Steely Dan is rolling… and I’m feeling as mellow as one can get past security. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Of course, the leftover chicken entrée (although the FA offered to give me the pilot’s tortellini) was mediocre. This is, without a doubt God’s way of telling me to save room for later. (For you menu fiends out there, it was a small chicken breast cutlet with bbq sauce, a southern rice mix, and sautéed vegetables). By this time, I had switched over to Channel 2 where I caught the end of West Side Story before The Music Man began running.

By the time the dessert cart is making its way down the aisle, I’d switched back to Channel 4 and was jamming to Foghat (and really really wishing I had the DVD for Dazed and Confused with me). Dessert is a choice of fruit plates or sundaes (and I swear I saw pound cake on there when it was still at Row 2 or so). I selected a plain vanilla and hot fudge sundae and a Kaluha cordial, which I promptly topped onto my ice cream (all the while having flashbacks to those lovely sundaes my Mom would always serve me at dinner parties – ice cream with crème de menthe or her homemade kaluha so I would go right upstairs and sleep quietly). Oh, and AA, I do have to say… the open Cool Whip container on the top of the dessert cart is VERY tacky. I mean, I never really thought that whipped stuff in the glass was *really* whipped cream, but plueeeese… let’s not go tacky suburban middle America in F, okay?

My god, how many episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond can they run back to back? For the ever-loving last time, EVERYBODY DOES NOT LOVE RAYMOND!!! At UA has an affiliation with a real network.

I tell you… I’m so picky about my inflight entertainment, audio in particular. The fact that AA is playing Van Halen is great. I haven’t enjoyed AAtractions this much since last September when they were running two hours of nothing but Prince, which I got no less than about twenty hours of listening pleasure out of. I mean, DL made its mark with me when they played the non-edited version of Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side, I recall fondly UA playing Pink Floyd, and CX really won me over by featuring a couple of back-to-back songs by The Beautiful South coupled with some obscure Lou Reed and old U2 on CXStudio. I’m already counting up how many 75, 76, and 77 flights I’ve got this month to figure out how much entertainment leverage I’ll get out of this.

After the meal service, I wandered up to the F galley and chatted with the flight attendants for a little while. They were a most entertaining crew.

It was nice to know that the first four hours of my twenty-four consecutive hours of flights could go by so pleasurably. Unfortunately, while I was supposed to catch some sleep, I did not. I’m now tasked with trying to keep myself up for another six hours or so so I can actually enjoy CX F.

SFO

Our flight got into SFO about 15 minutes early. Since I was meeting BingoSF for drinks, I went ahead and headed over to the International terminal to check in. While standing in the First Class check-in line, I noticed that Bingo was standing at the Business Class check in post so I waved and she came over to join me. I was completely surprised to find out that she had purchased a round-trip ticket to Hong Kong (as I certainly don’t know anyone would be such a good friend as to buy a ticket just to spend a couple of hours with a friend in a lounge!) and so we both checked in and headed to security with our priority security passes.

Of course, we didn’t need the priority passes – the security line was short. So we got through and I went and bought some desperately needed Lancome at the Duty-Free shop. We then headed to the JAL Sakura Lounge which CX utilizes at night – unfortunately, since all the *A Lounges are in the other terminal and no other OW lounges were available, this was our only option. The JAL lounge is very bland - nothing special. I wouldn't hang out here by choice.

So now I’m sitting in the lounge with BingoSF enjoying a couple of drinks and waiting to catch the flight ‘round midnight. We just logged into FT Chat after I got, oh, FIVE IM messages that markbach was about to have me paged in the JAL lounge. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Jen, great trip report. We'll be eagerly awaiting each installment. And we WERE waiting for you in chat. It only took us an hour of collaborative work to figure out you were in the JL lounge, and find a telephone number for it. Super sleuth work by Eastbay1K and B747-374.

Now, we're thinking about you on that CX flight - mmmm - CX jammies, service and food - lucky girl!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
We just logged into FT Chat after I got, oh, FIVE IM messages that markbach was about to have me paged in the JAL lounge. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
</font>

Sheesh! I just wanted to wish you safe travels! But, yeah, we couldn't find the number for the JAL Lounge, so I gave up and went to bed.

To use a phrase my friend Rudi coined:

I'm soooooooooooooooooo jealous!

Glad you're well on the way, Jen...

Things I Never Thought I Would Ever Witness:

- The fall of the Berlin Wall
- The N.Y. Rangers winning the Stanley Cup
- freeupgrade making EXP
- techgirl taking a vacation!

Do me a favor, will ya? Relax and actually enjoy your vacation, okay? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Peaches has your back. She's probably enjoying the power she has now. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


------------------
The perfect ladies' man is a perfect gentleman.


[This message has been edited by studley (edited 04-05-2002).]

Day Two - Let's Do the Time Warp

Or that's what I call it anyhow... you know, that feeling you get when you cross the date line and suddenly reality morphs along with the settings on your watch. (Heck... I'm already on Saturday morning over here and waiting to hear who caused trouble in Seattle last night... yet the trouble is just beginning there, I fear!) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

CX F - SFO to HKG

I'm somehow amazed that I was not at all tired when I boarded my CX flight around 11:15 Pacific. After all, it was past bedtime back in DFW and I had a rough week with less than the normal amount of sleep.

A general boarding call was made in the JAL lounge shortly after I bid farewell to BingoSF (can you believe she decided NOT to come to HKG with me after all? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ). The small lounge cleared quickly and we all headed downstairs for the F/J/Marco Polo boarding call.

A quick look around the 8 seat F cabin showed the nice couple traveling with their daughter sitting across from me in the remaining 1 seats (I was in 1K) and four other passengers in row 2 who had all been in the lounge as well. Within a few moments of settling in, I had been greeted by name by several of the FAs and the Cabin Service Manager and various goodies were handed out:

- pajamas (lovely moss green knit ones that I have already decided to be more comfy than my favorite Nick and Noras)
- slippers (cozy fuzzy charcoal slip-ons with a matching eye shade)
- amenity kits (nice navy cosmetic bags for the females chock full of La Prairie facial products plus a brush, silver lipstick mirror, full-size toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, and ear plugs)
- hot towels

I had a glass of Krug in my hand almost immediately along with some type of beef carparcio amuse that was handed out. I made myself quite busy playing with the audio/video controls (for an ADD traveler like me, that is what keeps me occupied trans-pac) since I had only been in F on a 340 once before.

We took off from SFO as slotted at 12:03 am and I quite enjoyed the clear view from my window as The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" played on my audio system. As soon as we leveled off, I changed into my jammies and slippers and got cozy with the duvet and pillow that were handed out. Several others were already asleep, but I was busy fussing with the on-demand movie and CD selection. I was in quite the music mood, so I started working my way through the 100-plus CDs that were loaded.

Menus were passed out shortly after takeoff and drink orders. I must say that I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get my next glass of Krug until about 30 minutes into flight. Nonetheless, the legendary CX service was otherwise intact and I felt suitably pampered.

I started out with the Oscietra Caviar and Fine Smoked Salmon with New Potatoes and Creme Fraiche. I received two pleasantly large mounds of caviar along with two thick salmon slices. Unfortunately the two tiny toast points were far to flimsy for the large caviar serving! (Never you fear, I ate it anyhow.) My next course was the Mushroom Cream Soup garnished with Cheese Straws. The soup was delightfully good, particularly enhanced by the nice fresh mushrooms on top. The accompanying cheese straw, however, was bitter and horrid! I had trouble swallowing the one tiny bite I took. Thank goodness for a la carte service. If I had been truly hungry, I would have just gotten something else.

I was going to move onto an entree at this point, but decided I was tired and instead settled into sleep. About five hours later, my meltdown was averted and I awoke to a dark quiet cabin. I called up Oceans Eleven on the StudioCX system and started where I had left off earlier with a nice bowl of lobster congee with gigantic claw meat pieces. That was followed by a nice cheese and fruit plate and a nice glass of port to usher in the date line crossing. One of the FAs went ahead and took my breakfast order for two hours prior to landing as well.

I quite enjoyed my snack and move and decided to settle back down for a bit more rest since we still had five hours to go. Alas, my body didn't wish to cooperate, so I made good use of the CD collection (hmmm... Barbara Streisand's version of New York State of Mind makes one want Billy Joel and OH LOOK, here he is. Great tunes? No problem!) Pink Floyd's Echoes CD finally lulled me off to dreamland and I took the headphones off and put the earplugs into doze. I must have slept about 90 minutes when I was awoken by a tugging at my arm... one of the FAs was tucking in my video screen and trying to put the audio/video control back in the armrest. At this point, I gave up on napping and decided to watch Kate and Leopold.

Now, for those who spend their lives debating the merits of various F suite configurations, I must say that while the cabin was perfectly comfortable, I didn't find it to be head and shoulders above any other F seat I've ever sat in. It was no Heavenly bed, it didn't drop the cellulite from my thighs, and it didn't levitate like a magic carpet. It was a seat. I did, however, like the 1-2-1 configuration and felt that I had an adequate amount of privacy throughout the flight. The storage along the side was a real plus in the 1 seats, too, as I'm one of those who rummages through my backpack no less than ten times on any given flight.

I saw none of the carts rumbling through cabins behavior (in fact, I saw nary a single cart in F the entire flight) and the curtains not only stayed closed and sealed the entire flight, but I didn't notice any noise or light leaks. I did, however, smell breakfast cooking away about 20 minutes before they started the service!

Breakfast was lovely. I started mine with a fruit plate and glass of grapefruit juice that came accompanied by a bread basket with a croissant and a wheat roll. The wheat roll was dry, but the strawberry jam made it slightly better. This was followed by a bowl of Corn Flakes accompanied by a pot of Earl Grey tea. Finally, my main dim sum breakfast was brought out - four pieces, three of which were shrimp-based and one of which appeared to be sea weed. I polished all off and the FA offered to bring me another one which I selectively ate my three out of four favorites. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

We landed in HKG on schedule with ABBA's Dancing Queen playing on my headset, the sun barely rising over the island, and me daydreaming about starting my third day in The Wing.

you can dance, you can dance, having the time of your life... see that girl, watch that scene, digging the dancing queen....

(insanely jealous)

Wow, what a beginning. I can't wait to hear the rest....

Your chat buddies restrained ourselves tonight, and refrained from tracking you down in the Wing. Honesty compells me to admit that we determined you were enroute to Bali by the time we thought of calling.

Moss green jammies? Uh oh - time for me to fly Cathay again. I've got khaki colored ones.

Looking forward to an update from Bali.

techgirl, great report - thanks! Keep it coming...

Techgirl,

Great report! I enjoyed the musical sidelights http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Oh so jealous here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Have a great time

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">We landed in HKG on schedule with ABBA's Dancing Queen playing on my headset, the sun barely rising over the island, and me daydreaming about starting my third day in The Wing.</font>

As good as it gets! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I haven't had so much fun reading a trip report in a long time - thank you! I'm waiting anxiously for the next installment, and I'm really looking forward to know what/who you are going to bring back in your gargantuan suit case. Enjoy!

These reports are fantastic! No wonder I'm getting more and more addicted to FT, the people, the reports, the miles, the smiles and on and on, what more can I say, I'm getting the fever!

Thank you Techgirl!

Dale.

Awesome trip report, techgirl, simply aweseome!! Thank you thank you! Want more!

Day Three - Progressive Paradise

The Wing

I managed to make it from my F Suite in 1K through the transit point and back to The Wing in five minutes flat. (I tell you, there is nothing like practice to make perfect!)

Once in the near-empty Wing, I paused for about five minutes to check e-mail. The most urgent one was from my dear mum who had phoned Peaches as she was worried that my DFW-SFO flight had been the one detoured to Amarillo due to cabin smoke. Peachy assured her it was not as she was currently reading my trip report through SFO, so mother wondered why it was that I would share my experiences with Flyer Talk and not her. So mommy now has the link to FT, so if you are reading this, "Hi Mom". (Gosh, I feel like Howie now!) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I decided that more trip reporting could wait until I was more fresh, so I headed to The Cabanas to clean up. An hour (and two showers and one bath later) I emerged refreshed and my hair was even dry this time thanks to Plato90s helping me locate the blowdryer. I also caught a quiet fifteen minutes on the back patio by the stream (quiet if you don't mind listening to your neighbor zip up his toiletry case - yes, it IS that loud).

Rejuvenated, I headed in search of food. The buffet at The Haven looked to be a bit much for my appetite and I wanted to get Day Two posted, so I headed past The Long Bar and over to the coffee bar in the J class lounge. I grabbed a drink and a pastry and then headed back to "my" side of the lounge to play on the computer. I was going to hop in Chat (honest, guys) but I was awaiting Guy Betsy's arrival at 9 am so we could catch the 10:05 to DPS. At 9:10, I decided to head out and almost ran smack into him walking in.

The Pier

Since I had not been through HKG since October, I had not yet seen the new CX lounge, so we decided to head towards our gate (71) and visit The Pier on the way. We didn't have much time to stay, but we did a quick walk in through the F side and out the J side. I also got the opportunity to see one of the Day Rooms. Nice. I could almost be just as happy here as The Wing.

CX J - HKG to DPS

We took off in the Hong Kong rain for (hopefully) sunny Bali. I had a glass of champagne predeparture and then settled back to relax. After flying with StudioCX, I was a bit disappointed to downgrade to basic audio/video (even if that still meant 20 audio and 12 video channels - call me spoiled!) Our video system malfunctioned throughout the flight - nothing earthshattering, but it would hiccup and require our attention to reset our seat monitor. Annoying and the cabin services manager was unable to fix the problem.

Meal service after departure took about 90 minutes and consisted of five courses. We started with a small plate of canapes (shrimp toast, salmon toast, beef pastry) with which I enjoyed another glass of champagne. We then had a wild field green salad with balsamic vinagrette and a salmon mousse with shrimp topping. I choose the beef filet with steamed rice from the cart for my entree (other choices were a chicken with black fungus or seafood curry). Our fourth course was cheese/fruit - a selection of three types of cheeses with crackers and various fruits. Dessert was a caramel apple tart with vanilla sauce.

During the meal, I watched Oceans Eleven again and then after the movie, I settled in to sleep for about two hours. When I awoke, we were landing in Denpasar.

I Could Get Used to This

My first thought as we taxied to the Balinese terminal with the ocean on one side of us was "Wow!". This place is really paradise on earth.

Immigration took us about 45 minutes to clear (and we considered ourselves lucky as the folks ahead of us had waited for about 90 minutes). Judging from the bank of flights that landed shortly after ours, one should normally be prepared for a long hot sticky wait here.

A car and driver met us outside the terminal and took us to the Sheraton Laguna Nusa Dua. Twenty minutes later, we were pulling into the circular drive at this Luxury Collection property where we were immediately greeted by a concierge with cold towels. We were each escorted to our rooms (mine a second floor with a stunning view, Guy Betsy's a first floor suite with less of a view but much more spacious. We were both duly impressed with the property and our rooms, particularly considering the $95/night rate we were paying.

I decided that I needed to further alleviate my jet lag, so I headed to the spa for an aromatherapy massage ($30) and then back to shower for dinner.

We decided to walk down to the beach (again, "WOW") and then over to an oceanside restaurant at the Sheraton Nusa Indah next door.

We feasted on a huge Balinese appetizer tray and a grilled seafood basket (lobster, crab, fish, giant prawns) and topped it off with ice cream. During dinner, a lovely four-piece band strolled throughout playing.

By this point, I was exhausted and decided to call it a night (merely 9 pm) so that I could get on a normal schedule and shake any possibility of jet lag. Besides, Day Four would be a busy one as I had already decided to lengthen my stay in Bali by cutting a day or two off of my Hong Kong trip....

[This message has been edited by techgirl (edited 04-07-2002).]

Superb report! Can't wait for the next installment.

I think you will be taking more vacations now. Your really having a great time!!! Kudos

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
Besides, Day Four would be a busy one as I had already decided to lengthen my stay in Bali by cutting a day or two off of my Hong Kong trip....</font>

NOW you are starting to sound like a sensible person on vacation. (Why would anyone who needs a serious vacation leave the relaxing paradise of Bali so soon for the hustle and busle of Hong Kong?)

Sounds like you are having a good time so far http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif ...and not to worry - the office hasn't fallen apart (in the one day that I've been in charge that is). But you know how I am on Fridays anyway. I only vaguely remember being there!

Wow....wow.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starsmilie.gif

Techgirl, your trip reports are the Cathay Pacific of Trip Reports - pure class all the way! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Please keep it coming and enjoy Bali. It truly is one of the best places on Earth. How can one litle island fulfill the tourism A-Z so easily? Crappy (Kuta) to Cultured (Various places) with Crafty (Ubud), Classy (Nusa Dua) and Crazy (Adventure travel such as White Water Rafting) in between.

If you are in the mood to get wet and release the inner kid, the Waterbom Water Park near Kartika Plaza Beach Hotel (which is near the airport, in what I think is known as Tuban, but alas I can't remember for sure) will happily drain a few hours from your day.

Day Four

There is something delightful about waking up naturally with the sun streaking through the blinds on your french doors. You open your eyes and all you see is blue water and palm trees.

Welcome to my new world.

My day begins with the butler bringing me tea, which I sip in bed. Since it is only 6 am (yes, I'm already back on that Dallas waking thing) I'm reluctant to ring Guy Betsy so I lay around and read for a bit.

About 8:30, we end up meeting up. The first order of business was getting my CX ticket from DPS to HKG changed from Wednesday to Friday (no problem, thanks to traveling with my resident travel agent!). We then decided to go to the Galeria for breakfast. We take the open air shuttle ($0.20 each) over there and enjoy banana pancakes in the market.

The next three hours is heaven for me... marketplace shopping (although I'm mostly browsing as the real deals aren't in Nusa Dua). I spend 30 minutes getting my hair plaited as it is so sticky hot that my thick tresses don't stand a chance otherwise... now I won't have to mess with it at all for a few days.

By 1 pm, we've hit the point in the day where the heat is nearly unbearable. We headed back to the hotel compound and enjoyed some sashimi at one of the oceanside restaurants. Then Guy Betsy headed off to nap in the airconditioning while I put on a bikini, grabbed a novel, and headed for the beach.

Around 4:30, I headed back in and took a bath and tossed on a sundress. GB was still napping, so I headed up to the business center to enjoy some airconditioning and file Day Three of my trip report. Around 6:30, he rang me there and I met him in the lobby.

We decided to take a taxi to Kuta (about $4) and wander around in that more bustling area of town. We wandered around the main drag about. Kuta is definitely lower-end than Nusa Dua, but seems to have more young fun folks (whereas the resort I'm staying at tends to be lots of wealthy couples). I can easily see myself coming back here later in the week to hop through some of the surf bars.

We end up doing the ultimate "tacky tourist" dinner... Hard Rock Cafe. Dinner for two including my new favorite beer of the week (Bintang), an appetizer, and two desserts ran us $28 US.

My jet lag still needed one more day to give me late nights, so we headed back to Nusa Dua around 9 pm. I knew that with one more night of good sleep, I would be back on track!

Tell me again why I returned that ticket?

Next time you should thump me soundly over the head with something heavy if I try to resist. For my own good, of course.

Glad to hear you're having some relaxing fun. I wish I could remember what that's like...

This trip is (almost) as good as being on holiday myself.

Well, it's the nearest I am going to get in the short term so I'm enjoying it as if it is!

Stephen

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sjharte:
This trip is (almost) as good as being on holiday myself.

Well, it's the nearest I am going to get in the short term so I'm enjoying it as if it is!

Stephen</font>

I want to go..

I want to go..

If I click my heels three times, will I get there?? Or do I need to substitute a RUBY OW card for the high heels - (neither of which I have, I might add! HONEST GB!)

I can feel a mini-trip developing - Guy Betsy better get some time in SIN so that we can hit DPS in style...notwisthstanding our SIN-BKK-HKG-CPT-FRA-LHR-...etc... 'mini-trip' next month!!

MikeinSIN

Day Five

My jet lag seems to have gone away now. I was able to sleep through the night and I woke up around 8 am with the light streaming through the windows. I rang up GB who was just waking up himself, so we agreed to meet up for breakfast in about 45 minutes. I had to stop by the business center first, however, and given my internet addiction, we both ended up online for "just a minute" and into FT Chat. Yes, I'm an addict.

We headed down to the hotel buffet which turned out to be one of the most expensive meals we've had yet (about $38 US for both of us). Since it was nearly 10:30 at this point, I chalked it up as breakfast/lunch and filled up on cereal, pastry, bacon, and chicken congee along with fresh strawberry juice (and guava juice and watermelon juice - I just love all these different juices!).

We decided that some fresh air and sunshine was in order, so we grabbed books and headed out to one of the shaded pavillions near the ocean. From the privacy of our private escape, we were able to see everything around us while lounging on pillows and cushions. I took a nice walk on the beach for a bit and GB went for a swim in the hotel pool. Around 1:30, I bid him farewell as he headed to the airport to catch the flight back to HKG.

Around 2, I went to the spa for my daily treatment - today it was a lovely facial (US $38) and scalp/shoulder massage. After this, I was ready to crash (well, it was probably the multiple Bintangs I consumed while lounging and reading), but I first headed to the lobby for tea where I enjoyed a lemon meriange tart and some fried apples. Then it was naptime.

Sometime after sundown, I awoke and showered. I put on a skirt and sandals and caught a taxi to Kuta ($3 US). I shopped the main drag for awhile and stopped for a couple of Bintangs at various surf bars before stumbling across the place where I sit now - a bar/Internet cafe with access for about 3 cents a minute - MUCH cheaper than the hotel! So here I sit next to a cute Swedish backpacker... chatting with him and sipping a Bintang and catching up on e-mails.

I'm energized, so I imagine I'll stay down here another couple of hours or so (its 11 pm now) and perhaps grab some food. Tomorrow, however, will be a busy day - Darren set me up with his car/driver here, so I'm off to Ubud for the day.

Meantime, I can't think of anything more relaxing than sitting here listening to the band downstairs butcher various Eagles and Eric Clapton songs. Oh, but Swedish backpacker wants to go grab a drink elsewhere... I think I'm gone guys! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Jen, Your posts are a most welcome light into an otherwise drab day at the office, but please get on with enjoying your holiday without us. If you keep telling us everything so punctually we wont have time to imagine http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Enjoy the rest of you holiday - and when are you coming to the UK ??

Jon

Keep the reports coming and let's hear more about the Swedish backpacker!

I wanna go!!!

"....I shopped the main drag for awhile and stopped for a couple of Bintangs at various surf bars...."

I'm loving the reports. And I keep checking back here for the latest release.

As I recall, "bintang" is the Indonesian phrase for "red star". The red star is part of the logo for Heineken. So, in a way, bintang is available to you in Dallas. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Guy Betsy in HKG, regretting leaving BALI early.

However, I'll be taking names and numbers now for those who'd like me to go with them next time !

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Guy Betsy, be careful what you offer! From the reaction to techgirl's trip report, your date book could fill quickly with FTers wanting you in Bali. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Oh what a terrific trip report.

I have been trying to convince the Mrs. that Bali is calling our name and I think your trip report may just do the trick! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Waiting for the rest.

Well I'm pretty jealous. I wanted to go to Bali this year, but my lame friends lamed out on me.

Great report!

d

I want to hear more about the Swedish backpacker.... I hope he's included in the next installment!

Day Six

But first, the epilogue... so did she?

Yes, I did go for drinks with my new cute young friend. Young as in he is on his gap year... (and that my friends, is younger than me no matter how you slice it!). We ended up walking down to the (gasp!) Hard Rock Cafe, so taht now makes two nights in a row that I've hit that bastion of all things evil and touristy. We actually caught a pretty good band from Manila (I'm telling you the girl singing the Nelly Furtado cover needs to be signed to a major label and fast...) At this point, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open and since I was still a 25 minute cab ride away with a wake-up call coming in the morning, I gave my new friend a hug (and yes, a phone number) and went on my merry way.

Should I have considered it odd that my cabdriver was blasting Aqua on the way home? Perhaps...

I'm a blonde little girl in a fantasy world...

Come on Barbie let's go party, ah ah ah yeah...

And now the touristy stuff...

I had my first wake up call of the trip (ugh... nothing worse than forced waking on vacation) and I got ready and headed down to the restaurant for a bowl of chicken porridge. Since I was still early for my driver, I went by the business office and hopped on to check e-mail (so odd how my e-mails seem to be multiplying like rabbits now that I'm on vacation) and yes, to pop on chat for a few minutes.

My driver, Ketut, was waiting for me at 9:00. He seemed disappointed that I was not packed and planning on spending the night somewhere in central Bali. Throughout the day, he would encourage me to do something tomorrow or the day after... alas, I do not have much tolerance for touring, so what I would see today would have to do.

I made my priorities clear... art museum and shopping! Fortunately, we got to do both plus a few things extra he found that I might like.

Stop number one was in Batubulan (on the way to Ubud) where I got to see the famed Barong dance. This was most entertaining although I practically got attacked by vendors as I was leaving to get back in the car. Everyone, it seems, sets up here with the hope of hawking their wares to those leaving.

Our next stop was in the craft village of Celuk. Since I wanted to buy jewelry, this was the place for us to go. (Different villages are known for different types of handcrafts - one village we passed, for example, makes wooden ducks. And for a mile, that is all you see lining the roads is signs for various duckmakers.) I managed to talk myself into buying a few pieces, my favorite (destined to be added to the family Asian heirloom collection) are a delicate pair of ruby earrings set in gold and a silver link bracelet with large flat pearl insets (I absolutely couldn't bear the though of leaving without this bracelet and managed to bargain it down a bit but still, eeek!).

My driver also took me by places in other craft villages - one with paintings and one with wood carvings, but I managed to pass. I got quite a nostalgic chuckle in the wood store, as both of my parents as well as my maternal grandparents lived and worked in Asia at one point, so I grew up SURROUNDED by this sort of bric-a-brac. Saying no to any more was quite easy as a result, although I found it quite humorous that they had the SAME pieces that my mother had bought in Laos here in Indonesia. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

We reached Ubud around noon and went to the Monkey Forest. I quite enjoyed this side trip and got to learn quite literally what the phrase "monkey on ones back" means. I have a photo to prove it. (My driver was attempting to snap my photo feeding bananas to the monkeys and in the process, one dropped out of a tree onto my shoulders and I started spinning in circles trying to get it off of me.)

We were in central Ubud around 1 pm and I took two hours to go grab some lunch (some nasi goreng and a nice piece of banana cake) and do more shopping. Okay - this is where my one weakness even worse than shoes kicked in. Yep... I now own eight more purses than I did yesterday. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Our next stop was the Neka Art Museum. As anyone who has traveled with me can attest to, the only thing I enjoy even more than shopping and eating local food is hitting museums. This one did not disappoint. I managed to spend well over an hour in the relatively small museum and even came away with a small book about a local painter who I'm now fascinated with - Arie Smit.

At this point, grey clouds were enveloping the sky and I decided we might be best calling it a day since it would still be a 60 to 90 minute drive back to Nusa Dua. We did make one side detour to a batik store where I was able to watch the dying process (although my mother taught me batik long ago) and buy a sarong and a couple of other things I didn't need.

Interesting observations of the day...

1. The whole haggling thing varies from place to place. At one of the jewelry stores I went to, they openly encouraged me to haggle... at the other, they obliged, but were much stingier, yet they applied a flat 40% discount up front. At the batik store, the girl quoted me a price below the tags... and then pulled me behind a clothes rack and agreed to give me a much lower price if I would give her a small sum (about $2 US) upstairs after I had checked out.

2. While the central region of Bali is beautiful, the poverty was not enjoyable for me to see. We drove along with roosters running in the street in a city area and emaciated dogs (I'm talking one bone away from death) with open wounds playing with school children.

3. I would not want to drive here... the roads are all two lanes with no shoulder - and they have relatively heavy foot traffic. There is no center line and it is not uncommon to see a truck driver barrel down the center narrowly missing scooters on either side.

Night again...

It is past dusk when we finally make it back to the hotel. I head up to take a shower and decide to pull the braids out of my hair (one because my scalp hurts from lack of movement and two because I'm being constantly mistaken for Australian with them in for some reason). The Queen Mother's funeral is on, so I start watching that when my Swedish friend calls. Apparently he has been trying to ring all day, but the hotel screens calls so heavily (due to issues with local businesses harassing tourists) that he couldn't leave a message.

I agree to meet him down in Kuta at the internet cafe where I am now. I once again have a Bintang in hand and the atrocious cover band downstairs is butchering Pink Floyd. God I love this place.

Oh, how I wish, how I wish you were here....

Gee, if you had not given your mother the link to this site we could have the whole story about your new young friend.

But 8 purses?? Is the big suitcase filled yet? Did you buy me a present?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
Okay - this is where my one weakness even worse than shoes kicked in. Yep... I now own eight more purses than I did yesterday. </font>

Considering the lack of room you have for new purses, I would be MORE than happy to let you store some over at my place. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by PeachesBB (edited 04-09-2002).]

This is the perfect Trip Report from what sounds like the perfect trip. I look forward to each installment.

Can't wait to take a trip to Bali.

Great reading, thanks!

[This message has been edited by DFWTripGuy (edited 04-09-2002).]

I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to control myself. I've never had the slightest interest in Bali until now. (A business trip to Jakarta a couple of years ago put me off that part of the world), but da*m Techgirl, you are changing my mind.

Can a 51 year old guy have half as much fun in Bali as you seem to be having? I haven't had a real vacation in five years, though I've vowed to do it this year. My travel agent was recommending a Tahitian cruise, but you've got me thinking....

Have a great time and keep the reports coming, and ... safe trip home.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ss278:
Can a 51 year old guy have half as much fun in Bali as you seem to be having? I haven't had a real vacation in five years, though I've vowed to do it this year. My travel agent was recommending a Tahitian cruise, but you've got me thinking....

Have a great time and keep the reports coming, and ... safe trip home.</font>

Techgirl will be meeting me in HKG for some serious dimsum attack before she heads home...

But to your question ... can a 51 year old have as much fun as we did in Bali?

YES and probably more fun so! BALI is definitely a lot cheaper than Tahiti... and a lot more to do around the islands. You can lie and bake in the sun, venture to the mountains, stay in the mountainous regions and in the hills... People are friendly (especially in the countryside) and one can live quite comfortably in a chalet or bungalow for under US$30 a night meals included (in the countryside). As far as 'safety' is concerned, BALI is majority HINDU and they take their religion seriously.

I have a couple of postcards left over... give me your address and I'll send one over to show you what you're missing! I had fun... and I don't even like lying in the sun!

Gosh I'm beginning to sound like an ad!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PeachesBB:
Considering the lack of room you have for new purses, I would be MORE than happy to let you store some over at my place. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by PeachesBB (edited 04-09-2002).]</font>

Hi Peaches.... I can tell you that Techgirl stopped at every store that had shoes, purses and dresses in the windows! Expect MORE than the one suitcase she brought over to accompany her home!

Simply amazing... I was thinking New Zealand in October for my vacation, but perhaps Bali will just have to do!! Nice report...

One comment... those "minimum wage" security people, are hardly minimum wage now that they're govt workers. If it makes you feel any better they now make more than most regional PILOTS (well, atleast the FOs) the ones that fly you around... pretty amazing stuff huh?

Enjoy the rest of your trip and I'm so looking forward to the reutrn...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SanDiego1K:

Moss green jammies? Uh oh - time for me to fly Cathay again. I've got khaki colored ones.</font>
CX is issuing a mixture, some flights are still khaki (as of April 9). You might want to wait a while for the green ones to infiltrate the system. What a great line for the customs inspector:
"Reason for your trip sir?"
"I wanted to get green jammies from Cathay".
They've probably heard it before.

Day Seven

But First, the Day Six Addendum

Logged off the internet after checking my multiple e-mail accounts (I'm trying to stay on top of the personal e-mail knowing that that the work account will take me about a day to clear when I get back). Perre and I stayed at the Apache for a little while longer (I'm telling you, nothing is more amusing than listening to a foreign cover band try to sing songs in English that they learned phonetically). We decided that it was too loud to talk there, however, so we headed down Jl. Legion and settled on the Sari Club. The beer was cold and before long, the place was hopping. We had the chance to chat for a couple of hours before the noise level got to be too much to bear - he is on his first week of three months of backpacking and already having a few second thoughts. Apparently, save for an Australian surfer on the way from Jakarta to Bali, I'm the first person who has been friendly to him and he is worried that backpacking is not all he thought it would be. I told him that while solo travel would take some getting used to, that eventually he WOULD meet interesting people. It made me wonder whether there is some sort of Flyer Talk-like place for backpackers... surely there has to be!

'round midnight, we decided it was best for me to be getting back to Nusa Dua. It was funny tonight... with my hair out of braids and back long, I had to endure a lot of catcalls from the locals that I hadn't before. Of course, I took the braids out because everyone kept - 1. assuming I was Australian and 2. thinking I was about 10 years younger than I am. Surprisingly, my hair is behaving in the humidity, so perhaps the braids were an unnecessary step to begin with.

Hotter than....

I again slept in (so NICE to not be woken by an alarm or wake up call) and then headed to the business center to check e-mail (hey, the free coffee and pastry makes the cost of checking e-mail and logging onto chat from the hotel still much cheaper than the breakfast buffet downstairs!).

I then grabbed one of my new books and headed down to the beach to lay out. I decided that the sun was better by the lagoon pool, however, so I soon moved back up.

Completely engrossed in my book, I made it through thirteen chapters (and a small prawn/garlic pizza) before I realized that my skin was feeling a bit sensitive. I headed back up the room where I discovered that my skin was about twenty shades darker than that under the bikini - yep, I'm burned.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in slow motion - finishing my novel, getting completely caught up on my trip report journal, having tea downstairs, and watching Fast Times at Ridgmont High on cable.

I decided that tonight would be a good night to lay low, so I will be conserving my energy and hanging out on property tonight so that I have the energy to finish my shopping tomorrow (and no, I DON'T need another suitcase and in fact, the bubble wrap is still filling about 1/2 of it!) and make one last trip to Kuta tomorrow night. I'm sure Perre will be ringing my room shortly to find out what time I'm coming into town tonight, but I'll be passing. Besides, it is good for him to get out on his own and perhaps meet some travelers that are closer to his own age (don't get me wrong... the boy is CUTE, but my downward cut off age is 25 and he is still years away from that, I suspect!).

The great novel, by the way, is Backpack by Emily Barr. It is a witty British piece that details a year spent backpacking in Asia. One part Bridget Jones meets Prozac Nation with some murder mystery thrown in to boot. I couldn't put it down... of course, parts of it were almost relevant to the current trip at hand (murder and Prozac aside).

I'm most definitely glad that I decided to no fly to Hong Kong today... the extra two days have been great for me. For those who have seen me in recent weeks, the circles are gone from under my eyes and my skin/hair look healthy again. It is a wonder what good sleep and some fresh air will do for a girl, not to mention a tan!

Oh, and Peaches - please take note, we DO need to start tanning again at lunch. And I'm back on the workout routine as soon as I get over the jetlag upon return!

[This message has been edited by techgirl (edited 04-10-2002).]

You're following my advice, and enjoying your vacation. Way to go! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

------------------
The perfect ladies' man is a perfect gentleman.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
Hi Peaches.... I can tell you that Techgirl stopped at every store that had shoes, purses and dresses in the windows! Expect MORE than the one suitcase she brought over to accompany her home!

</font>


So I gather that should I take the wife on a vacation like this I'll basically be stuck shopping all the time. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Enjoy HKG, Jen! I hope it's not TOO much of an assault on the senses after Bali.

[This message has been edited by kanebear (edited 04-10-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
Hi Peaches.... I can tell you that Techgirl stopped at every store that had shoes, purses and dresses in the windows! Expect MORE than the one suitcase she brought over to accompany her home! </font>

BUSTED! (Thanks Guy Betsy!) I believe TG was just mentioning how her closet needed to be cleaned out because she just has too much stuff. Sounds like it may be time for a Spring Cleaning party at TG's place (once the jet lag wears off). Any other volunteers? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
Day Seven Oh, and Peaches - please take note, we DO need to start tanning again at lunch. And I'm back on the workout routine as soon as I get over the jetlag upon return!

[This message has been edited by techgirl (edited 04-10-2002).]</font>

I actually started back on the tanning sessions over the weekend. I decided that I couldn't have the summery hair without the summery glow to go with it. AND I've even been back in the gym this week (although I'm just easing back in with some cardio - haven't hit the weights hardcore yet). Of course, now our illustrious coworkers are teasing me and saying I should be in Calvin Klein ads showing off the new look of the season - nuclear chic. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Gym time has not been a problem. Time to get back to tanning though, so I can sport the bronze tone for the Freddies. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

"Spring Cleaning" Party? I'm in! Although I have the feeling that we'll be doing more partying than cleaning. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

------------------
The perfect ladies' man is a perfect gentleman.

Spring cleaning? HAH! I'll bring the fajitas/steaks and the beer but I don't even clean at home (which Mrs. Kanebear constantly gets on my ... about since the housekeeper is on vacation now).

Techgirl, I just found a place in HKG that MAKES handbags and other fashionable COPY brands that I have to bring you.

And oh yeah... dinner on Sat night is confirmed.

Techgirl, before you leave you might want to pop down to the Elemis day spa in the Wing and check out their skin care products. I had a massage and facial and loved it, and brought Mrs. Kanebear back a ton of their stuff. She liked it enough that she asked when I was going back on one of my "crazy trips" so I could get her more. This is a woman who HATES it when I do mileage runs.

OK,

Now I know why I love this site. I could read these kind of reports all the time and really find out where the nice vacation places are.

Now I only have to save up another 100,000 points so I can take my other half with me. But for 135,000 each (hopefully I can do this on UA) I think it would be a great second honeymoon. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Leave the kids with grandma and really enjoy http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Techgirl, Keep them coming and enjoy the great vacation.

Day Eight

Up with the Sun....

... or something like that. I went to bed last night at an ungodly early hour (I think I was asleep about 20 minutes after my room service tray was carried away) due to an overdose of sun and heat (yeah, and maybe a couple too many Bintangs early in the day). You would think after the near sunstroke incident in Vegas a couple of weeks ago that I would have learned my lesson, but NO...

So I had the good (??) fortune of waking up about 5 am today. Since my body absolutely refused to go back to sleep, I decided that maybe I should go out to the beach since we are on the east coast and the sun would be coming up on the ocean side. Smart move. I think I stayed out there for about two hours... picked up a couple of pocketsful of shells and other found objects in the morning tide, got my feet (and skirt) thoroughly soaked by walking in the sand, and shot some photos that have some definite potential.

Since my skin was still bright red this morning, anything involving sun or things touching me was out of the question for today. I grabbed some breakfast and then headed upstairs to the business center where I ended up online for about two hours.

I guess this is the point where I'm supposed to confess that 1. I'm addicted to the Internet and 2. I'm getting a bit bored around here because the Sheraton is too darned quiet. Shops in Nusa Dua open at 10 am, so shortly thereafter I took a shuttle over to the Galeria to do some gift shopping. I ended up back at the hotel as soon as the post-lunch shuttles started running.

Irritation

I should point out that sooner or later in just about every trip I take, that I start to get irritable and cranky (and I'm sure my mom or Peaches or any of the other FTers who have traveled with me will jump in here and affirm that). Today was that day. I'm annoyed that I can't walk down the street or past a shop or even sit quietly and wait for the hotel shuttle without ten people stopping me - "excuse me madam" - and then pushing me for something. Everyone seems aggressive today and it is getting on my nerves. I decided that a nice bath and some quiet time in my room would help.

Serenity Now

Of course, something else helps me relax too. A coworker of mine (who spent his older youth in Indonesia) strongly requested that I pick him up a pack of Gudang Garam cigarettes. (Mom, this is the part where you may want to skip to the next paragraph....) Apparently, these local wonders are a clove/hemp combination and he said they are unlike any commercial cigarette in the US and yet they are legal. His pack smelled so good that I decided to grab my own pack to try (now granted, I haven't smoked a regular cigarette since about 1995). When I got back up to the room, it was being cleaned, so I headed out to the balcony and lit up. Wow. Now I'm not sure about the properties of these puppies, but they definitely weren't commercial tobacco. They have a pleasant, almost sweet smell, and produce enough smoke to blow billowing smoke rings. I got a very pleasant headrush and all of the sudden, my irritation is gone. Now I've never used my duty free cigarette allowance before, but let me just say - if they have a carton of these tomorrow at the airport, I will be exercising that allowance. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Around 3-ish, I decide to make my last trip into Kuta and so I got dressed and pulled my hair back and grabbed a taxi into town.

I got the final remmnants of my shopping done. Bali really does have incredible stores. No, Guy Betsy , I didn't end up spending a fortune at the Uluwatu lace place (although mom is getting a pretty cool gift from there!) or buying stuff at Animale (which reminds me of Chicos back home). I did, however, fall in love with the Surfer Girl store (I'm showing my age here) - and I now own two MORE pairs of shoes and one MORE purse. (And yes, Peaches , you are right... it IS time to clean my closet out again. And I'm sure that mother much prefers that you haul the loot off than for me to stuff yet another bag up in the attic!). I've been very good at resisting buying new clothes this week (save for a couple of "polo" shirts to get me by) - but I have some definite design elements in mind for when I get home. I think it may be about time to take my sewing machine in to be repaired!

I grabbed a nice dinner at The Maccaroni Club (a place that I really think belongs in Dallas in Deep Ellum, not in Kuta) - it came highly recommended from both guide books and local publications and I second this. Great food and they make a mean mojito! And they have free internet access for patrons to boot.

The rain started coming down around 7:30. I had to make one last stop by the Hard Rock to pick up something for a friend. After this, I decided that I might want to head back to Nusa Dua and pack since my wake-up call would be coming at 5:30 am.

What I'll Be Missing

I have to get the hell out of Dodge tomorrow morning because life here will begin to wind down tomorrow afternoon. Saturday is Nyepi Day or the beginning of the Saka New Year. The entire island observes a 24-hour period of silence - shops, restaurants, and even roads are closed. No one can go outside their home, light fires, turn on lights, cook meals, engage in any type of entertainment, or otherwise do anything but be silent.

Tomorrow ceremonies will begin - in the morning, there will be animal sacrifices and at dusk, a loud rite will be conducted to drive away evil spirits.

I'm sorry to miss this, but I do need to get back to Hong Kong to catch the flight on Sunday... and tomorrow is my last opportunity. So now I'm off to pack up the goods (and yes, I'm still in one suitcase (albeit 9 purses and 3 pairs of shoes heavier) and grab some sleep.

Hmmm!!! Are you going to be joining me in the smoking rooms then http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Although I have promised myself to quit &lt;now that is quite a joke&gt;, but I'm sure I could be entinced to try one of those 'special' cigarettes

Have a great time in HKG!!!

Its almost as if we have been on holiday with you...... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This is a very nice report techgirl I hope you enjoy HKG.I had a great time there last month keep the report coming .. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Serenity Now

Costanza from Seinfeld? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Enjoying the report, keep them coming!
-dp

Great Report! Now I want to go to Bali even more. Have been to Jakarta, but guess this is something totally different...

Day Nine

After a nice evening strolling a few of the shops/bars in Kuta, I turned in with the thought of "oh, I'll pack in the morning".

Well, that 5:15 am wake up call was a shock to this poor girl's system this morning. I asked for another at 5:30 and, using that telephonic snooze button, sighed and got my arse out of bed. The bubble wrap is gone from the suitcase now. Frankly I don't understand... I only bought three new pairs of shoes and nine new purses (well, eight for me, but someone, ahem, is getting one of her own...). Oh, and a few new tops, and a few gifts to take home. I'm still working on the logistics of it all when the bellboy comes at 6:15.

Now the front desk suggested I leave for the airport no later than 6:30 for my 9:10 flight (they actually suggested 6:00, but even I thought that was too extreme)... I was thinking more like 7:00, but I compromised, mainly because I didn't have my paper ticket reissued after extending my stay.

Of course, my ticket was reissued, my departure tax paid, and I was through immigration at 7:05. (Gee, and the last ticket reissue I had on AA that was on an international itinerary took over an hour at DFW.) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Cathay uses the Premier Lounge at DPS (shared with Singapore and just about every other freakin airline, although at the early hour, JUST Singapore) and they had a small breakfast spread. This, however, didn't interest me as I took off for the corner and the one free internet terminal. I busied myself on AOL Instant Messenger with mashav for a good thirty minutes and got caught up on e-mail. About 8:00, I headed down to buy that carton of Gudang Garam cigarettes and then on to the gate where they were already boarding.

We had a light load up front on our flight... I counted eight people total in the cabin. We took off in the pouring rain (it has been nonstop since yesterday afternoon) and I said goodbye to Bali for awhile. The flight went by quickly and our cabin crew was about as good as an AA or UA domestic F crew. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Meal service was lighter from DPS to HKG than it was coming down. We started with fresh guava juice and macademia nuts and continued with a fruit plate. I had the Indonesian fried rice and chicken satay for lunch (other options were eggs and steak or grilled red snapper) along with a crossiant. Dessert was a nice banana cheesecake with orange sauce.

I settled in to watch Oceans Eleven (yet again) and then watched part of Kate and Leopold (again) before we landed in Hong Kong.

Once in Hong Kong, I made it through immigration and collected my jumbo suitcase (now marked as overweight baggage by CX!) and headed for the Airport Express. The ride into Hong Kong is definitely quick and comfortable (as compared to trying to go from Narita into Tokyo) and I hit Hong Kong Station in under 25 minutes as promised. There I caught the shuttle to the Conrad.

Stellar HHonors service began the moment I stepped out of the shuttle bus. A bellman grabbed my oversize bag from on board while I was whisked inside. The front desk staff had someone personally escort me to the 59th floor where I was checked in by the executive lounge staff. My room on the 58th floor has a nice city view (hey, I wasn't exactly expecting a harbour view room on an award stay!) and I must say, I'm most impressed. Chocolates and fruit in the room along with red long stemmed roses. Lots of little amenities. I'm definitely not missing Bali now!

My doorbell rang three times in the first ten minutes... first by the gentleman bringing me my personalized Conrad stationary, then by the lady delivering me tea, and finally by the bellman lugging that darned heavy bag. Guy Betsy rang from the lobby shortly thereafter and I went down to get him and he came back up with me while I got changed.

We went into Pacific Place (connected to the Conrad) and I did a small amount of shopping (I'm still not getting past how cheap everything is!) and then we went back up to the Executive Lounge where I grabbed a bite to eat and a couple of cocktails. GB bid me farewell for the night (we'll meet again tomorrow for dim sum, shopping, and then dinner) and now I sit in the loud bustling lobby business center typing this before I head out to do more damage.

I think tonight I'll be staying close by... doing a bit of shopping and then heading in for a bubble bath (with my Conrad rubber ducky afloat) before turning in early so I have lots of energy for tomorrow.

Thanks for the great reports! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Hoping to take my gf to Bali in September... cannot wait!!! And of course on CX First from the US as well!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Great reading! Brings back fond memories of our visit to DPS and HKG four years ago.

We actually rented a car in Bali. However, driving there was an adventure! Mainly because the roads were so poorly marked. One day we wanted to visit the volcano but got off the indicated routing (read lost). However, I figured as long as we were going uphill we would get there eventually! And we did, discovering some lovely places along the way, like Ubud.

We also stayed at the Conrad Hong Kong and thoroughly enjoyed it. And we still have our rubber ducky!!

yay! you got the cigarettes!
(not that I otherwise don't care that you are having a good time...)

Glad to see you are having a wonderful trip. I need to go to Bali. I stayed two months ago on a day rate ($170 USD) and they barely gave me the time of day at the Conrad. And I am a Diamond member too. No chocolates, no roses......Some girls have all the luck! When I stayed there the previous year as a regular HHonors member they gave me a really nice suite. Oh well http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I am sooooooooooo®© jealous!

Rudi

Great trip report! I hope you took some pictures and add them on your homepage. I'm soooo curious to know where GB and you had Dim Sum. Don't let me wait any longer.

Hi techgirl - Excellent report! I'm green with envy

Thanks for such a great trip report. I now know where my summer vacation will be http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Louise

Day Ten - Spectacular City

Is there anything more fantastic than opening your eyes and looking directly out the window into the Hong Kong skyline?

This was, of course, after I went to sleep in my cozy Conrad room doing the same (this after riding the MTR to Causeway Bay and poking around the shops for a bit and then coming back for a nice long bubble bath with the rubber ducky). Those cozy sheets (and my cozy CX jammies) were too much for this tired girl and I slept like a baby.

Of course, my stateside "wake up at 6 am every freakin day" routine has somehow followed me to Asia. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif I didn't want to call and wake Sleeping Beauty yet, so I waited until 7 am, grabbed the South China Post from the door, and headed to the executive lounge for a couple of bowls of congee. I have to say that I'm getting spoiled, first by the Sheraton in Bali and now here, by staff members who remember my name on sight. That is SUCH a nice touch and it doesn't happen nearly as often in the US.

I went back to the room to shower and get ready and then made plans to meet up with Guy Betsy 'round 11, which leaves me plenty of time to go back to Pacific Place and walk around the shops more.

At 11, we took the MTR over to Central and went to the leather shop in the Mandarin Oriental so GB could pick something up. This place is fabulous... they do wonderful crocodille Hermes bag copies for about $300 US. Unbelievable... I'll be coming back here on my NEXT trip.

We then rode the Star Ferry to Kowloon and stopped for dim sum at the Jade Garden. I love dim sum... but this was even more fun than in the US. We had all sorts of goodies (and even robbed the dessert cart of the last plates of mango cake) and then waddled over to the Chinese Handicrafts store. I bought several pieces of Chinese silk by the meter (now I've got to get my sewing machine repaired!) and a couple of other odds and ends.

We then decided to wander Nathan Street as I was in search of a pair of Sony NC-11's (which a colleague of mine was unable to even find on the Sony US website). We wandered about a dozen stores, but no one on the Kowloon side had them (not to fear, the shop at Pacific Place did!). Guy Betsy obliged my need to wander into every shoe store too... fortunately for my wallet, I'm so tall and my feet are so big that almost nothing in the shops fits me, so buying clothes or shoes was out of the question.

After all that, we were getting a bit weary, so we decided to stop at the old Regent for high tea. I decided to let GB have a few hours to himself (although he was doing a GREAT job as tour guide and shopping companion), so we made plans to meet back up for dinner later.

I continued my fun by heading to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. As I've said before, my favorite thing in any city is the museum. This one did not disappoint. I have always had a weakness for Asian arts... in fact, a lot of my own artwork is Asian-influenced. The first exhibition I recall seeing in a major museum as a child was The Bronze Age of China and I spend way too much time at the Freer and the Sackler when in DC. This was definitely a world-class museum (and I'll leave it at that lest I start rambling on for paragraphs and bore you all to tears, although if anyone else out there is an art junkie like me, I would be glad to go on and on about it).

I got back to the hotel about 6:30 and had a message from GB that he was in the lobby having tea again with his cousin! I went down there and he suprised me that he had gone and picked up my NC-11s for me while I was at the museum! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif We agreed to meet for dinner around 8:15 so I had time to enjoy a glass of champagne in the Executive Lounge before getting ready for dinner.

At 8:15, a driver picked us up at the Conrad (with GB and his business partner) and we went to GAIA, a restaurant that one of GB's cousins is a partner in. The next three hours was culinary bliss... our group of nine enjoyed several courses of fabulous Italian food, several bottles of good wine (and good grappa and good port) and Guy Betsy's birthday torte as well!

We had planned to head out to the clubs, but after all the food, we all were ready to hit our pillows.

And thus another great day on vacation ended... with techgirl about ten pounds heavier from all that food!

There is no such thing as good grappa...blech http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Not only do I want to hear *all* about the museum, I'll even buy you a drink to encourage you! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Such fun to find another museum addict.

Glad to hear you're having such a great time. I should get my butt over there ASAP because this *green* tinge is not flattering http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BingoSF:
Not only do I want to hear *all* about the museum, I'll even buy you a drink to encourage you!

Such fun to find another museum addict.</font>I second that!

A quick note that I like to compare museums on is the lack of back-tracking. The Rijksmuseum, does not fare well in this category... right geo?

Just a quick note that I WILL get Day Eleven up within the next 48 hours... I promise!

Right now, my body clock is completely off kilter though... I woke up at 3:45 this morning (after going to bed at midnight) and unable to go back to sleep, I ended up at my gym when it opened and then at the office at least 90 minutes early than I EVER get there.

I have to say that Peaches did a stellar job keeping everything under control while I was gone (okay... I actually DID hear about the craps game that my team was running one afternoon... AHEM!) - I *only* had about 180 e-mails to plow through so my day was calmer than I anticipated!

Glad to see you've made it back in one piece.

This whole "virtual vacation with techgril" is a fun experience!!!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
(okay... I actually DID hear about the craps game that my team was running one afternoon... AHEM!)</font>

If Peaches won all the money, and she's willing to share with you, then you should probably forget the whole thing. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I'm glad you're back, and looking forward to the final installment. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

(Edited to put the spotlight on Peaches!)




[This message has been edited by studley (edited 04-15-2002).]

Oops. Duplicate post.

Don't you just hate it when you press the "Zig" button instead of the "Zag" button?

[This message has been edited by studley (edited 04-15-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
I have to say that Peaches did a stellar job keeping everything under control while I was gone (okay... I actually DID hear about the craps game that my team was running one afternoon... AHEM!)</font>

Hey, the Peachy-one was just an innocent bystander in that episode. I was outnumbered...what else could I do?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
Right now, my body clock is completely off kilter though... I woke up at 3:45 this morning (after going to bed at midnight) and unable to go back to sleep, I ended up at my gym when it opened and then at the office at least 90 minutes early than I EVER get there.
</font>

I feel for you. The 3 am wakeups are the one thing I hate about Asia travel. Going over is no problem... but coming back takes a while to adjust. Welcome home and may you recouperate and readjust soon!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
Right now, my body clock is completely off kilter though... I woke up at 3:45 this morning (after going to bed at midnight) and unable to go back to sleep, I ended up at my gym when it opened and then at the office at least 90 minutes early than I EVER get there.
</font>

I feel for you. The 3 am wakeups are the one thing I hate about Asia travel. Going over is no problem... but coming back takes a while to adjust. Welcome home and may you recouperate and readjust soon!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kanebear:
I feel for you. The 3 am wakeups are the one thing I hate about Asia travel. Going over is no problem... but coming back takes a while to adjust. Welcome home and may you recouperate and readjust soon!</font>

Jeez. Some of us get that when returning from Pacific Standard/Daylight Time. Who needs Asia http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.



------------------
Saving the world, one clue at a time.

techgirl, what a faaaaaaabulous report. It's been said before, but I really felt I was right there with you - carried me away from the office for a while there!

Consider yourself the reigning Trip Report Goddess© - and yes, this is several rungs above 'Princess' http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif. Between your and Seat 2A's sterling efforts to keep us entertained I don't see how I'm supposed to get any work done...

Techgirl,

Great Report!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

mad_atta

I am not sure if your "Princess" comment was a cut at me but forgive me if I have offended you or anyone in anyway. If I have offended you please let me know.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by prncess674:
mad_atta

I am not sure if your "Princess" comment was a cut at me but forgive me if I have offended you or anyone in anyway. If I have offended you please let me know.</font>

Prncess... not a cut on you. Go see WT36's trip report on Quantas (around pages 5 or 6) to see what this was all about.

princess674, my humblest apologies - that remark was certainly not directed at you or any other princess - as explained by Techgirl's post above.

&lt;wiping brow at narrow escape from yet another flame war to complement those flaring up elsewhere on FT just now... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif &gt;

Thanks for the heads up on the other thread. I had stopped reading that thread when it reached probably page 3 because I knew it was sinking low fast. Besides all the "princess" comments didn't start to pop up in the other thread until I was fast asleep over here in the UK.

I was definitly not trying to start anything here, but I guess I was having princess size paranoia over here trying figure out what this comment was in reference to.

techgirl can be a princess anyday ...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Just a quick note that I WILL get Day Eleven up within the next 48 hours... I promise! </font>

Mmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm.

Come on, techgirl, you're leaving us all in suspense!!!!

- Sameer

I was thinking the same thing.

Techgirl, I need to get home, I've got work to do.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ss278:
I was thinking the same thing.

Techgirl, I need to get home, I've got work to do.</font>


Ack! I understand that feeling... I *WILL* have this up by the end of the weekend, I promise.

That "work to do" thing is what has been hitting me... Peaches kept the team in line while I was gone, but on Monday and Tuesday, I had to deal with a resignation, my partner's mother-in-law's stroke, and about five hundred other smaller things that needed my attention.

Oh, and I'm *still* waking up at 3 am every morning and trying to figure out where the heck I am.

Conclusion coming soon, I swear. But right now this TAP needs to get back to work....

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:

Conclusion coming soon, I swear. But right now this TAP needs to get back to work....</font>

Oh wait... what am I saying? I'm a Texas American Princess... daddy's money pays for everything. I guess I need to get back to shopping or nail polishing or something. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

I miss you, Techgirl!

I'm off to SYD, MEL, CPT, LHR and NYC. I'll give ya a wave when I fly over the TAP's hometown of DFW on my way to SAN next month!

[This message has been edited by Guy Betsy (edited 04-19-2002).]

Day Eleven - The Journey Concludes

Farewell Conrad

Another nice early morning in Hong Kong. (It still baffles the mind how I can seem to wake up at 6:00 am now matter WHICH time zone I'm in if I get a good night of sleep!) I spent a lazy hour in bed doing nothing better than laying there and looking out the window before the Executive Lounge opened.

Once 7:00 am rolled around, I trudged down the the lounge and spent an hour reading the paper and enjoying a light breakfast (for some reason, all the food from the night before was still lodged firmly in my gut, I fear!) and a couple of pots of tea.

I managed to get back to sleep when I got upstairs for about ninety minutes and then spent an equal amount of time grooming and attempting to pack everything into my suitcase(s) which now included the 20" duffel I had now pulled out of the once monster-sized suitcase. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I checked out right before noon and had a taxi take me to the Airport Express station so I wouldn't have to lug my suitcases on the bus. Once at the station, I went straight inside to the CX counter and checked my luggage and got my boarding and lounge passes. Now relieved of all but my trusty backpack, I grabbed a cup of Starbucks (my first in almost two weeks) and headed to wait for the train.

The train ride to the airport takes 22 minutes, I believe. On the way in, I had luggage, so I sat in a front seat by the baggage racks. This time, I was able to grab a window in the middle and was pleased to see the seatback monitors with multiple channels of visitor information, airport information, and headline news.

Hong Kong International Airport

Once at the airport, I was able to go straight to change currency and into the immigration line. It took about 15 minutes to get through and then it was a quick turn to The Wing. Instead of going straight there, however, I decided to do the last of my duty-free shopping since I had promised to pick Peaches up a bottle of Kaluha and I needed Lancome and reading material (note to self - next time, bring more books - three is not enough to last a whole trip!). I had wanted to check out the UA Red Carpet Club, but its not possible to get down there and back without going through arrivals, according to Guy Betsy, so instead, I put that idea aside for the next trip.

I headed to The Wing around 1:30 and spent two hours sipping champagne and catching up on e-mail and other internet stuff. After three or four glasses, it was time to head down to the gate since the LAX flight was the only one of the afternoon's North American flights that appeared to be departing on time (and because of this, The Wing was more crowded than usual - the other flights should have cleared out before the LA flight left).

CX One More Time

When I got to the gate, boarding had already started and it looked like a good crowd was boarding with F, J, and elite folks. I was suprised to get on and find myself the only person seated so far in a 12-seat F cabin. Not to worry, the FA informed me that it would be a full load in F. Still, I had the opportunity to enjoy a glass of Krug Grande Cuvee and some type of horrid fish appetizer before anyone else even entered the F cabin.

I had seat 1A for this flight which would prove delightful (as many others had informed me). This seat is in the narrow nose of the 747 and save for the person sitting in 1K, has no view of anyone else in the cabin and no foot traffic. This was most appreciated, as I knew I would want to sleep at least a little bit on the flight home.

Menus were passed out shortly after takeoff and my champagne flow restored. (Nothing like enjoying as much Krug as possible!) Cart service was used for the caviar course and I enjoyed a huge mound of Oscietra and three thick pieces of Balik salmon with creme fraiche.

For my starter, I selected the corn and clam chowder. It was during this course that we hit a huge patch of turbulence that actually sent the FAs back to their seats (I should point out that the turbulence was VERY bad across the Pacific this particular evening - so bad that I was not at all suprised to learn that an airliner had crashed in Korea). The water in my glass and my soup were sloshed to bits but the FAs came and changed the table linens and fixed everyones beverages, etc. as soon as the patch had ended.

My main course was an herb-crusted beef tenderloin with fondant potatoes and roasted vegetables. I must way that this seemed to be the most appealing of the entrees but I didn't find it to be any better than the beef selections on AA. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif I do love the CX garlic bread, however, and the FA let me have plenty. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I did, however, have a lovely sampling of cheeses (four or five kinds) when the cheese cart was wheeled through along with two glasses of Dow's port. Dessert followed with creme pastries and Haagen-Daaz ice cream with toppings.

I feel the need to confess that I watched Oceans Eleven AGAIN during the meal. (Yes, I know... I'm off to buy the DVD today.) The entertainment on the 747 is not nearly as good as they don't have the interactive cinema or CD on demand service. The games, however, are better.

I decided to take an Ambien and put my moss green jammies (yes, I got a new set along with the same slippers/eyeshade and amenity kit - this time with a silver pillbox - that we got on the outbound) on. I'm not sure if after six or seven glasses of champagne plus two glasses of port that the Ambien was necessary... in any event, with that plus the cozy duvet, I slept about seven hours.

Now I have to say that there seemed to be some type of diplomatic or trade delegation occupying most of F on this flight - seemed like old southern good ol boys and their stuffy pampered trophy wives. One of these trophy wives sat across from me in 1K and proceeded to eye me and glare throughout the flight. Okay, yes... I'm a young female traveling alone, but I was well-dressed (black slacks, twinset) and well-groomed. This was quite annoying. The only friendly looks that weren't from the crew came from a cute dark-haired young gentleman in the first row of J who I could see every time I went to the lavatory.

I woke up as the FAs were coming around to take breakfast orders. I had the Dim Sum and a fruit plate, along with some toast, as I was not particularly hungry.

We landed on time at LAX but waited a few minutes for the jetbridge to be extended. This time of day seems to always be a nightmare at LAX and the immigration line was about 15 minutes and THEN I had to wait another 40 for my suitcase to come off (funny how the priority tagged luggage came off dead-last). Nonetheless, I breezed through customs without a sideways glance and then waited 10 minutes to recheck luggage with AA.

Homeward Bound

That done, I walked outside to my departure terminal and headed straight through security for the Admirals Club. I got on the list for a shower and then headed for a desk to check my work e-mail account for the first time in ten days (not that I was going to work, but I needed to scan through and make sure I had no travel scheduled for the next day or anything wacky like that). I got called for a shower about twenty minutes before boarding time, so I basically took a quickie and tossed a fresh shirt and undies on and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

Our DFW-bound Hawaii-configured 767 was full in F at takeoff. I popped down into my aisle seat to find that (suprise!) my seatmate was none other than the cute dark-haired young gentleman I had been eyeing on the CX flight. We made pleasant conversation for a bit (he lives in my neighborhood, it turns out) but then each decided to put our headphones for the audio/video.

Meal service was good... my favorite Chicken/Rice Casserole that everyone else on the AA Forum seems to hate with a salad. Dessert was ice cream sundaes. (This was the exact same menu we had when I last took this flight coming back from HKG through LAX in October.) I had a couple of glasses of champagne and sat reading through most of the flight.

I was very excited to see the lights of DFW soon below (and I'm not one of those types who normally gets excited to be home or anything). The taxi time to our gate at Terminal B was quick, but the walk down the corridor from B3 to baggage claim seemed to take forever. I was most excited to see my mom waiting for me as I came out the glass revolving door and gave her a huge hug. I showed Mom my photos (gotta love digital cameras!) while we waited for my bags and then I was homeward bound.

THE END



[This message has been edited by techgirl (edited 04-20-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I popped down into my aisle seat to find that (suprise!) my seatmate was none other than the cute dark-haired young gentleman I had been eyeing on the CX flight. We made pleasant conversation for a bit (he lives in my neighborhood, it turns out) but then each decided to put our headphones for the audio/video.</font>

come on, techgirl! did you at least get his number? you're on two of the same flights together, he lives down the street from you... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Loved the trip report, BTW. Makes me want to do an Asia trip one of these days. Actually, I'll be in Okinawa for 6 months with the USMC starting in January, so I'll probably have to do a bunch of weekend hops while I'm there!

- Sameer

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SameerUCLA:
come on, techgirl! did you at least get his number? you're on two of the same flights together, he lives down the street from you... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif </font>

No, I didn't, although my mom said he was making eyes at me across the baggage carousel.

No, I didn't get a number or e-mail address or even a last name for the Swedish backpacker either. (And for those who have asked, I *swear* nothing besides friendly conversation took place - and this isn't for mom's benefit... mom and I are like best girlfriends... I won't even share with you what she said to me in e-mail while I was in Bali about this... but I blushed! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif )

I know, I know. Lame, huh? I'm such a loser when it comes to this kind of stuff. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Terrific Trip Report.

A few questions (if you would) about row one on the CX 747s though, as I am in that row in a few weeks: I have seen some pictures of row one, and obviously there is no 'back of the suite' in front of you. Is the entertainment screen that is mounted on the front of the cabin the same size as the rest of the First Suites? Did you find it to be at all cramped because of the way the nose curves in? I guess what I am asking is, is there any reason that I should switch to another seat in the cabin, or have I made the right selection?

Thanks for reporting your experience.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dsimon:
Is the entertainment screen that is mounted on the front of the cabin the same size as the rest of the First Suites?

Did you find it to be at all cramped because of the way the nose curves in?

I guess what I am asking is, is there any reason that I should switch to another seat in the cabin, or have I made the right selection?</font>

I'm not really sure about the size of the entertainment screen as I didn't check out the ones in rows 2, 3, or 4. I seem to recall it being the same size as the one I had going over on the 340.

I did not find it to be at all cramped - and I'm usually one of those people who avoids bulkhead seats as I hate having a wall in front of me. If there is ANY drawback, IMHO, it is that you have no overhead bin above you, so you must use the one that is above (or just slightly in front of) row 2. If you are someone who rummages through your stuff throughout a flight (like me), you'll want to pull it back down and keep it down until landing.

Have you made a mistake? That is a call that only you can make. I had people who fly CX F all the time tell me this was an awesome seat and similarly situated people tell me that I must change it or be miserable. My favorite thing about this seat is that they don't bring the carts up between you or anything... you really DO have nothing up there. I'm a light sleeper on planes (unless I'm drugged or sick http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ) and so I hate aisle traffic as it always wakes me up. The downside is, if you are one of those people who is constantly flagging down the FA for something (and I'm not), while they will check on you every 15 minutes or so, you won't have them walking back and forth, so if you have an immediate need, you will need to ring your call light.

Thanks, techgirl.

Thanks Techgirl. It sounds like you had a great trip. I know I did.

Take care.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
No, I didn't, although my mom said he was making eyes at me across the baggage carousel.

No, I didn't get a number or e-mail address or even a last name for the Swedish backpacker either. (And for those who have asked, I *swear* nothing besides friendly conversation took place - and this isn't for mom's benefit... mom and I are like best girlfriends... I won't even share with you what she said to me in e-mail while I was in Bali about this... but I blushed! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif )

I know, I know. Lame, huh? I'm such a loser when it comes to this kind of stuff. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif</font>

Ohh, all the missed opportunities..... The men just throwing themselves at techgirl only to be... rejected.

Seriously, this was a wonderful trip report and I'm really grateful that you decided to share it with us - in real time.

Techgirl: Obviously you are well on the way to trophyhood. 1K had reason to be jealous. After all she is but a mere trophy. You are a quasi-celebrity. The Wall Street Journal managed to quote you about the high cost of traveling to Spain for Tapas in Friday's edition. I am expectantly awaiting the future trip report of your search for the perfect tapa!

What a great trip! This trip report was lots of fun to read as well! Thanks, techgirl! I look forward to your next adventure!

Promise us that you will take a vacation next year too.

All I can say is....WOW. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif



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The perfect ladies' man is a perfect gentleman.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
The downside is, if you are one of those people who is constantly flagging down the FA for something (and I'm not), while they will check on you every 15 minutes or so, you won't have them walking back and forth, so if you have an immediate need, you will need to ring your call light.</font>
And it takes them all of 10 seconds to respond to the call. Once the FA forgot to turn off the call light, and another FA from J came running up the aisle a minute later, wondering what's happening with the F FA's that they are leaving a call unanswered. The service level is almost embarrassing on CX, but it is done so sincerely and with such good intentions ... on one flight the purser insisted that I take a box of the CX chocolates, after I commented upon how good they were. And they are good, Sprungli quality.

Regarding the seats, 1A/K on CX are the best seats on any plane (better than row 1 on any other airline's 744 configuration). They are like a private cabin (SQ, BA and others spoil this with the closet in the nose -- CX has no closet there!). All the seats are good, but 1A/K are rather special. The lack of an overhead bin is an asset in my estimation (less chance of being hit from above).

techgirl

Thank you so much for the great trip report - I really appreciated its 'real-time' nature and all the great descriptions. It (almost) felt like I was there with you (except its cloudy and cold in Grand Rapids http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif).

Excellent Report. Really made me feel that I was with you on the trip.

techgirl, did you have to arrange the car to take you to the Laguna? I'm headed there for my 10th anniversary on the 15th.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bevets:
techgirl, did you have to arrange the car to take you to the Laguna? I'm headed there for my 10th anniversary on the 15th.</font>

Yes, Guy Betsy had arranged this with the hotel prior to our arrival. When you clear immigration and step outside the airport, there will be dozens of drivers with placards (it makes the limo patrol at LaGuardia look benign!) and the Sheraton had several reps there.

I believe that they offer different levels of cars (regular, import sedan, etc.). We did the regular service, but I can't recall the cost exactly except that it was reasonable and that the Sheraton was awaiting our arrival when the car pulled up.

Okay I confess, I was the Sweedish boy and the cute dark haired guy; now take me with you next time pleazzzzze! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by celbrian:
Okay I confess, I was the Sweedish boy and the cute dark haired guy; now take me with you next time pleazzzzze! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif</font>

You know Celby... Guy Betsy and I were thinking that the next TAROM Glam Goddess Do should be in Bali. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Er... I don't technically qualify for Goddess status but I like to pretend I'm one in the privacy of my own home... and FT gatherings http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:

Perre and I stayed at the Apache for a little while longer (I'm telling you, nothing is more amusing than listening to a foreign cover band try to sing songs in English that they learned phonetically). We decided that it was too loud to talk there, however, so we headed down Jl. Legion and settled on the Sari Club. The beer was cold and before long, the place was hopping. We had the chance to chat for a couple of hours before the noise level got to be too much to bear </font>

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I am really really sad right now.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I am really really sad right now.</font>

Why are you sad now?

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US-CP; UA PE; AA Plat; Hilton Gold VIP; Six Continents Gold

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by US1@ORF:
Why are you sad now?

</font>

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum109/HTML/005126.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum109/HTML/005126.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif</font>

Now I understand. I too am very sad.

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US-CP; UA PE; AA Plat; Hilton Gold VIP; Six Continents Gold

I too am really sad.

Of course, besides the dead, the injured and their families, the people who will really suffer are the Balinese, who rely on tourism for their livelihood. A quick drive out of th resort areas makes you realize just how poor the island's people are. Way to go Al Qaeda, you really helped the little guy with this one . . .

Bali is Indonesia's constant stream of income.

This sucks, like the previous post, people outside big cities in Indonesia are beyond poor, their living conditions (if it even is)are beyond my imagination

why can't fighting stop?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PresRDC:
I too am really sad.

Of course, besides the dead, the injured and their families, the people who will really suffer are the Balinese, who rely on tourism for their livelihood. A quick drive out of th resort areas makes you realize just how poor the island's people are. Way to go Al Qaeda, you really helped the little guy with this one . . . </font>

Given the Balinese are primarily Hindu, I seriously doubt that al Qaeda really cares about making their life more difficult.

After the evens of last weekend, I pulled up techgirl’s
report again to remind me of the great things about Bali.

So sad that one of the nicest group of people on the planet need to be used as a tool for destruction. Truly a low point.

Thank you for a great story techgirl

How about a Bali DO? It would be nice to show solidarity with the Balinese since I assume they are now saddled with tons of cancellations.


[This message has been edited by B Watson (edited 10-21-2002).]