I must be getting old. I avoid redeyes and early morning flights like the plague unless there's absolutely no alternative. Even midnight arrivals like this make me grumpy because they mean getting in bed at 2am if you're lucky, and that's just enough to mess with my sleep. Ironically, jetlag really doesn't bother me at all, but for some reason if you mess with my 7-8 hours...well...

As I mentioned in the previous post, we'd left these two days in Bangkok in the middle of the trip to recover just in case one of the previous flights had gone wrong and we had to recover. Getting to 15 airlines flown was far and away the number one objective of this trip, given a million miles is worth $15,000 in the most conservative of estimates, so everything else was secondary. So why did we pick Bangkok as the recovery/catch-up point? I'll let FlyIgglesFly explain:

"When we planned this trip we both knew Bangkok had to factor into our plans by nature of the CAN-BKK leg on KQ. We also have a deep love for the city, mine having been birthed in a mileage run trip with ironmanjt back in 2019. So two nights were a must.

I've developed a standard practice on trips to Asia of using Bangkok as a beginning/end point to the trip to kill jetlag or set myself up for a return. I feel obligated to recommend a visit to Perception Blind Massage. Easy to access from Chong Nonsi Skytrain stop, it's a spa that has provided training for blind locals to provide massages. Outstanding to beat jetlag.

Go to Bangkok whenever you can. All the things are the best of things. The end" ...and to add, definitely agree with him on the blind massage. I think I found it back in 2019 on that trip, and although it did feel slightly awkward at first it was an amazing experience that provided meaningful employment to people who may not always have many opportunities.

Got to our hotel the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit around 130am, and fortunately was asleep by 230am. There was an amazing breakfast buffet like only Southeast Asia can do make sure we hit in the morning, so it would be a relatively short night of sleep. Fortunately, there wasn't any jetlag on top of this to worry about. A small irony about Marriott Bonvoy status: if I had booked one room, we would both be entitled to breakfast/lounge as per status, but because we had booked two rooms (in one reservation) technically only I was entitled. The staff consulted with the management, and agreed this made absolutely no sense, so were happy to somehow change something so he was not only his own guest but also my guest....#logic

So yeah, our time in Bangkok was filled with massage, a bit of shopping, and a lot of eating...because if you don't like all things Thai food...well...I'm not sure we can be friends. First, let's start with one of the most unusual shopping mall sculptures I've ever seen:



Eventually we ended up at the IconSIAM mall in search of some of the most amazing Japanese style gelato. Speculaas and yuzu for me, and a yuzu cone for FlyIgglesFly - you have to like that they make it as visually-appealing as they do tasty!




On the way out of the mall we were headed to grab an Uber...well, I was because FlyIgglesFly wanted to stay and do a bit more shopping.

(He didn't actually end up shopping much...he got sushi instead - his pic):



As we were walking to the Uber pickup area we had to snake past a large group of people:



As we passed the group, you see that large black shiny strip? Well, then you're doing better than I am. What wasn't obvious is that it was sloped at a steep angle and very, very wet. You can start to imagine rushing past this group where my left foot may have gone, and due to the angle and water....where the rest of me soon went. Leg slid out from under me to my left sending all 200+ pounds of me sliding right down into the water feature with a loud thud. I don't THINK anyone managed to film it or put it on the socials but mall security did see and very quickly sprang into action.

A quick embarrassed climb out of the water and I did a quick assessment: a "moisture has been detected" warning on my phone, completely soaked shorts and shoes, and a very bruised ego. Beyond that and a bit of a sore bottom where I'd hit the ground and everything seemed ok. The security people wanted to call an ambulance, but I assured them it was fine, and eventually they did take my word for it. I can't reiterate just how helpful they genuinely were. I miss that kind of social cohesion in western societies...

So, what to do now? I couldn't exactly call a grab and sit in their back seat soaking wet. I debated calling a Grab moto, but could just see myself falling off it at that stage...I was also beginning to wonder: after visiting every country in the world and having MAYBE one medical type incident ever...the fact that I was already on my third of this trip alone was something else going on beyond just exhaustion? (Follow-up: nope, doc visit when home confirmed nothing at all wrong...I just can't keep going 24/7 like I used to be able to. Have to slow down a bit in older age!)

Eventually we decided the best plan was for FlyIgglesFly to go get some cash (I just never travel with cash these days) and I would take the SkyTrain back to the hotel...which turned out to be an adventure in itself because as anyone who's taken the SkyTrain knows...it's often blessed with freezing cold AC...which when you're soaking wet isn't a whole lot of fun. Bit of a note from later: ended up with a huge dark purple bruise from the fall the next day...which means I'd probably gone down even harder than I thought. Took over two weeks to clear...

Got back to the hotel, and you'll be very happy to know that despite my sad state I immediately changed into...running clothes...to get the daily run in. Now, running in central Bangkok isn't easy on the best of days, but my plan was to head to Benchakitti park about 700 meters away and I figured running around there should be easier than dodging cars. It was slightly easier, but in the evening the park was packed with people out for a stroll, so it was still a lot of dodging...but I didn't manage to hurt myself any further, although running on that bruised hip wasn't exactly comfy.

Huge props to the Sheraton concierge for giving me this map on a lanyard to find the park. I've really come to appreciate hotels that share local running routes.



Ok, enough disaster, let's get onto the best part...the Sheraton's "executive lounge." They don't really have one, but for two hours each evening in the lobby lounge they have a band (usually jazz) and "elite happy hour" with a drink and snack menu. The snack is usually a tray with three small appetizers on it, and they'll refill it as often as you want. It's also table service with the usual Bangkok warm service, and the drink menu is fairly extensive. Plus, tonight's entertainment was really relaxing.



(as a side note...I swear the singer was wearing my duvet cover from home...)



After happy hour ended we stuck around a little more to mess up some "upscale" Thai food in the lounge. Satay, pomelo salad, and of course mango and sticky rice:



We even managed to find the energy to head out for a couple of drinks, and I swear in Bangkok local transport is where you always find some of the most unusual/unexpected comic sightings. Tonight it was the Hello Kitty Grab:



By this point it was approaching midnight and time to crash hard...but even crawling into bed hurt. Everything felt tender and bruised from the earlier fall and when even laying in bed hurts...you know you need to slow your roll. I was actually slightly concerned the rest of the trip might be at risk...but was determined to make it through. Fortunately, in the morning, things felt a little bit better, so upwards and onwards. Up semi-early for one last amazing Bangkok breakfast:



I'm legit so spoiled by fruit in Southeast Asia that I find it hard to enjoy fruits elsewhere. Quick view out the hotel windows from my room before sadly leaving for the airport:



Boarding pass secured, and confirmation that the EuroBonus number was there:




We had cut things slightly close knowing we wouldn't want to visit the lounge, so it was straight to the gate area...where we found we were delayed by about 30 minutes due to a slightly late inbound aircraft. No major worry, and soon it was time to board.

Vietnam Airlines flight 610
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Thailand (BKK) to Hà Nội, Vietnam
Depart 12:20, Arrive: 14:15, flight time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Airbus A321neo, Registration VN-A618, Manufactured 2018, Seat 4D
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 214,999 (love how often this trip I get numbers ending in cool things like 000 and 999....NERD ALERT!)
Lifetime Miles Flown: 3,254,896

First thought upon boarding: I love how festive this plane is, all prepared for Christmas already! It did make me wonder...as much as airlines remind you everything must be secured and stowed for takeoff and landing, is a wreath on the cabin wall the best of ideas?



Boarding of this completely sold out flight was very efficient, and soon we were all ready to go. As a side note: when I'd rebooked my trip earlier on to avoid Saudia I needed to add Xiamen as my new 15th airline. This killed my planned Bangkok - Hanoi - Seoul ticket on VN so I had to change it to Bangkok - Hanoi. The problem was, for whatever reason they were unable to make that change due to married segments and now that the flight was completely sold out...well, I couldn't book it. I'd initially booked a much later flight out of Bangkok to meet up with FlyIgglesFly in Hanoi that night, but fortunately three days before the flight one single seat opened up in J so I grabbed it. Not the most budget-friendly option, but I wanted that afternoon and evening in Hanoi so it was worth it to me.

PDB champagne was offered:



...and with that off we go! The crew was quite lovely, all smiles, but their service was a bit on the "shy" side. I don't know if this was a lack of comfort in English, or in dealing with western passengers, but they just felt shy. Not in a cold way, but...they were still wonderful. Meal choices were "chicken or beef" and I went with the chicken...although I have to say it was pretty meh. I was hoping for something a bit more local, but unfortunately not (and the beef looked even less appetizing) but hey...at least the pineapple muffin was tasty and champagne refills were proactive and plentiful...definitely more plentiful than I wanted/needed but the crew practically insisted!



Upon arrival we were at a bus gate, but business class got its own private bus which not only drove us to the terminal, but to a private immigration line which only took a few minutes to get through. Unfortunately, the folks in the back of the plane faced massive queues once they arrived in their busses 10 minutes later, and it was nearly an hour later before we were reunited in the baggage claim area. With that it was time to find a Grab and head to the hotel...and a new city for me!