Hi Gram,
I woke up early with my alarm this morning, excited for the day ahead of me. After almost 6 weeks in Bali, I’d be headed to Thailand! I hurried up and finished my packing, then headed downstairs for my last breakfast at the Satya house. David and I chatted a little about our plans for the day, then headed upstairs so he could say goodbye to Ashley and I could grab my bags. I snapped a picture of the desk lamp I’d had for the past few days which had been haunting my dreams a little.

Our driver Putu was early – as usual – so he met us at the door and helped us load our bags in the car. Traffic was pretty light and we made it to the airport in record time. Going through security, both of my bags were flagged for extra inspection. It gave me the chance to unpack and re-pack both bags as I explained what each wire or charger was. The agent was patient and friendly, as was I, so it was no big deal. This is the exact reason that we get to the airport early, right? After security, the hall wound back and forth through the Duty Free shop with salespeople on either side trying to lure us into their section. We escaped unscathed and rewarded ourselves by going to the lounge.

We’re both new to the lounge experience, so the razzle dazzle hasn’t worn off yet. It felt so cool to flash my ID to be escorted inside this semi-exclusive area with free food, drinks, comfy chairs and charging stations. I know a lot of people have lounge access these days but I still feel like a baller/ bad-ass/ insider. We loaded up our plates, found a comfortable area, and just chilled out until it was time to head to the gate. Out of the lounge, the path curved and meandered between more shops and restaurants before pouring us onto the runway to the gates. We found our gate and saw that they had reclined lounge chairs looking out the window. Why doesn’t every airport have these comfy seating options?

Well, it turns out they’re really nice, which means you might not look at the clock or realize boarding has begun, so you end up with a story about how you almost missed your flight! Really, we had plenty of time and weren’t the last people on the plane but we were far from the first, that’s for sure. The flight was uneventful, just the way I like them. The woman next to me had pre-ordered the meals for her family but accidentally ordered them with chicken. They’re vegetarian, so she ended up ordering a second set of meals for all of them and giving me and another passenger their chicken meals. It was a nice little gift, more than making up for her and her son getting up to use the restroom or walk around the rest of the flight.

We de-planed to an outside staircase and loaded onto busses. It felt very old school like you see in the movies. I tried not to get on the bus while I waited for David to get off the plane, but they made me get on. Neither of us had cell service, so I just crossed my fingers that he’d realize I was already at the terminal. He’s a smart cookie and met me at the building.

We navigated customs, immigration, reuniting with my checked bag, getting local currency, following the floor cleaning robot for a few seconds, and finding a SIM for David then headed outside and ordered a Grab car. The taxis all wanted 3x what a Grab would cost, so it was a no-brainer. We checked into our rooms, freshened up a little, and headed to a local place for a dinner that pleased the senses. Thailand is a little pricier than Indonesia, but still really affordable.

After dinner, we headed to a local 7-11 of which there are hundreds, every block or two, to grab some supplies. We each got a bottle of water and I tried getting an eSIM for my phone, but it turns out that 7-11 only sells physical SIMs. The cashier and I navigated our language barrier so I walked out with the same amount of cash and she kept the SIM for another customer. After stopping briefly at the hotel, I decided to go brave the mall in search of internet access. The roads here are different than I’m used to in America or Bali, but just following the other pedestrians did the trick. At major roads, of which I had to cross three, the crosswalks have the usual crosswalk signals, except turning vehicles are like honey badgers – they just don’t care. So it goes from “don’t dare cross because there are a lot of cars” to “the cars going straight will wait for you, but look both ways for turning vehicles” (this includes scooters that are going the wrong way) to “the coast is clear, don’t hesitate your hustle”. Once I reached the mall, I set out looking for the phone store. I had about 45 minutes before the mall started to close, the mall is 7 stories high, and many of the signs are written in Thai with maybe an English translation in small letters. There was a lot of squinting at signs, asking shopkeepers for directions, doubling back when I realized I’d gone the wrong way, and riding escalator after escalator. I found out that when the shopkeepers were pointing either up or in a direction, they meant “the phone stores are all on the top floor” or “go over there to the escalator because the phone stores are all on the top floor”. Once I found the store, I took a number and waited. The clerk set me up with an eSIM for 900 Baht (about $26) for 30 days. Renewal each month will be 850 Baht. Locals pay around 250 Baht but tourists have to pay extra. That’s fine with me. $22-26 is still cheap enough for lightning fast internet on my phone.

Once my internet was secured, I walked around the mall a little, doing some price comparisons, checking out the different kinds of products and designs they had here vs back home, and watching people – a favorite past time. I eventually left the mall and wandered up and down the street looking for some street food but wasn’t brave enough to try any of it. I vowed to check it out tomorrow when I’m more alert so I headed back to the hotel and went to bed.