In Taipei

Am stuck in Taipei for a 7 hour layover, sucks big time to be sitting here instead of flying to Bangkok now. I originally had a better connection but the airline changed my booking 3 weeks ago.

The trip so far was not so bad maybe I am becoming a more hardened traveler, I even recognized one of the stewardesses on my flight. I ended up sleeping about 30 minutes on the flight to Vancouver another 30 minutes plus in Vancouver airport and about 6 hours on the flight from Vancouver to Taipei.

The airport in Taipei has a a free Internet so that's good it will help me pass the time. They also have free showers, never took a shower in an airport before but it might be something worth trying. If I take a shower here I can put on my fresh shirt and be all sweet smelling before I dive into flooded 35C Bangkok!

Just now as I was typing I realized I am surrounded by Thais, there are 2 ladies on each side of me and a man a bit farther off. I spoke to them, turns out they are workers heading home to Bangkok from the USA, they work on a Carnival cruise ship in Long Beach California. Its nice to meet Thai people in Taipei, I can work on my Thai, and learn a bit about them before I make it to Bangkok, which is at least 9 hours away.

**Note for future reference, when you your flying over the pacific try to get a seat as close to an active washroom as possible (like this trip). There is nothing like the smell of fresh urine to help your appetite, that faint oder makes the airline food taste that much better!