I could blame my bad luck, but it was bound to happen sooner or later.
We missed our flight to Ho Chi Minh City. By five minutes.
As I sat waiting in the Chiang Mai airport, rain came thundering down outside. More than three times, the lights in the airport dimmed.
By the time I boarded – ten minutes after we were supposed to depart – I was shaking. As with every flight I board, I was certain this would be the one that crashed.
The wind hammered the plane, making for a shaky takeoff, but once we cleared the storm clouds, all was well. And it made for some spectacular photos.
Over Bangkok, lightning flashed at a not-so-distant distance. Lightning is scary on land. Imagine what it’s like from a plane. I kept waiting for the plane to get struck.
We landed and I literally ran to the baggage claim. Our flight departed in forty minutes. If I got my bag, I could easily run upstairs and make it. I called Susannah, who was panicking herself. She couldn’t board without my credit card, and why bother? She couldn’t get into Vietnam without the visa paperwork I had.
In the end, we missed check-in by eight minutes. Thanks, Qatar Airways.
Instead of landing in Vietnam, we spent our night in a hotel in Bangkok. After rebooking for a flight out in the morning, we ordered room service and tried to relax.The night can be summed up by two photos, one of a giant, welcoming bathtub that didn’t work.

doesn't this make you want to take a bath? yes? even if there's no hot water and the water comes out in a trickle? yes? no?
Categories: Spring Break, Thailand