Day 1: packing, flight, check-in

Today was the second-least-eventful day of our trip to Thailand and Cambodia.

We spent the early afternoon packing our backpacks, then settled in for the 2-1/2 hour train ride through a light snow to Narita. Because our flight was with an American airline (Northwest), our bags were given the thorough hand-inspection treatment even after running through xray.

We arrived on time in Bangkok International Airport, at around 11:50 pm. First step out of the plane told us we'd changed climates. Hot and sticky. Winter to summer in just seven air-hours.

Immigration was a breeze, and the friendly airport staff even opened up a few Thai-only lines to us fur'ners. "Many more lines over here... no problem!" Mai pen rai.

After baggage claim, we dazedly wandered to the "meeting point," where sharp-dressed hotel reps were waiting to shuttle reserved guests to rooms with bed and A/C. Our hotel, Comfort Suites, was cheap and - we soon realize - right under the major flightpaths. Check-in was conveniently bilingual, and our room was comfortable and quiet after we discovered the curtains were hiding a wide-open patio door. For our gastrointestinal security, the room came complete with two bottles of Singha drinking water. The first night, still being weenies about the whole tap water thing, we used this bottled water even to rinse our toothbrushes. Lights out at 2 am.