They're off!

Janella totally showed me up, packing-wise. She ingeniously managed to get all her stuff, including a high-end digital camera, a water bottle and an airplane sleeping pillow, into one small backpack, a day pack, and a purse. Next to her, I look like a bag lady.

No matter, in Denver we check in our luggage all the way to Bangkok, stagger into the plane (don’t forget, it’s before 6 a.m.!) and fall asleep. (Me, that is. Janella reads.) 

It’s a stunning warm and sunny day in San Francisco. We board BART into the city, but repairs and detours delay our arrival at Powell Station for a good hour. By then, the line at Dotties True Blue Cafe, a trendy breakfast place off Market Street and 6th, has extended down the block. Assured “it moves fast,” we brave it and are rewarded with a meal big enough to feed an African village. Ah, America. Afterwards, we make our way to Fisherman’s Wharf for a photo-op, and grab a taxi back to the airport for our flight to Beijing. 

A preview of Asia greets us at the Air China gate: it’s swarmed by Chinese and international travelers all vying for a place in line to board. Why anyone wants to get on a plane before they have to is beyond me, so we wait. We’re seated in the middle, so no views, but the seats are big enough for us (we’re both petite…don’t ask us how a 6-foot tall man would fit in these micro spaces) and the selection of movies weird enough to keep us entertained for the next 11 hours. When i’m not knitting, I’m sleeping. Janella reads.