Hanoi Trip, Day 1: An Evening in Bangkok

I love traveling.

I love traveling and especially love flying. Today, as I was gazing out at the clouds while the plane glided from Cambodia to Thailand, I was again amazed that I get to fly. God is so good, so kind to me that He would allow me the privilege to see the world from up above. I can go from one country to another in less than 2 hours. And I can travel half way around the world in a day (or two). What a blessing! I pray that I never get tired of staring out of plane windows with amazment--and praising my God for loving me so much.

And he blesses me with the whole package of traveling, not just flying. Like luggage. (A quick shift to the material, I know.) I like buying new luggage (see my $13 North Face knock-off below). I like deciding what to pack--even if it keeps me up until 2:30 in the morning. And I really like planning the details of the trip: finding good deals, researching hotels, figuring out the transportation, and learning about where I'm going on my next adventure.




















[My $13 backpack purchased at the market in Phnom Penh]

Today I left Phnom Penh on a seven day adventure to Hanoi, Vietnam. This trip initially began as a venture to Laos, but reading about 24 hour bus rides made staying a week in Hanoi look really appealing. The great airfare I discovered a couple of months ago required an overnight stay in Bangkok before flying to Hanoi tomorrow. So, day one of heading to Hanoi begins with Bangkok!















[The busy shopping (and modern) shopping center just around the corner of our hotel]


My faithful travel buddy is, once again, my roommate Kerstin! When we first spoke on the phone (maybe in March?), we talked about wanting to travel and both got excited about the idea of traveling together--and so we have!

After checking in to the hotel, we exchanged some US Dollars into Thai Baht at the shopping center above. We then wandered the night market stalls right along the street; we found our first souvenirs! Next on the agenda was dinner and a movie...and our long lost friend Ronald McDonald met us at the entrance to the movie theater!




















[Ronald and me giving the traditional Thai greeting. He's so polite and adapts well to other cultures!]


After a quick and delicious meal at McD's, we headed upstairs for a movie in a real movie theater! And after the movie, we went back downstairs to grab some Oreo McFlurries!




















[Major Cineplex in The Mall (I really think that's what it's called) near our hotel]

And that, my friends, was a pretty great way to start off a trip! Now I'm off to bed (in my comfy, clean, air conditioned hotel room: JL Bangkok Hotel) and praying that my 5 hours of sleep will feel like 8. Our taxi comes at 5am tomorrow and the flight to Hanoi leaves at 6:45! Hmm...maybe I'll have time to hit the Starbucks at the airport...