Matt's Travels: Getting there: it's not the time, it's the time change

Hello all! Well, I made it to Penang after 29 hrs, 21+ hrs of which was on actual airplanes. I actually didn't mind the time on the planes (though a laptop batter that only lasts 3 hrs doesn't give you a lot of options on an 11 hr flight). It was known now would be a really good time to sleep but not being tired, and then vice versa, that's the real pain.

OK, starting from the beginning. Turns out even Northwest has decent food on international flights. I got dinner and breakfast on the way to Tokyo.

Yes, that really is shrimp cocktail there! Ok, only 3 small shrimp and a packet of heinz cocktail sauce, but at least they're trying.

The tropical fruit was outstanding! Actually, all of it was good. Would have been nice if there was MORE of it, but oh well.

I'm in Japan!

The weather in Japan (as felt in the jetway) was pretty much the same as Portland - 50 def F and raining.

Um, now what do I do? Follow the green signs to go through security, and back to the International terminal area, or the red signs to enter Japan (go thru customs) / connect to domestic flights. Green it is! Unfortunately, notice the throng of people ahead of me. My flight got in 25 min late due to a 100mph headwind, and I only was to have had 1 hr 40 min between flights.

When I finally got through security, happily my next flight was in the same terminal just down the hall. Got there to find it was already boarding. Had a quick look at a cool Coke / Haagan Daas vending machine and look at the gift shop, and on to the next plane. That would be with 2 mostly dead laptop batteries and no chance to recharge them between flights. Darn, I guess I can't get any work done on this flight!

The Tokyo Narita airport was nothing to write home about (pun intended). The Changi Singapore airport (8 hrs later), on the other hand, was pretty amazing:

Unfortunately I have an 8 hr layover in Singapore, and it's midnight local time, and, well, NOT, body-time. The first problem is that when I checked in with Northwest in Portland, since they are not a partner with Singapore Airlines (they partner with United), they couldn't check me in for the last leg of the trip (even though they did check my bag all the way through). So now I want to check in and get a seat assignment and boarding pass (you seem to need to show that a lot) now so I don't have to worry about it in the morning. Of course, it is midnight and all the desks are closed. So I walk to the next terminal (10 min away) and found 1 person and got checked in finally.

OK, now it's time to crash. So I find the place below. Nice enough. Except that it is hard to rest when you are worried A. about someone walking off with your stuff while you are sleeping, and B. that you won't wake up when you need to. And the crying baby didn't help either.

So, I decide to spend some of Intel's money and check in the Ambassador Transit Hotel right there in the International Terminal. They rent rooms out for a 6 hr block of time. Nice enough, including a bathroom with shower, and a door that locks (but no window or alarm clock). S$68 (US$45) well spent. This is when I realize that Singapore is not just a city at the tip of Malaysia, but is actually it's own country (with it's own currency). Go figure.