On our way to Thailand

 The flights just after midnight so the day creeps by with lots of time to throw even more stuff into the suitcase.  Of course I need three sets of ear plugs!  We've booked a ride to JFK with Airbrook, the most recognizable company relying on their reputation to get us there. We arrange pick up at 7:45 pm, and just about that time the driver calls to say he's stuck in traffic.  On no!  But I remember that we were told to get to the airport 3 hours early so there's plenty of time.

He shows up within 15 minutes and we're off guided by his GPS which always makes me a bit nervous because that route is seldomly the one I would choose.  The driver appears Russian...aren't all limo drivers in NJ Russian?  No matter, we're off and, without incident, arrive at JFK in 45 minutes.   Good trip.  

Terminal 7 is teeming with Chinese high school student - were they checking out US colleges in this time of Chinese prosperity?  But we've checked in on line and get to go to the front of the line and are through security in no time.  Terminal 7 only has about 12 gates and the usual array of high end luxury goods shops, some celebrity restaurants, and a Macdonalds.  We have an expensive drink and close the bar - almost everything closes, but finally it's time to board.

Cathay Pacific staff announce that the flight time will be shorter tonight - 15 rather than 16 hours to Hong Kong....the winds are right.  We're in the tail of the plane, which is huge, so we get to board right after a hundred families with babies and small children.  We settle ourselves and people keep coming with much jostling, crying babies, and cramming luggage into the overhead compartment.  The pilot announces we are ready to leave.  Hundreds of people are still in the ailes.  It's like a Chinese restaurant at rush hour, but finally people sit, and we're off.

And yes, we get dinner after midnight.  Three choices and I pick the sweet and sour chicken which is exactly like American sweet and sour chicken!  Well, I could have picked beef bourgeon which was just like American airline food.   And best of all there were Haagen Daz ice cream bars for dessert.

next we try to sleep and I manage that for about 5 hours until my knee starts to complain so I walk around a bit.  I'm listening to classical music on the airline entertainment system with my noise canceling headphones and it's very nice, and very lucky, too, because I have a terrible time figuring out the controllers and it was already set to that station.

I see on the monitor that we are almost half way there - somewhere over the North Pole I guess.  I've never flown over the North Pole before.  Noodles arrive and almost everyone except us and some of the students slurp away.  Nancy says she smells breakfast cooking so stay tuned.  Then I'll get her to show me how to use the entertainment system.

No breakfast for hours, but each staff station has packets of peanuts, cookies, crackers, rolls, and a lot of noodles are consumed.  I have some.  Yep, top ramen pretty much just like home and too salty for a plane ride.  I figured out the entertainment system, more or less.  The offerings are quite good.  I watched Tin Tin, Family Guy, Big Bang Theory, and now that I know how to use it, I can watch even more (and some more exotic fare, perhaps) on the way home.  But we only have one good pair of headphones, and the foam rubber is disintegrating on those (That's why my ears are black).  Now we know at least one thing we have to buy.

We have arrived in Hong Kong.  Departing the plane was a zoo, but we survived, and had yet another breakfast.  This one at McDonalds as not much is open at the Hong Kong airport at 5 am.  We're a little tired but doing well.  

The trip has started very successfully