There are a lot of things that you can do in 85
minutes. There was a time, not too
terribly long ago when I could easily run13 miles with that amount of
time. Now I am not quite so
ambitious in the sporting world but for sure you can play quite a few holes of
golf.
On a more pedestrian level, when 85 minutes are lazily
stretched out in front, most people can easily plow through great mounds of the
NY times , even read a few op-ed pieces while having breakfast with a
coffee.
85 minutes is a remarkably generous amount of time in order
to accomplish many things. What I
discovered today however is that those great big fat 85 minutes are though just
not enough time to land in Bangkok, pick up your bags, clear immigration, and
then check into a completely different airline.
I knew from the start thousands of miles earlier that this
great crossroads of limited time and necessary motion were going to intersect
in the crucial final stages of my journey.
Way back at JFK on Friday night I looked at my timetable and
dark omens were already dancing with thudding steps somewhere in the back of my
brain. But back at the start in
New York the journey was still young and I was clean shaven and had slept
soundly the night before.
But then I headed out over the dark Atlantic. At some point
my path intersected with day light, but since I was heading quickly east, the
Spinning orbit of the earth quickly removed the sun out of view. Then when I came back to earth, I found
myself in a strange airline terminal in Doha in the Middle East. It was night once again and I was
puzzled at so what had happened to Saturday, for now it was nearly gone.
Knowing that the next stop was Bangkok I tried to put
measures into motion that would at least give me some hope of chance of making
the transition happen securely. I
talked to the airline, asked for guidance, said prayers, and generally began to
see a scenario where I would be stuck in Bangkok with or without bags and
trying to find a way to my final stop in Phuket.
Once more back in the air heading east. Beneath me I crossed the gulf of Oman
and saw the Himalayas just to the north.
The night was speeding past and the resolution or revealing of this
dilemma was inevitably marching forward out of my imagination and into reality.
Because of strong tail winds we landed slightly earlier in
Bangkok. The door of the plane
opened and thus I found myself bolting up the gateway towards the baggage
area. But what should I see at the
top of the ramp was a small trim man with a bright red blazer and in his hand a
large sign that said, “Mr. Marshall.”
Now it should be mentioned that I have a deep affection for
Mr. Marshall signage wherever and whenever I come across it. It has happened only a few times but it
usually means that things are going to be okay or even better.
The little Thai man holding this sign also had his own small
name tag on his jacket. It said
‘Sam.’ Now I didn’t ask him this,
but I suspected as much that ‘Sam’ was short for a much longer Thai name that
was nothing at all like Samuel.
But rather, one with lots of syllables and amusing combinations of
vowels.
Once Sam had determined that I was Mr. Marshall he beckoned
me to come with him immediately.
What I noticed straight away however what this his route was in the complete opposite direction of that of baggage
claim.
As I kept up to his pace of economic, but brisk skipping
strides, he outlined all the dimensions of my dilemma. Yes I could head over to the baggage
area and retrieve my things but then I would be stuck in Bangkok, or, I could
skip and puff the length of the vast terminal and get to the Thai airline
counter and get my behind on my scheduled flight to Phuket. He was much more polite and gracious in
his description.
Since Sam had both, a large Mr. Marshall sign, and a Qatar
name tag pinned to his chest I could see no other alternative than but to
gamble along at his side. Which,
after some large chunk of those 85 minutes we cleared customs, was issued a new
boarding pass, and wiggled and
stripped through another round of security clearance.
His final words to me, as I drifted down another long que of
exhausted travelers was, that eventually my bags and I would meet. Though as I recall it now, the exact juncture
of this meeting was still rather indefinite.
So thus I found myself remarkably entering the Thai Airlines
flight. Which, quite frankly I
really did not think I would make.
The successful flight to Phuket took something quite less than 85 minutes….in
the air.
However the stark reality, or perhaps the unenviable
logistics of just how I and my bags would once again find ourselves in perfect
harmony was brought to the fore the moment my behind landed. I will not burden you with the
details. If you have read this far
you have done well.
But I would note that the complicated chemistry of all this
equation was thrown into even more disarray when I learned, that due to all my
unpacking of documents and removing of shoes, and redistributing of personal
paraphernalia that my luggage tags had gone missing.
Now I am in a hot room in Phuket. The air conditioner is valiantly attempting to knock some of
the starch out of the humidity. I
have complete access to some key possessions. Cash, keyboard, toiletries, and by just stupid good luck, a
pair of shorts.
Some of the key required items of my holiday travel however
are absent and are being missed greatly.
In particular my nike graphite 7 iron and all the little clubs that
usually keep him company.
I have made, even now after a few hours on the ground,
several trips to the front desk where excited phone calls have been made. Promises though have been few and given
reluctantly at that. My feeling is
that despite my own drama, and fretting, everything regarding my possessions
will work themselves out in their own way.
In addition I have now seen the limitations of just what can
be accomplished in 85 minutes when trying to foray through the logistics and
legalities of international travel.
But on the other hand, as I look up at my watch, I was able to tell this
story, in all its rambling detail, in less than 85 minutes.