Crab with garlic and pepper

When we arrived on the small island of Koh Mak we were already hungry from the long but beautiful ride by “slow boat” from Koh Chang. After checking into our resort, Monkey Island, we asked the receptionist for a recommendation for local seafood. He said he knew of a restaurant that was open and after one phone call they were on their way to pick us up from the resort!

After about 20 minutes we were picked up by a middle aged Thai woman in a taxi which on these islands is always a covered pickup truck with 2 benches to sit on in the back. She drove us to the restaurant and the ride turned out to be a freebie (to and from the resort). Not only that, but after bringing us to the restaurant the driver then put on a smock and went back to cooking for the other customers already seated at the restaurant.

The restaurant was right on the waterfront and the views were stunning. I was surprised by how clean the water looked just off of the restaurant’s pier since usually water tends to be pretty disgusting around docks and piers. There were only a few other people eating lunch there at that time so it was a really quiet place to eat and chill.

A friendly man came to take our order and we later learned that his family owned the restaurant and his wife was the chef/driver. Since this was a seafood place we decided to just point to whatever looked good by name or in photos, some crab, squid and fried fish and some refreshing watermelon shakes (always request “no sugar”) to wash it all down. I got see the assistant chef pick out my crab for me from a cage submerged in the water beneath the restaurant. These crabs are pre-caught and the cage serves as a sort of refrigerator for fresh seafood. The fried fish came with shredded young mango and the garlic and pepper on the crab was both crispy and chewy. The squid was the least interesting but BBQ squid always seems to be about the sauce you put on it (and this sauce was really spicy). All of this was topped off by a roti for dessert, a thin pancake with condensed milk dribbled over it. The food was amazing and we decided right then and there to return to Koh Mak Seafood the next day.

The waiter gave us a big black guestbook to browse and to sign. We noticed that people from all over the world had already endorsed Koh Mak Seafood with glowing reviews in many languages (Thai, German and English standing out) and also creative illustrations and so we added our praise in English and Hebrew. Most people were in agreement that this was “the best seafood on Koh Mak”. The restaurant has only been open for three months and the book was already nearly full.

The next day we ordered freshly squeezed orange juice shakes to start. We got the yellow curry crab and the fried scallops with chili sauce based on recommendations from others in the guestbook and we love the garlic and pepper sauce so much that we got some huge tiger shrimp with that. This second feast was a worthy sequel to that of the previous day and I’m talking Godfather II, not Temple of Doom! I don’t have to go on about the food since I was sure to take photos of all of the great dishes.

This time we had a nice visitor, one who was equally an expert in the consumption of fine seafood and he even helped us to pick out our crab this time (the crab tried to make a getaway). This cat didn’t have a name but he was not at all shy about sitting in our laps as we ate and being very vocal in his requests for scraps from the table. Since our cat, Cuggits, also dines with us, Tamar and I are used to paying our taxes when it comes to meals and so this cat ended up as full as the rest of us.

As we were about to leave the restaurant, we asked the waiter a question about some of the plants they were growing. That explanation led to more information about the restaurant and the pier we were standing on and before we knew it, we were taken inside of the family’s museum just next to the restaurant. This museum was an amazing little find and it detailed the family’s history and participation in the island’s formation and its community. The family was the first to bring tourism to the island by setting up the very first resort, a series of cabins on stilts in the water, the remains of which are still visible from the restaurant. Koh Mak used to belong to Cambodia and once it changed into Thai hands, the family was there to welcome the very first visit to the island by the Thai royal family.

Ake (our waiter) told us how he was just an eight year old boy during a period of hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia. One day a Cambodian naval ship docked at the Ao Nid Pier near the family’s resort but the enemy soldiers dismissed this little boy paying him no mind. However, what they didn’t know was that young Ake was actually the one tasked with calling the Thai government in the case of any emergency or any trouble from the Cambodians on Koh Mak!

8yr old Ake manning the radio to notify the Thai government of Cambodian Incursions

Our knowledge of the island and its history expanded as quickly as our stomachs that day and we walked away from Koh Mak Seafood knowing that this was a special place that we’d always remember. Hopefully we’ll have the chance to go back and visit again one day!

Click here to view all photos from Koh Mak Seafood!

The Pool at the Coral Resort, Kaibe Beach

We stayed a total of seven nights on the island of Koh Chang and four of those were at a very nice resort, the Coral Resort, located at the northern end of Kaibe Beach. This is not a huge resort or even a fancy resort like the ones a bit further North at Klong Prao Beach. But this resort had what we needed and more.

We opted for a private cabin with air-conditioning which ran us 2,000 Thai Baht ($53) a night. Identical cabins with a sea view were 2,500 but from our cabin the sea was still visible between the neighboring “sea-view cabins”. Walking about 20 meters brought us to the edge of the sea for an unobstructed view.

The cabin was really very nice. For starters it was quite spacious and hexagonal in shape. the ceilings were very high and the structure was a combination of painted cement and wood which was attractive and clean looking. Each cabin had its own stairway and balcony that wrapped around a third of the cabin, facing in the direction of the sea. There were plenty of windows for fresh air but the AC was a nice defense against the mid-day heat and the mosquitoes at night. The bathroom was particularly nice with a large shower.

Probably the single most attractive part of the resort was the large swimming pool situated between the restaurant, the massage tables and the sea. The views from the pool looked out over the water and it was simply stunning. Most of the resorts on Koh Chang face west and so sunsets are incredible to watch from any part of this resort.

Massage was very nice and only 250 Baht for one hour. However, for an amazing massage or spa treatment we recommend Bodiwork Spa located on the main road.

Coral Resort doesn’t really have its own beach but you can walk just a bit to get to a strip of beach from the neighboring resort, still within sight of Coral. We’ve found the other resorts on Koh Chang (and on Koh Mak) to be very relaxed in terms of hanging out on their sands, even sitting in their beach chairs when we’re not staying at their resort. Nobody ever asks to see our room key, requests money or tells us to move on.

The restaurant was good but nothing special. The food was tasty but sometimes the portions were rather small. However, the pricing of the dishes was probably less than you would expect from a “resort” anyway. The room included a choice of breakfast and we opted for our daily fruit, yogurt and musli combo which was nice. The neighboring Nang Nual Resort to the South has an even better restaurant which serves an amazing crab with garlic and peppercorns and stays open into the night unlike the restaurant at Coral. The two resorts are under the same family ownership and are separated by a small foot bridge over a canal.

The staff was friendly and professional and this was a smaller relaxed type of place. Tipping is only necessary for housekeeping and possibly at the bar/restaurant since it’s not like there’s a concierge staff or porter carrying your luggage around.

The Coral Resort is only a short walk from the main coastal road and is therefore conveniently located near all of the restaurants, bars and ATMs, 7-Elevens, etc. It’s always nice to have a rented motorbike handy to visit other beaches but it’s well known that Koh Chang is full of steep inclines and winding roads which are only suitable for experienced drivers.

The most interesting part of Coral was the family of animals that also share the resort. All of the animals are domesticated but they add a nice friendly atmosphere and it’s interesting to see them all sort of inhabit the same piece of the island together. There are 2 small pigs (a small one and a tiny one), a cat and several dogs and they all wander around pretty freely or nap in the shade when they’re not busy playing with each other.

One other perk at the Coral Resort was the WIFI access that easily reached our cabin. Prepaid cards are sold at the reception for 100, 250 and 500 Baht for 60, 200 and 500 minutes of WIFI access.

We definitely recommend the Coral Resort for its spacious rooms, beautiful pool, friendly atmosphere and four-legged friends. The clientele is older than what you’d find at the backpacker scene at Lonely Beach and there were a few families with small children. But the resort is very quiet and is a real getaway yet still near enough to the action you might seek on the rest of the island.

Click here to view photos of the Coral Resort!

Pancake & Dewey

A few days ago, while riding around Koh Chang, Kevin and I stopped to ask for directions and discovered a charming little cafe called “Lanna’s Cafe”. It is located at the southern tip of Kai Be beach, right before the road becomes steep and winding leading to Lonely Beach. The place is run by a Thai-Japanese couple who offer organic Arabic coffee grown in the North of Thailand. All the coffees and teas served can be bought in beautifully designed packages. Due to some inexplicable health streak we’re on, we opted for organic tea instead of coffee and it was excellent!

The cafe is a very cute spot for chillin’ in the afternoon. We stayed for drinks and a chat with Uta (one of the owners) about life in Koh Chang. Uta and her husband also have a cute kitty named Pancake (I suspect he got that nickname since his daily regiment consists of 22hrs laying flat on his belly, 2 hrs for eating). Pancake happens to look a lot like Dewey, the hero of a book I got as a gift from a friend for this trip. I just had to take a picture of the two of them!

I just returned from a fabulous weekend in Singapore. I enjoyed every little street, dish, neighborhood, park, drink and mall (yes, I admit it).

I arrived late in the evening and went straight to my hostel “Hangout @Mt. Emily” which was perfect. The hostel is located in Little India at a top of a hill, right by a beautiful park. It has a great vibe and a gorgeous rooftop deck with beautiful view of the city. It has been a long time since I last stayed at a youth hostel but I was glad to see nothing has changed, not even the browser version on the public computers.

I spent the first morning in Little India exploring the shops, temples and houses. Every alley was so picturesque with quaint houses and lots of colorful shutters. People in traditional outfits were rushing to work or going to temple to offer a gift to the gods.

From little India, I crossed straight into to the Arab Quarter. As I was entering the Arab Quarter, the smell of curry was replaced by a strong smell of coffee. Mmmm. This neighborhood was simply gorgeous. Much of it has been renovated and it is so aesthetically pleasing. Small coffee shops are nestled between designer stores and beautiful mosques. So much of it reminded me of the Middle East, certain streets looked a lot like Jaffa and Neve Tzedek (Tel Aviv). By lunch time, I was so homesick and just had to get Egyptian food on Arab St (Cafe Le Caire), it was excellent. I chatted with the restaurant owner for a bit and got a long list of recommendations of things to see and taste while in Singapore.

I spent the whole afternoon walking around CBD (Central Biz District) and Chinatown. It’s amazing to think this area used to be full of secret societies, opium dens and crime. There is none of that left. Instead, the neighborhood is one of the most colorful ones I’ve seen. The shophouses, the bustling markets and great food make it a great place to visit and walk around. I got to speak a little Mandarin and was able to read a few signs which made me 高兴 (happy).

One of the things I enjoyed most in Singapore is the number of parks and massive greenery everywhere. The whole city feels like a tropical island with luscious green trees, many of which are not originally from Singapore. I spent a few hours on Saturday walking around the Botanic Gardens with friends admiring the plants and great orchid garden.

Getting around Singapore is so easy and convenient. The super clean and mighty fast subway system (MRT) gets you everywhere in no time. Every station name is announced in three languages: English, Mandarin and Hindi (how about that MTA?!). The signage is great and if you still somehow get lost, a friendly Singaporean is always happy to help.

So what’s with the shopping??
Everybody told me that Singapore is all about the shopping (which is why I was hesitant to go). My original plan was to visit Singapore without doing any shopping. I realize that is much like going to Vegas without gambling but given my lack of patience for malls, I thought I’d better skip the whole thing. Shopping in Singapore turned out to be an extraordinary experience. I really liked a lot of the local labels, it is so very chic and reasonably priced! I spent two hours going in and out of stylish malls on Orchard Rd and managed to buy 2 skirts, 3 tops and 1 pillow case, not bad.

Sunday morning I visited the Asian Civilizations Museum which is housed in a grand colonial building. The museum features many interactive displays and screens videos on the floor, doors and screens. It was very interesting and I learned a great deal about this great continent.

Sitting outside the museum by the Quay, I had my palm read by a Yogi. He was a very nice man, he also happened to say a couple of accurate things…

Singapore was definitely a lot more exciting than I had expected. Its multiculturalism is fascinating, the food is a real delight and yes, the shopping is like no other place. I would definitely like to go back and see more.

Check out the three new photo albums for Singapore!

Our guidebook explains how to get between Phnom Penh and the Laos-Cambodia border by bus and boat but there wasn’t a lot of information available about connecting Si Phan Don with Siem Reap. It would’ve been nice to travel in a straight line from Cambodia’s border town, Stung Treng, but there seemed to be no direct roads connecting from there to Siem Reap. I posted some queries on a few Internet travel forums but had very little Internet access on the islands so I wasn’t able to check for any posted responses.

Much to our surprise, once we arrived on the islands of Don Khong, Don Khon and Don Det in Si Phan Don it turned out that every guesthouse advertised minivan transportation to Siem Reap for about $30, the exact price varying between guesthouses. Other offerings included minivan transport to destinations along the way such as Stung Treng ($14), just across the border, Kratie ($21), Kampong Cham($24) and Phnom Penh($26). These seemed to be a bargain considering the alternative we had planned on which would have cost over $100 per person to take the boat to Ban Nakasang ($3-4), bus back to Pakse, overnight stay in a hotel before boarding the early morning flight to Siem Reap ($95). The minivan route was scheduled to leave at around 8:30am from the guesthouse, cross the border and continue into Cambodia for an overnight at either Kratie or Kampong Cham (different guesthouses claim either city as the overnight point) and then arrive at Siem Reap by noon the following day. Sales for this trip were offered everywhere and we were excited about what seemed to be a new route open for tourists at a very reasonable price. However, very little of this journey ended up being as advertised or as expected. Although we may have been affected by a bit of bad luck, I offer this review as a warning to other travelers who may be considering the same trip.

The Road to the Border Will Soon Be Smooth

The most reliable part of the trip was the prompt departure from our guesthouse in our host family’s boat which allowed us a last early-morning cruise past the islands en route to the unimpressive port town of Ban Nakasang. Two minivans were ready for the gathering tourists who numbered about two dozen in total. We left Ban Nakasang at about 9:30 and headed for the border. The short stretch of road just before the boarder was very bumpy and unpaved and it took a good 20 minutes to get through it. However, road construction was already underway at the border crossing so this will likely be paved in a matter of months.

Laos-Cambodia Border Crossing

While exiting Laos we noticed a sign in English stating that official working days exclude Saturday and Sunday (we were there on a Saturday) and that “overtime pay” was in effect. For this the Lao officials collect $1 from each tourist. After a short walk to the Cambodian immigration office we filled out forms, submitted a photo and paid the $21 to receive a 1 month tourist visa on the spot. At an adjacent post two officials performed a passport stamping ceremony in which passports were collected from tourists, piled up on the desk and were then were processed (in no particular order), each making at least 2 or 3 rounds of back and forth handling between the two men in uniform. An additional $2 was collected here but nobody was really sure what that was for apart from the entertainment value of the passport stamping ritual.

The passengers of the two minivans were consolidated into a single full-size bus which headed for the nearby town of Stung Treng. As we approached the brand new looking Chinese –Cambodian Friendship Bridge leading into the town, our bus was stopped for a good 20 minutes. Other motorized vehicles proceeded to cross the bridge while we all stepped out of the bus to stretch our legs. No official approached the bus or requested anything of us until we were eventually given the go ahead to cross.

We arrived in Stung Treng at about noon for a lunch stop at a corner restaurant. Our first exploration in Cambodia was to the restroom in the back of the restaurant and what a memorable discovery that was! It was one of the filthiest experiences I’ve had in a long time, complete with a collection of both live and dead cockroaches and about 100 flies clinging to every bathroom tile on the floor and walls in addition to the requisite dirt and odors. At that moment I was grateful to be a man with only urination on the agenda otherwise I would’ve opted for an alleyway somewhere. That pretty much turned us off to eating lunch anywhere within a one block radius of said bathroom so we walked a good distance to buy a sealed package of cookies and bottles of water for the bus ride.

We did change some US cash into Cambodian Riels at the restaurant. The rate seems to have been decent (about 3,900R/1USD) and it was convenient for us since the nearby bank being closed on Saturday. It turns out that dollars are also welcome in Cambodia anyway.

The guide accompanying us (although trained in tourism, he served as more of an English-speaking representative of the bus company on this trip) requested that we all move to another bus which had pulled up behind the original. While in the new bus he asked for a show of hands of passengers heading to Phnom Penh vs. those going to Siem Reap. This same survey was repeated about 4 more times over the next 20 minutes. He told us that there would be no buses leaving the following morning for Siem Reap (at least none from this bus company) from either Kratie or Kampong Cham so we would need to stick with everyone else all the way to Phnom Penh and take the 7am bus to Siem Reap from there. There were only four of us going to Siem Reap so apparently that wasn’t enough for the company to stick to the advertised route and run a minivan in the most direct path from Kampong Cham.

The First of Many Bus Breakdowns

From this point on the fun really picked up. We were introduced to the Cambodian countryside which includes the usual fields, farmers, kids, cows, buffalo, trees, shacks and the occasional pagoda-like structure. It was somewhat scenic, certainly interesting, but I never really had the urge to whip out my camera. About 2 hours into the ride the bus had to stop due to a mechanical problem. That was sort of nice since it allowed us to stretch, use the restroom in the field and take photos (at least of the broken bus). The driver opened the back panel of the bus, did his magic, started the engine and we were on the road again. But this breakdown, bathroom stretch, back-panel magic happened about 4 more times over the course of the next 3 hours. At one point cows were being herded by a girl in the road ahead of us, blocking our path. The bus slowed down so much that the magic wore off and we were again stuck on the roadside while the cows left us behind in their dust.

Beautiful Sunset over the Mekong in Kratie

When we finally arrived in Kratie at 5pm the passengers began to organize and we collectively insisted that the company provide us with a new bus. After about an hour of watching the pretty sunset over the river a new bus arrived. We moved everyone’s luggage to the new bus and we left Kratie for Phnom Penh in hope of arriving before midnight while hotels were still open with available rooms.

After a bit we encountered another bumpy unpaved road but this on went on for a much longer time. The folks in the back of the bus were flying around with each bump but it was one woman’s birthday back there and they all seemed to really enjoy the good time. I’m not sure if the driver was trying to make up for lost time by taking a shortcut but we were definitely on very narrow back roads and I wondered if this was really the way connecting Kratie with the nation’s capital. Apparently it wasn’t because after about 30 minutes from the end of the bumpy road, the driver did a seven-point turn with the bus and, sure enough, we were heading back the way we came. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t stubborn or too proud to stop and ask directions from locals in the street at least twice before navigating back onto the intended route.

The air outside was cool and the stars were twinkling above. It was the perfect setting for this, the replacement bus, to now breakdown in the middle of the road. This time both the driver’s magic and our search for the bathroom were performed by flashlight but after a bit we were again moving down the road towards the big city. The second time this same bus broke down people started to get a bit antsy. Nobody needed another bathroom break and we’d already marveled at the starry sky just 10 minutes earlier. We were hungry and suspected that our Phnom Penh arrival would be after midnight. We were no longer surrounded by fields but instead found ourselves in a market which was completely closed at 11pm.

The guide told us that a new bus would come to pick us up in an hour. Some people exited the bus for a smoke while others just stayed seated to wait it out. I dozed off inside and only woke up periodically to catch a glimpse of the digital clock mounted at the front of the bus. I saw 12am, 1am, 2am, 2:30am but still no replacement bus. Sleeping in the bus was very difficult because the cramped seating combined with the collective body heat and lack of ventilation contributed to the feeling of claustrophobia. One tourist even took to sleeping on bus floor, the only way for her to lay flat with outstretched legs, while passengers continued to precariously step over her in the darkness on their way in and out of the bus. Mosquitoes roamed freely from passenger to passenger and the scent of mosquito repellent spray was added to the stifling mix in the air. I had to get out.

Just outside the bus a beautiful night awaited me. The market stalls were deserted and even the street lights went black by 3am. The only light came from an occasional truck making its way to Phnom Penh, filled several meters high with sacks or crates of goods. The air was refreshingly cool and the stars were still available for viewing. I spoke to our guide who stayed awake the entire night to “take care of the bus and his customers”, as he put it. He told me how proud he is to introduce people to his country and to teach them to say one or two words in Khmer and also apologized to me on behalf of his company for the predicament we were in. it was that same bizarre twist of events that dealt him more personal interaction with his customers that night, everything ranging from a tourist or two cursing at him and his company to my sympathetic ear.

At 5:30 a restless passenger announced the opening of the market’s first roadside restaurant and the availability of coffee. The coffee was a dark and strong and mixed with sweet condensed milk, much the same as the Vietnamese café sua da. It was glorious. By 7am a replacement bus arrived to take everyone to Phnom Penh but the guide told the four of us heading to Siem Reap to simply wait by the roadside for another bus, the same one we would’ve taken that morning had we slept in the capital. Being only a half hour outside of Phnom Penh, that bus was supposed to arrive around 7:30 but we weren’t that surprised when it eventually came at 9am. To make a long story short J that ended up being our lucky bus. The only stops it made over the following 4 hours were scheduled meal and rest stops along the way to Siem Reap. The air conditioning was strong; the dubbed (Khmer) Hollywood slapstick comedy on the TV played loud and clear and, most importantly, the bus worked. After a total of 30 hours on the road, literally, we finally arrived in Siem Reap.

Even if a strong element of bad luck was at play on our particular journey, it’s difficult to deny the dubious condition of this bus company’s fleet of vehicles. Travelers wishing to make the same trip should be aware that things may not go smoothly or even as advertised. My guess is that most of the good folks selling the trip at guesthouses in Si Phan Don may not even have much of an idea of what actually happens to their customers once they cross the border into Cambodia since they never hear from them again. If money isn’t an issue and a bit of backtracking isn’t prohibited in your travel policy then it’s probably easier to pay the extra hundred bucks to bus and overnight your way back to the airport in Pakse. But if crossing borders and introducing yourself to new countries via the countryside is your thing then this route will likely get better, shorter, faster and smoother…even if these ailing buses need to first die to be replaced by shiny new ones.

We arrived in Luang Prabang on Friday morning and did not have a hotel reservation. At the airport, we met a fellow traveler, Laura, who mentioned she was going to a guesthouse that may have another room available. We decided to share a tuk tuk to the city (about 4km away) and see if we could stay at that same place. After a short drive, we got into town and realized that Laura’s guesthouse did not have any available rooms but the guesthouse next door-Levady had a room. We quickly snatched that room and started our adventure.

It was only later in the day that we realized we had struck gold-the guesthouse was in the most beautiful enchanting alley covered in trees and flowers. The location was perfect, right between the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers leading to a beautiful Wat (Buddhist temple). We walked through the temple every time to get to the many cafes, restaurants and sights the town has to offer. We spent the first night in a regular double room and switched the next day to the “deluxe” room-a second floor wooden room with a balcony! Now we had front row seats to the alley and Lao life!

Right across from our guesthouse was a Lao family that seems like the local community center. Every day we watched people come in, sing, dance or act in a show. One afternoon as we were hanging out on our porch, we managed to capture it on video!

In Levady guesthouse we had the opportunity to stay with a family of three generations and observe how they live. One thing that is clearly very different about the way of life here is the absence of separation between work and private life. Your home is in most cases your place of business be it a guesthouse, a café , a stall at the night market, an art gallery or a massage/spa shop. People live where they work, sometimes on the second floor and sometimes in the room right next to yours. The whole family hangs out together while some members work, it would be as if my mom, grandma, nephews and cats all sat together with me in my cubicle back in NY.

First of all there are no regular looking “seats” in the Japan Airlines Business Class. Instead there are huge futuristic, rounded pod-shaped units that look like something the Emperor in
Star Wars might sit in if he had invested some money to upgrade to a newer model instead of blowing it all on yet another Death Star. These seats don’t just recline, they extend flat for sleeping, have an adjustable leg rest with a foot stop so you don’t slide out when positioned at an angle and have a chair massage feature that rolls up and down your back.

Waiting on the chair is a hanger where you can put your jacket which is then promptly stowed in a closet by a flight attendant. The first attendant approached me in Japanese, offering me a selection of Japanese newspapers. I was still in shock over the size of the seats that all I could return to her was a blank look on my face. After waiting the required 3 seconds of passenger unresponsiveness she switched to English and I ended up with a Sunday edition of the NY Times delivered to my pod. There was enough leg room to store my laptop and my shoes and I traded them for the sealed package of slippers to wear during the flight. After all, this is an Asian airline and it’s always nice to keep the floor clean.

As is now standard on large aircraft flying inter-continentally, each person is equipped with their own private audio, TV, movie and game system. It took about 15 minutes to figure out the remote control even with the help of the 7-page, legal-sized, illustrated and laminated instruction manual. But all that was worth it since it also came with over-ear noise-cancelling headphones! The pod had its own electrical outlet which allowed me to save my laptop’s battery for the next unplugged stretch.

I forgot to mention that Tamar and I weren’t seated together since I was in the row ahead of her. The rows were spaced so far apart and the pod’s shell was so big I couldn’t even see her when I turned around. The deal as I understood it at the check-in counter was something like “we’ll apologize for overbooking the flight that you reserved months in advance and we’ll split you two up, but just smile and say ‘thank you’ since we’ll upgrade you. At least that’s how I recall playing that scene. Of course, the first thing we did after the newspaper and slippers was to look around for a candidate to approach about switching seats with one of us so that we could sit together. Hmm…that guy already has his shoes off and his eyes closed, this one is already twisting around to talk to his buddy across the aisle and two rows back. No chance. We approached one of the attendants who consulted her seating chart and returned with bad news that there were no available seats together on this flight. But just then, the woman sitting next to me, overhearing our little conversation had a brilliant idea. Why don’t they upgrade HER to First Class if there’s a seat available and let the nice couple sit together. I seconded that motion and, sure enough, a single First Class seat was available and Tamar and I spent the rest of the flight side-by-side watching Ratatouille (loved it) and helping each other with the chair controls and the remote.

Ok, no review of a flight, certainly no review of mine, would be complete without mention of the food. WOW, great food! It started out with a glass of champagne accompanied by a salad of greens and a Boursin-like cheese wrapped in zucchini. This was followed by a small dish of Swiss, smoked Gouda and pecorino cheese and cashew nuts. Then, a nicely printed menu with Western and Japanese choices was handed out. We both opted for Japanese, of course, and that began with 8 mini-appetizers including goodies like squid roll, king crabmeat, fried sea bream, spinach, steamed chicken and egg-cake. Tamar got a grilled Spanish mackerel and I ordered the beef and both were served with white rice, miso soup and were quite good. Dessert was a panna cotta served with coffee or tea. It’s really fun to eat with chopsticks on a flight and we even got a little red ceramic origami-style crane to rest them on between dishes.

Other meals, served upon request, followed throughout the rest of the flight. These included Japanese mushroom risotto, sautéed shrimp and scallops with garlic cream sauce and soup with udon noodles and a sweet fried bean curd (tofu) followed by chocolate crème brulée.

The main problem I had with Business Class was that there were just too many things to do and it’s very hard to choose how to occupy yourself and even harder to get everything done. Should I watch a movie, two movies, three movies? What about playing chess or tetris? I can use my laptop with its endless supply of electricity, should I watch more movies I brought with me or should I start writing this super long blog post? Maybe I’ll just catch up on emails. Sleeping in the pod was so comfortable and relaxing but I felt like I was missing out on all the other fun stuff to do. Oh well, even Business Class isn’t perfect!