Our travel day. Our Borneo day. We left on schedule at 5:45AM. I had dreams of leaving earlier and having the driver drive us up to the Temple on the hill that overlooks Chiang Mai. In another life. On another day. Our first hypertensive moment of the travel day occurred when the AirAsia ticketing agent alerted us to the fact that she would not be able to check our bags through all the way to Borneo.We would now need to claim our bags at the LCCT in Kuala Lumpur and then go through the security process all over again and checking in the bags all over again. Normally, this would not be an issue, but I only allowed for a 2 hour window between flights. So in Kuala Lumpur, we would need to de-plane our AirAsia flight from Chiang Mai, walk the quarter mile along the tarmac, clear Malaysian immigration, claim our bags, walk from the international terminal to the domestic flight terminal, go through security, check our bags back in, go through security again and arrive at our gate to board our AirAsia flight to Borneo. All in less than 2 hours in an unfamiliar airport with two very familiar children. For whatever reason, AirAsia could not check our bags through – good to know for the future. At the end of the rush while we sat waiting safely at our departing gate with an energetic Ezra – we had plenty of time to spare. We were able to arrive on time, only because we cleared all of the obstacles without incident. We had 200 people ahead of us at immigration, but Malaysia has just implemented a fingerprint scan instead of paperwork that sped up the process immensely. The international terminal was a short walking distance to the domestic terminal. Our bags were waiting for us on the baggage carosel. We were able to use a free luggage cart. Our hands were free to hold Ezra and Viena’s hands. I had already pre-printed my Borneo boarding passes so we were already checked in. So, now no more Bahts and bring on the Ringgits. The flights in the Tropics all have fuller, poofier, and extra puffy clouds. When we arrived in Borneo we did not see anyone holding a sign that said “Foley Weems”, that is because I did not pre-arrange a taxi. No problem though, we paid the 70 ringgits to Taxi Counter and off we went to the MeLIN-sung RESORT apartments. And this will be the last time I emphasize RESORT, not because I do not want you to think that “here they go again, staying at a RESORT!”, but we feel like this is a combination between the RESORT where my parents live and PROJECTS of a big city. Chiang Mai was definitely a RESORT. MeLIN-sung is definitely not! But, this will be our home for the next month and we will do just fine. The proximity to the beach on the South China Sea cannot be beat. Our host, Jo, and her dad took me to the Giant Supermarket and I was able to fill our empty refigerator and bare cupboards. That was so nice of them. A good day. A good day. Ezra and Viena actually have a room with apart from us for once with A/C. All the plans of travel on this day worked out and I am thankful.
oneworldtwokids 