The Amazing Race

I felt like I was in the CBS show The Amazing Race. I didnt know that so many things can go wrong in a day (travelwise). Didnt know that travelling from Bangkok to Singapore can take up to 19 hours. This much for sure ... it will make a great story to tell my children and my grandkids one day. But now, you guys (and gals) can hear it first.

0530hrs - "Gawd ... I am not going to be able to make it to the airport in time". I was still stoned with all the whisky in my blood and having slept only 2 hours didnt help at all. My flight was at 7am and the airport was about an hour away.

Ok ... a couple of hours more sleep and then I will book another ticket to get back to Singapore that afternoon ... anyway I have already paid for my room till checkout time which was 12. I went back to sleep.

1200hrs - Fresh from my shower and ready to go! I was already planning going out later that night in Singapore to meet up with friends and tell them about my trip as well as catching up on the latest gossip. I checked out of the hotel and flagged down the first taxi. "Pai Suvarnabhumi Krup" and off we went. Bangkok traffic has always been bad so I have taken that into consideration and felt that I would possibly be at the airport by 1330hrs latest. We were sitting in traffic for about 15min then suddenly the driver filtered to the side and got out of the car. He went out and talked to a fellow taxi driver for a couple of minute and then returned and told me the other taxi will take me to the airport. A little confuse but I went over to the other cab.

Finally we arrived at the airport ... a little after 2pm but it was fine with me. Travelling to Singapore would only take 3hours. I would still get home in time for dinner and after that still have plenty of time before I go out to club that nite ... or so I thought.

I walk to the ticketing counter of one of the airlines and was told that all flights from Bangkok to Singapore was fully booked and the earliest flight to Singapore was at 4pm the next day. I tried 4 other airlines -from budget airlines to SIA (even asked if business class had seats avaliable) but everything was bought up.

I decided to take a plane from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and then a bus from there to Singapore would be good. I ask the counter and found that there was a flight avaliable at 1700hrs that day. "Hmm leaving at 1700 arriving at 2000 ... then take a airport bus to the bus terminal 1 hour. After that a bus to Singapore 4hours. 0100hrs not too bad.". I got my tickets and went for lunch as I could only check in at 1500hrs.

1500hrs - I checked in and got my boarding pass. As I walked towards the checkin gate I glance at the screen showing the departure information and saw 5 very scary letters flagged against my flight number DELAY.

My flight was delayed till 1900hrs, I have 4 hours to kill in the airport. I decided to go to the lounge and kill some time there.

1900hrs - I am awfully tired but hey I am finally on my way. In 3 hours I will be in KL and then to Singapore.

2130hrs - Touch down! Yes ... almost home. Just a couple of hours more.

I went over to collect my bags and realize that baggage was not a very efficient thing here in the LCC-T Terminal in KL (Low Cost Terminal) After about an hour my luggage arrived and off I went.

There was a counter selling tickets for buses travelling to various part of KL and I bought a ticket to Puduraya Bus Terminal. Was told the bus will leave at 2245hrs. So I went to grab a burger and then off to the bus.

2330hrs The bus has still not left the airport. They are waiting for 6 old ladies. Now normally I am quite patient but as the clock ticked away I started wondering if I would be able to catch a bus to Singapore at all that night. I started to wonder, what time the last bus was.

The 6 ladies finally arrived and were talking very loudly. "We are so important. See the bus waited for us. Told you we dont have to rush. 6 of us together equals power. We are the majority they will do what we want ..." I wanted to at that moment turn around and SLAPPED them!

0015hrs We arrived at Puduraya Bus Terminal. I quickly rush up to get a bus to Singapore from the many ticketing counters there. "Sorry, Sold out" "No more seats" "Nothing avaliable until 24th Dec" I nearly fainted there and then.

I needed to get back somehow. I asked if there were buses going to Johor rather than Singapore (Johor is just across the border) and after searching a while I finally found 1 company that has it but the bus was only sheduled to leave at 0130hrs. I have no choice and bought it. To my horror it was a forty seater and not theVIP 26 seater we have gotten use to now. Its gonna be a long cramped ride home.

0130hrs The bus arrived. We borded the bus but it didnt leave.

0200hrs The bus is still waiting for something ... no one knows what.

0230hrs We start moving off. Seems the delay had to do with a miscount of the number of people and number of tickets. In actual fact the missing bus ticket was kept by the 1st driver and he forgot about it.

0430hrs I was awaken by the start stop movement of the bus. Looking out of the window I realize we were not there yet but some road construction was being done and there was a bad traffic jam. A traffic jam at 0430 in the morning ... this can only happen in Malaysia.

0515hrs We finally arrive at laki-laki bus terminal in Johor. Another bus (SBS 170 a public bus) into Singapore and I will be home!

Finally got up the bus and thinking this would be a smooth ride home. Boy was I wrong ... 530 in the morning is the peak time for cars, motorcycles and buses going from Johor to Singapore. Its Peak Hour traffic.

I finally manage to get thru immigration at 0645 and catch a taxi (in Singapore) to go back to my home a short 10min ride away.

19 hours trip ... from the time I checked out of the hotel to the time I arrived home at 0700hrs. I started wondering ... would it be fasted if I had just taken a bus from Bangkok straight to Singapore? That would be another adventure for another day.