Destination Indonesia

Today marks the first day of P's big journey overseas!  Yes, we are heading to Indonesia to go to Bali!  We are beyond excited to be traveling to such an exotic destination.  Thanks to the "Housewives" for giving my hubby the inspiration!   What?  Yep, hubs work gave him the inspiration.  He spent a few weeks editing the ladies who took a trip there and it pretty much inspired this trip.   Well, we were going to go to Japan but everyone said not to go to Tokyo Disneyland over Christmas so this was the next choice and most definitely, the best choice! We purchased the trip back in October.   P had 3 weeks of winter break and hubby found out early that his production would be closed for 2 weeks and I am working freelance, so we decided it was that now or never kind of thing.   

After weeks of getting vaccinations, gathering up medicine for a travel kit and purchasing random things like a waterproof phone case, compression socks and tons of wipes we found ourselves ready to go!   With 4 pieces of luggage we called an Uber at 6am in the morning and headed to LAX to the Tom Bradley International terminal.   We arrived in good time but the airport traffic was insane. I forgot we were traveling on the prime Christmas day, December 21st.  We got to the Southern China Airlines check-in and found that they didn't open until 8am.   So we waited about 20-minutes before handing over our luggage.   We didn't know what to expect with this airline as we had never heard of it nor flown it.   Some friends from work who go to Asia said it was a cheaper value airline so that made me a bit nervous.   Then our pals said they've flown it and it was fine.   

After check-in we tried to find a lounge to rest in but apparently, they are not early that early in the AM.  A total bummer since we had gotten all these fancy travel credit cards that came with free lounge passes.   So we proceeded to find some breakfast in the terminal which as usual, was expensive but it filled our tummies for the long journey ahead.  

We boarded the plane at 10:15am and promptly took off at the 11am scheduled departure time.  That was a nice feature of SCA, the promptness.   Our friend, Jung who had flown them recently for business warned us that they board earlier than what is written on your boarding pass so we made sure to be there early for each flight.  It took fifteen hours to China and another 6 hours to Denspar, Indonesia.  I wasn't sure how P would do traveling but she travelled like a pro.  I had brought a backpack full of new toys and activities but she mainly choose to watch the brand new tv monitors on the plane.    I think she would have done more activities but it proved difficult to grab the bag from under he seat all the time and get items out. 

We were seated in the back of the plane where I think they put all families who call ahead worried about sitting together.   P took the window seat and hub sat next to her and I on the isle.   I have to give mad props to hubs for entertaining P pretty much the whole way.   It did give me a chance to do a bit of reading.  I read or rather listened to several chapters of Michelle Obama's book and became inspired by the great things she has done in her life.  When we weren't watching tv or reading we were eating.  Southern China Airlines feeds you a lot.   It was actually kind of refreshing because in recent years of travel in the USA, a traveller finds they need to get their own food before boarding or having to pay to eat on the plane.   Here they feed you several times (4 times) and the food was pretty decent!  I was reminded early on during drink service that Diet Coke internationally is known as Coke Lite. Somewhere in the depths of my brain I knew that but forgot when I asked for a Diet Coke and got a Coke Zero and later saw the Coke Lite on the cart.

Here are some photos of us at LAX and on the plane.  Pre-Journey!