Sunday 8 February
Siem Reap to Singapore 
                 
After another buffet breakfast at the hotel, I finish packing, arrange for a hotel car to take me to the airport, and check out.  Since I prepaid for the all the arrangements for this part of my trip (air-fare round-trip Singapore-Siem Reap and the hotel), my bill comes to US$101.00 (two dinners, one lunch, laundry).  But the clerk accidently bills my American Express Card for US$1,010.00 and doesn't know how to credit the refund back to my card.  I am not about to leave without a record of the credit, but instead, she just gives me nine crisp new US$100. bills and everything is fine.

The 90-minute flight back to Singapore is uneventful and it is a short distance to the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel, where the two bags I stored are delivered to my room almost as soon as I arrive.  The hotel is well-soundproofed and I can watch jets landing and departing all afternoon.  The room is well-appointed and the bathroom is especially nice--except perhaps for the picture window between the bedroom and the bathroom (there is a shade that can be pulled down by the modest).  I enjoy my final vacation dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the airport and there are enough shops and exhibits to keep me busy until its time to finish re-packing and call it a day. 

Monday 9 February 2105
Singapore to HKG to LAX to Tucson

This morning begins the long trek home--from the time of my wake-up call in Singapore to the time I hit the bedroom at home in Tucson--a total of 35 hours.  Fortunately, I have arranged to spend the long wait in Los Angeles at the Travelodge LAX, which offers day rooms at half the price of overnight--including free shuttles to and from the terminal and unlimited wifi.

My Cathay Pacific flight leaves Singapore on time and after a good breakfast, I nap through most of the four and a half hour flight. Since my bags are transferred automatically to my next flight, I have only my carry-on to deal with in Hong Kong.  The wheelchair attendant takes me to the gate for my next flight, but since I have about four hours to wait, he leaves the wheelchair with me and I can use it for support as I browse through the all the duty-free shops.  

The flight from Hong Kong to LAX is very smooth (unlike the westbound flight three weeks ago), as we take a route straight west across the Pacific; going eastward we did the Great Circle route, taking us up to Alaska, the Bering Sea, Russia and then down the coast of China.  After customs and immigration I catch the shuttle bus for the five minute drive to the Travelodge.  I thought I would spend the afternoon blogging and relaxing, but I fall fast asleep as soon as I hit the bed.  Luckily, I set my alarm for 6pm and so I have time for a shower and a sandwich and coffee at the Denny's next door to the hotel (welcome home!), before the shuttle takes me to the Southwest Terminal at the airport.  The entrance and drop-off area is under construction and buses are not allowed to stop until half way to the next terminal.  But the driver does a quick maneuver (right in front of a police car, too) and is able to drop me and my bags right at the entrance.  

From here there is nothing to report but waiting for my 9:30pm flight to Tucson, which arrives and departs on time, with only 15 passengers on board.  Considering the hours I have been travelling, the flights have not been too bad.  I took a sleeping pill on the 12-hour leg from Hong Kong to LAX, so the time went pretty quickly. Cathay Pacific allows two free checked bags in Premier Economy Section and, of course, Southwest allows two bags on all their flights.  I checked only one bag on my flights Singapore-Cambodia, so unlike most of my flying in the states, I did not have to pay for any luggage.  For those of you thinking about travelling in the future, you might want to know that Brazil, Australia, and Japan forbid airlines from charging anything for luggage--so you might want to re-route your next trip (!).

My next trip is dreamland and editing the thousands of photos from this trip.  I have signed up for a cruise roundtrip from the UK up the Norwegian coast to the top of the Arctic Circle--in July.  If anyone wants to join me, just let me know . . .