Asian Advice

Asia is really fantastic. I'm addicted to it. Someday if I ever manage to settle into a place maybe I'll open a store, Asian Persuasion, with all the strange and delightful things that make up life here-- things that you'd never find stateside-- but have a hard time living without once you're used to them (the singular exception being the squat toilet).
I encourage anyone to come here. Anywhere in Asia. (I've decided I'm growing my hair out and not cutting it until I get to Tokyo-- those kids are the coolest)
But, I have one word of advice.
Do NOT under any penny-pinching circumstances book your flight with China Airlines. (who, also, by the way, was unable to change my return date flight, delayed all my flights on the way here and lost my checked luggage for several days at the beginning of the trip--lucky for me I planned on having it lost and only filled it with suncreen and bug spray)
After the heart stopping email about a flight change, I think I figured out how they screwed me-- it's a good thing Orbitz decided to email me-- since they, uh, didn't.
They changed the 2nd flight of my 3 flights home.
So that I wait around in Taipei for 10 hours to fly to LA. Then miss my Denver connection by 4 hours.
And they wait to tell me until I'm flung way out in Old Sukhothai. After I spent a day riding around for several kilometers on a bicycle through the forest and 800 year old ruins-- seriously one the the best things I did here was sitting completely alone under an umbrella on the bricks of a disheveled old chedi in the rain. So amazing.
But there's nothing in this town other than ancient history, beautiful green forest, rice paddies, amazing food, delightful people and one internet joint. No international calls.
Curse you China Airlines, curse you.... you and squat toilets are one in the same to me.