Final Travel Clinic Visit

Yesterday I had my last appointment at the travel health clinic. For this visit I received my third and final Twinrix booster shot and a typhoid inoculation. I still need to venture to the pharmacy to buy some medications to take with me, specifically Dukoral for traveler's diarrhea and cholera, Gastrolyte for managing fluid loss due to diarrhea and vomiting, Imodium for diarrhea, and Doxycycline for malaria. Some of these medications I will need to start taking before my trip to Laos in December.

Laos Travel Guides

Yesterday an acquaintance from my neighbourhood cafe, Java Jive, dropped off three travel guides on Laos for me. I have only had a chance to examine them peripherally, but from what I have seen they are packed with all sorts of interesting and useful information. They will definitely help me pass away the time on my way to Laos in December.


From left to right, here are the guides pictured above:


The Rough Guide to Laos published by Rough Guides


Laos published by Lonely Planet


Laos Handbook published by Footprint

Bound for Laos

(Learn more about this province and its capitol, Luang Prabang.)

As soon as I finished work yesterday, I dashed out the door, hopped on my bike and then peddled madly to my bank to withdraw the necessary money for my airfare to Laos. After my brief visit to the bank, I rushed to the Flight Centre, which was soon to close for the day, to finalize all the details with my travel agent, who must be commended for delivering exceptional customer service.

When I got home, I took some time to review the itinerary.

On December 3, I begin the first leg of my journey to Laos. My flight leaves Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto) at 6.30 am Eastern Time and arrives at Kennedy International Airport (New York City) at 8.15 am Eastern Time. Since this is an international flight, I know that I must be at the airport three hours prior to departure. Therefore,  I must be there no later than 3.30 am that morning.

At 12.40 pm Eastern Time, I depart Kennedy International Airport on a Seoul-bound Korean Airlines flight, which will take fourteen hours and thirty minutes to reach its destination. On December 4 at 5.10 pm local time (3.10 am in Toronto), the flight arrives in Seoul.

At 7.25 pm local time (5.25 am in Toronto), I depart Seoul on a different Korean Airlines flight. Four hours and fifty-five minutes later, at 10.20 pm local time (8.20 am in Toronto), I land in Hanoi.

After spending about seventeen hours in Vietnam, I embark on the final leg of my journey. On December 5 at 6.25 pm local time (6.25 am in Toronto), I leave on a Lao Aviation aircraft for the land of a million elephants. An hour later (7.25 pm local time; 7.25 am in Toronto) I arrive in what was once the royal capitol of Laos and now designated by UNESCO as a world heritage city, Luang Prabang, where I will be greeted by Steve Rutledge and Mike Yap.

After combining wait times at the various airports (about 25 hours) with my time in the air (about 22 hours), I will have spent about fifty hours on my journey to Laos.

Travel Fundraising Fund Surpasses $1000

Last night I received a very lovely birthday gift from two dear friends of mine, $100 to add to my Laos travel fund. With this addition, my travel fund now stands at $1100.

Travel Fundraising Fund Tops $1000

On Friday, March 4, 2011, my travel fundraising fund finally reached the $1000 mark, which means that I am half way there to achieving my goal of $2000! This money will be specifically used to help me cover my travel expenses to and from Laos. Hooray!