Chapter 19 of our short travel stories tells us a funny episode during an Asian flight. You won’t want to miss this one!

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Chapter 19: An Asian Flight

The airport in Ha Noi was surprisingly empty, to the point that to check-in I only had to wait in line a couple of minutes. I then passed the security check and went inside to look for some souvenirs. I like to buy fridge magnets and shot glasses of the countries I visit, as well as keeping some of their currency.

I find this nice souvenir shop with what I wanted, and when I was paying I felt somebody touch my shoulder. I turned around and saw this small Vietnamese man wearing a red long sleeved shirt and khaki pants who straight away asked me: “Where are you going, sir?”

I stared at him a bit puzzled; I didn’t understand who he was and what he wanted. He had no identification on him so I didn’t know if he worked for the airport or what.

Thinking it wasn’t really an issue who he was I said I was headed to Ho Chi Minh, to which he answered “Oh, ok”, and then left.

What the fuck?

Well, I bought the freaking souvenirs and an hour later we boarded the plane, sit down, started seeing the security briefing, I fell asleep, and apparently we took off.

Parenthesis. I always fall asleep during the security briefing and I have the theory it’s because they put some kind of sleeping gas on the air-con. Every single time that I get on a plane and sit down, I start feeling sleepy. Afterwards, I might wake up and it’s all back to normal, but for the first twenty minutes I’m like a narcoleptic.

Anyways, I was fast asleep when suddenly I hear like somebody thumping next to me. I woke up a bit stunned to see that it was two children running up and down the plane’s aisle.

What the fuck?

Why weren’t the flight attendants saying anything to them? I mean, the plane wasn’t going to fall down because they were running, but fuck, what a pain in the ass. It’s a plane, not a park. Other people usually don’t irritate me, and I’m quite comprehensive, but children running and shouting on a plane got on my nerves.

I didn’t say a word, but the kids kept going until the flight attendants decided to come by and start selling food and drinks.

Guess what?

For the first time since I’ve been traveling through South East Asia, somebody with merchandise didn’t try to sell me anything. It’s true. They literally passed next to me with the cart full of food and drinks and didn’t even look at me.

But it’s not that they didn’t notice me. No, no. They weren’t offering anything to anyone. They weren’t trying to sell. Whoever wanted to buy something, had to make a gesture and call them. I don’t know if it’s the airline’s policy or what, but again: What the fuck?

Officially this was the weirdest flight of my life.

Only in Asia.