Reminiscing about 2005 - the year in travel...

There are only 3 more days left to 2005. Just like every other predictable soul out there, I, too, am starting to get nostalgic about the year that is, and soon, was. I figured each day I could focus on something else, and today, it's travel.

2005 was the year of the 40+ flights. Here are some of the quick memories...

Cities visited (in no particular order): San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Knoxville, Bangkok, Lake Tahoe, Monterey, Las Vegas, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Paris, Hamburg, Phuket, Delhi, and of course, Vancouver

Airports / Planes / Flying
Weirdest city to connect through: Tied -- Bangkok (we were there four times in 6 days) and Charlotte, NC (where a random United pilot hit on me at the Jamba Juice)

Scariest airport: Delhi - hands down, no competition

Best overnight kit: Cathay Pacific (SFO-HKG) with Dermalogica products, the standard toiletries PLUS a lint remover

Best airplane meal (economy): Lunch (PEK-HKG) on Dragonair -- Chicken chow mein, Haagen Daz chocolate ice cream

Best airplane meal (business): Dinner (HKG-SFO) on Cathay Pacific -- Ahi tuna tartare, Sea bass with Chinese mushrooms, warm rhubarb tart with Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream, double espresso con panne

Weirdest dish to find in an airplane meal: Seafood congee (BKK-PKT) on Thai Airways

Worst airplane meal: the "Mini Meal" box (SFO-JFK) on United -- prepackaged salami, crackers, and Pepperidge Farms Mint Milano cookies, and I had to pay $5 for it.

Hotels
Best hotel sheets: Grand Hyatt Hong Kong -- they had Frette :-)

Best hotel bed: Peninsula Palace Beijing -- so good that I called them up and got the bed for myself!

Best drink: Lemongrass iced teas at the Chedi Phuket (shown on the left), except when the ants got into the sweetener jug

Best man-made view: Tied - view of Time Square from my room on the 51st floor, W Hotel New York - Times Square and view of the Chao Phraya River from our suite on the 26th floor, Peninsula Bangkok

Craziest question asked by a hotel staff: "Are you two on your honeymoon?" (referring to me and Regina) - Chedi Phuket

You'll also find more funny stories about some of my trips at Regina & Viv's Excellent Adventures.