calling it quits
Saying goodbye is always a hard thing to do when it doesn't feel like a good time to say goodbye. Sancho Ponchi and I had to say our goodbyes in the Seoul airport before either of us was ready to see it end. It was a very brief, but very emotional moment for the both us. Of course, it didn't help that Sancho was a bit drunk from the night before and that I was running late for my plane. That made it harder for both of us to say what we wanted to say or to really let the moment sink in.
Sancho was left in the airport without me for seven more hours. He had to find his own way home. My trip was much faster and it still feels like it's not over.
The final night of the tour, Sancho and I performed our last show and we tore the place apart. It felt good to leave on a high note and the audience, to show their appreciation and respect, proceeded to get Sancho as drunk as they possibly could. They did a great job. My set was an hour long and he was stumbling by the time I got off the stage. We left the base an hour later and decided that we should just have one last hurrah before our long journey home. This would be a huge mistake. The drinking was slow on my end but increased in velocity on Sancho's side. The town closed and we were left to search for places to drink that were illegal. We did find one whore bar and Sancho was so drunk that even the Russian whores, desperate for money as they are, stayed away from him. He was that kind of man that night.
We ended up at a teeny tiny bar with two women in it that fed us and talked to us about Korean customs, ideals, attitudes and shoes. What would have normally been a real bore of an evening turned out to be the best way to end the trip. Four, pretty disillusioned people, drinking, eating and trying to communicate similar feelings without a common language.
Our cab picked us up at 5 for a bus ride at 5:45 that took two hours to get to the airport. The party was still on as we rode to the airport but we were some tired bears that rolled our luggage into the terminal. I left first and I was rushed toward the gate so I had to say goodbye to Sancho before I was ready. All we really got was a long hug, and "I love you man" and a wave before he disappeared from sight.
The flight to Tokyo was two hours. The second I emerged from the gate, the rich smell of Korea gave way to the love of Japan and I immediately felt better. A five hour layover in Tokyo and then it was the 11 hour flight to San Fran. I stayed awake until I took my seat on the flight to San Fran. The gods blessed me with an empty seat next to me and I sprawled out as best as I could. I turned on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and passed out and didn't wake up until I could see the coast of California from my window.
It was supposed to be a looong 14 hour lay over in San Fran, but it worked out to be three and I was rested enough that I could make some calls and stretch my legs before the one hour flight to Portland. From Portland it was a five hour drive home and I came into the forgottens to the nighttime view of Christmas lights, visible cold and my brother sleeping on the couch.
It has taken two days of disorganized sleep before I could get my head straight which is why it has taken so long for you to read this. The invasion of Asia was successful however, I might be getting screwed out of some of my money on the deal. Before you start to think that I will have time to fully recover and unpack, remember this. The day after Thanksgiving, I head to Tacoma and next weekend.... It's the invasion of Canada.
Thank you for reading along and being so very patient with my stories. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I had living them. If you have questions about the trip, please ask nicely and I will work on them this weekend. I do promise to keep the posting up from now on. It helps that I have my familiar world to aide in that process.
Sancho Ponchi made it to Laredo five hours after I arrived home.... he was still drunk.
Sancho was left in the airport without me for seven more hours. He had to find his own way home. My trip was much faster and it still feels like it's not over.
The final night of the tour, Sancho and I performed our last show and we tore the place apart. It felt good to leave on a high note and the audience, to show their appreciation and respect, proceeded to get Sancho as drunk as they possibly could. They did a great job. My set was an hour long and he was stumbling by the time I got off the stage. We left the base an hour later and decided that we should just have one last hurrah before our long journey home. This would be a huge mistake. The drinking was slow on my end but increased in velocity on Sancho's side. The town closed and we were left to search for places to drink that were illegal. We did find one whore bar and Sancho was so drunk that even the Russian whores, desperate for money as they are, stayed away from him. He was that kind of man that night.
We ended up at a teeny tiny bar with two women in it that fed us and talked to us about Korean customs, ideals, attitudes and shoes. What would have normally been a real bore of an evening turned out to be the best way to end the trip. Four, pretty disillusioned people, drinking, eating and trying to communicate similar feelings without a common language.
Our cab picked us up at 5 for a bus ride at 5:45 that took two hours to get to the airport. The party was still on as we rode to the airport but we were some tired bears that rolled our luggage into the terminal. I left first and I was rushed toward the gate so I had to say goodbye to Sancho before I was ready. All we really got was a long hug, and "I love you man" and a wave before he disappeared from sight.
The flight to Tokyo was two hours. The second I emerged from the gate, the rich smell of Korea gave way to the love of Japan and I immediately felt better. A five hour layover in Tokyo and then it was the 11 hour flight to San Fran. I stayed awake until I took my seat on the flight to San Fran. The gods blessed me with an empty seat next to me and I sprawled out as best as I could. I turned on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and passed out and didn't wake up until I could see the coast of California from my window.
It was supposed to be a looong 14 hour lay over in San Fran, but it worked out to be three and I was rested enough that I could make some calls and stretch my legs before the one hour flight to Portland. From Portland it was a five hour drive home and I came into the forgottens to the nighttime view of Christmas lights, visible cold and my brother sleeping on the couch.
It has taken two days of disorganized sleep before I could get my head straight which is why it has taken so long for you to read this. The invasion of Asia was successful however, I might be getting screwed out of some of my money on the deal. Before you start to think that I will have time to fully recover and unpack, remember this. The day after Thanksgiving, I head to Tacoma and next weekend.... It's the invasion of Canada.
Thank you for reading along and being so very patient with my stories. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I had living them. If you have questions about the trip, please ask nicely and I will work on them this weekend. I do promise to keep the posting up from now on. It helps that I have my familiar world to aide in that process.
Sancho Ponchi made it to Laredo five hours after I arrived home.... he was still drunk.
posted by Daniel Loomis | 6:28 PM
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