How to pack for a journey...

I'm not sure those will fit under the seat in front of me....or in the overhead bin.

It's that time again already, CruisingAlitiude is packing for the next (and final!!) mileage run.  I thought now would be an opportune time to take some advice from people who've done this before.  Where better to go than history?

Here's some advice on how to pack for a journey, circa 1480:

"[A traveler] should carry with him two bags: one very full of patience, the other containing two hundred Venetian ducats, or at least one hundred and fifty... furthermore, he should provision himself with good Lombard cheese, sausages, tongue, and other cured meats of every sort; white biscuits, some cakes of sugar, and various confections, but not a great quantity because they spoil quickly. Above all he should take plenty of fruit syrup, because that is what keeps a man alive in extreme heat; and also ginger syrup to settle his stomach if it is upset by too much vomiting." 

Santo Brasca, Viaggio in Terrasanta (1480)

I'm not sure how Chinese customs agents would feel about the cured meats and good Lombard cheese, but I've got my suitcase full of patience. Well, full of patience and the rest of my stuff.  You didn't think I was going to check it, did you?  Plus I agree wholeheartedly on the ginger.  I've got syrup, caps, fresh..you name it- good for the stomach, motion sickness, and circulation.  But, does anyone know where I can get about a hundred Venetian ducats?  Are those accepted where they don't take AmEx?  Maybe I'll just try changing some money in PVG....

This weekend is part 2 of this mileage season.  Tomorrow I've got positioning flights LAX-SFO-ORD.  LAX-SFO has cleared for the upgrade, but I'm still waiting on the second longer segment.  The good news is the following day my ORD-PVG (Shanghai Pudong) flight has already cleared into J (business) class.  Thank God, since it's an impressive (if I do say so myself) 14.5 hr flight.  The angle-lie flat seat will make a world of difference.

From there, I have an afternoon in Shanghai and a night at the Sheraton before flying onward to Tokyo (NRT) on JAL, and then enjoying the F lounge for awhile before heading back on my NRT-ORD-DFW-LAX marathon on Sunday.  Upgrades for those are still pending, so wish me luck!

Maybe those 14 hours will be a good time to finally finish my trip report for the last MR.  Like I've said in recent posts, JNB and back was a blast (yes, including the passport mishap and jetlag).  In the mean time, here's a few pics from our trip to Lion Park - totally worth the 48 hours of flight time!  (The 22.6k miles didn't hurt either)

This giraffe was displeased with waiting for his treat until after I took the picture.
Incidentally, this is the exact same expression on most mileage runners' faces when
they hear 'first class has checked in full, please board with your assigned groups.'  

They let you play with lion cubs- this one got fresh and bit my jacket for awhile.
I and the jacket survived, don't worry. 

Fly Safe,

~CruisingAltitude