Sunday 1:00 AM - Back at the hotel. Have to leave for the port in 3 hours.

There's no use sleeping. Just want to spend my last few hours in country having fun. We decide to play cards for the next three hours and then head out to the airport.

For once I don't get screwed over by the taxi mafia outside of the hotel. The driver uses the meter, I pay the tolls for the tollway. There's no traffic on the tollway, ever really. Its the fastest way to the airport although there is a new international airport being constructed and should be open this year. That will be interesting when I return at the end of the year.

I do kind of love the ride on the tollway, the only traffic you see are cars going to the airport and everyone is driving like they are on the autobahn.

This is actually the first time that I've contemplated telling the taxi driver to take me back to the hotel. I really did, but I guess there were too many loose ends to tie up back home before pulling this kind of move.

There are no stories of any tearful goodbyes or anything because that didn't happen. We sat, laughed, and said our goodbyes. I was a bit sad leaving, but like I've said before, the world is a lot smaller these days. I'm 8,000 miles away, but never feel that I'm that far with e-mail and relatively inexpensive international long distance rates and text messaging. All I'm doing now is counting down to Cubs Opening Day and my return trip. 261 days to go...