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Friday Nov 13, 2009
Picked up the hertz rental van about 9AM…..Loaded our cases and drove to Boston to pick up Maureen (M) before heading to the sainted Cambridge for Andy (A) & Beth (B)… We left their house about 10:45, after andy forgot several things… Off to NYC.
Little or no traffic the whole way and we were in Queens in 3 hrs and 25 min. Lunch was set for the fabled SRI in Queens…. Fantastic as usual and A&B were blown away with it…Thai food…
An easy drive to JFK from there and we were at the Singapore air counter a couple of hours before it opened. We hung out.. Easy checkin after they opened.. We were almost at the front of the line…
While waiting in the lounger I was paged. Seems my seat is broken… Great… full flt, etc… they said the csabin staff will figure it out. We boarded early and cabin staff knew nothing about it…. This is the beginning of a few problems with Singapore…. Poor communications is lacking!!! What finally happened is that I took K’s seat and she moved to the middle when a couple left for two empty seats on the other side of the plane, which we should have been given…. Fine in the end as this segment to Frankfurt was only 7 hrs, 10 min. I had two seats to myself and K had an aisle in the middle… A, B, & M were further up in that pod but on the other side of the plane…. Bumpy ride until we cleared nova scotia… The plane was 1.5 hrs. late leaving JFK because of huge winds…. We were 25th in line to take off… On the ground the plane shook---747… We had row 64, the last in the window section… Good seats normally…
We arrived in Frankfurt about ½ hour late. Enough time to walk a bit and use the bathrooms. As we left the plane we were told the staff had been notified earlier about my seat and arrangements were to be made…..We were to use the same plane on to Singapore… Long and short nothing was done… I made a fuss and finally we were assigned new seats in the first coach pod….3 seats with a guaranteed empty between us… PERFECT… I will not go into the plane itself, but surfice to say it will be out of service by February..
So we reboarded in a very unorderly fashion and we were off. We liked our seats and took some sleeping pills so were able to sleep a significant time… The flt was just under 11 hours…
Singapore Air---- we were really looking forward to this, especially because the tickets jfk-bkk only cost $677, and because we had never flown the fabled airline before… At first we were unimpressed and I made it known… After that I was called Mr K….but they knew I was right..
The cabin staffs could not have been more attentive, polite and service orientated. They work as a superb team and with great speed and efficiency… We were impressed… We were feed a huge number of times as we had 3 flt segments. The food was good to excellent. There were lots of extras, like a sdilky bag containing a tooth brush, paste and a comfy pair of socks….menus….when do you get those in coach anymore?? Coats taken away and hung up in coach… I fault them on their communication---one work group to another and for the terrible facilities in Frankfurt…but other than these small things, there are still one of the top airlines..
Our flt to bkk from Singapore on a 777 was efficient and lasted just short of two hours, including yet another full meal--- I passed…
We arrived in bkk about 20 min early and were 2nd in line at immigration… Bags took 15+ minutes to show up and our driver’s rep was waiting just outside customs…. Tong had arranged a driver for us. A nice van and we were at the marriott resort and spa in 35 or so minutes---lite traffic on a Sunday at noon…
We had a discounted agency room for the hotel---About $145 net, not including breakfasts. I wrote them and asked that we all be upgraded to river view rooms…. They upgraded K & I, long term customers to a club room with all the club privileges, including breakfasts, but the others were only upgraded to river view rooms… I was amazed as I have never received more than a river view room in the past….. It is a bit awkward with the others, but we will work that out.
We are on the 3rd floor close to each other…
We hit the pool quickly and spent almost all afternoon there relaxing…. We had some lunch by the pool which was tasty, but expensive---pepsi for A, satay combos for K & B, Indonesian rice for me and later M had a salad plate… Boy, did that pool water feel nice after a 36 hour trip…
K & I had cocktails in the club and now we are going to Tongue Thai for dinner… Marriott boat then the Oriental boat…
A, btw, has or is getting over the flu, so lucky for us is quiet….in a day or so he will be his old self…
Dinner at Tongue Thai, in back of the Maderine Oriental hotel was excellent… we had two orders of cashew nut and chicken, a noodle/pork dish, papaya salad, rice and one or two other dishes… about 1100 B for 4.5 of us…
All enjoyed it and are tired so off to bed... It's sunday nite here
RHK's & GPANDA'S in Thailand
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Welcome back Bob!
Bob was upgraded to the Club floor. Andy was not? Hmmm. . .
Anyone else think we may hear about this in a bit more detail pretty soon? I can hear Andy screaming from here.
Have a great time. Send the cashew chicken my way please.
PS
One year ago we had those same seats on SIA. Our seat too was broken. Talk about a bit of a delay in working a repair.
Nothing but admiration for your energy.
Congratulations on your Marriott upgrade. A & B will survive - the Marriott staff must be aware of their loyalty to the ROS...
Great to see that you have arrived and are "home" at the Marriott. Are you in the north or south building? Look forward to hearing how Bricco (if I remember the name of the new Italian restaurant) is doing and if there are any other changes at the hotel. Does club privileges mean that you get internet at the club lounge now and don't have to cadge it somewhere around the pool or pay the high in-room rate?
Looking forward to more.
CHicken and Cashew nut for first meal in Bkk? Lmao, are you nuts, Bob?? Sheesh. What's the plan for tomorrow- Pizza
Hut, spaghetti and meatballs? Please be more cuisinally responsible, will ya? lol
Good to hear from you and know the Panda is uncharacteristically subdued. Who knows, perhaps he'll lose his voice and the entire trip will remain a relaxing oasis of peaceful bliss? BTW, I spent last weekend in Montreal visiting family and have posted my trip report on the Canada Forum if you've any interest. Enjoy the remainder of your time in BKK and let us know if the Panda remains subdued or manages to infect the rest of your travel party....
BC
There's a Canada forum? Who knew?
Canadians, Rizzuto, Canadians knew. Also dual nationals like myself.
BC
After all of Andy's work getting the flights worked out, he didn't get upgrades too? I'll bet he was more sulky than sick.
Glad you are in asia though. Let the adventures begin!
the club rooms are regular rooms with club lounge add ons, plus lasundry, phone, internet, breakfast ...
not too many changes except 200 employees have moved on recently---some of our favorites too...
new rest. is brio... looks lovely but pricey... not sure we will visit... it is an improvement over former rests...
tonight we hired a van to take us out to pook's house for a visit and dinner....
we had such fun... i'm way too tired to report tonight but will soon... Leave it simply, there should be only one more coveted invite in thailand other than dinner with the king....
i can tell you they were thinking other names for you in the galley."$$#@&^%!!!" "Mr. K" for Mr. Kronic Komplainer.
its a good thing panda was sitting away from you or the stain would blot him also!
Are you kidding? Based on his appearance at the Boston GTG, I'd rather have dinner with Hanuman any time, forget the king! The dude knows how to dance and how to party!
A stain blotting the Panda? Pandas have spots already, so no stain could be detected. Sounds like he himself may be going under the alias Walter Whiner, though, with his cold/flu thing going on.
BC
Hey guys, sounds like your BKK adventure is off to a good start. I hope you find the time to stop by the Pickled Liver on soi 11. Maeng would love to meet you. I know NYwoman plans to return there at some point. You should join her!
Have a great time!
Carol
hoping to post tomorrow... K going to dentist tomorrow, so i should have plenty of time to write...
zoo has refused gpanda entrance based on his H1N1 status...
busy shopping day today..
dinner at brio, the new marriott italian rest... food excellent, service poor---general manager made a mistake and came to our table to introduce himself... he got an ear full from rhk... more later...
The hospital call today to confirm the appointment and I forgot to give them your number here.
Best Italian at the moment is Fuzio!
Bookchick,
I heard they dressed me in some weird s&m outfit for the GTG. Gpanda gave me a pink Speedo to wear for him but I said no.
zoo has refused gpanda entrance based on his H1N1 status
Was he trying to get in as a visitor or as a permanent resident?
Glad that you are all having a good time.
Hanuman, not at all! While the choice of clothing was a bit unusual I certainly did not get an s&m vibe off it. As to Gpanda and the speedo, he tries to get that onto each "Special Guest" of the GTG, and made Dogster wear it in '08, poor fellow!
My guess is Gpanda wanted to enter the zoo under the guise of being a visitor, but his intent may have been to get in as a permanent resident. No wonder the zoo officials refused, and it had nothing to do with H1N1. Can you just picture an entire zoo filled with animals wearing speedos? It makes my blood run cold just thinking of it.
Is K all right? Now I'm worried. Seriously.
BC
I can't believe I missed the start of this. Must be because I've been hanging out on the Europe board (doing my Rome trip report).
Looking forward to reading more and seeing what you end up doing while there this time. I'm always looking for new stuff to do in BKK!
BC's concern is shared (for all members of traveling party). It is decidedly no fun to be on the road, under the weather.
Hanuman, Where is Fuzio?
rhkkmk, so did the Panda manage to infect everyone with the Panda flu that he's been in contact with yet? I notice he is uncharacteristically quiet on this trip. Someone buy him a mask! Hope all else is going well.
Aloha!
The Panda is alive and not so well. No fever at all, but chest and stomach issues continue. Energy level is low. My only purpose on these excursuions is real time entertainemnet and I'm not holding up my end of the bargain. Trust me, when left to Bob's sense of humor, everyone's spirits are down. I'll start an accurate thread when there's a remote chance it might be amusing.
I will take this opportunity to thank Pook and Deng for a wonderful evening and stunning hospitality. They were kind enough not to quarantine the large sick one.
One real bummier isnthat I have no appetitie whatsoever. My taste buds work, but I'm never hungry. I eat with everyone else, but just a little. I've already lost ten pounds.
HT,
Currently I really like the chef at Fuzio for being inventive and very generous portions of the food. The location is unique as well being situated on top of the Austin Mini showroom. The roof top dining is wonderful if the weather permit.
I cant' find it's website but here's some food site with pictures and description of the restaurant.
http://www.dininginthailand.com/fuzio.bkk.asp
Panda, I don't think you had the flu. Jeane came down with something 2 weekends ago which sounds similar - lack of appetite, tiredness, weight loss etc after an episode of chills and vomiting (more than this forum needs to know). Her phys says it is just something else that is going around. You will recover soon...
Pook - Fuzio looks interesting. Is there a skytrain stop nearby?
Pook
Well, the chocolate cake dessert looked good. Me, I like pizza!!! So does DH. I think we will stick w/Via Vai for now.
What's the location of Fuzio??? Where is the Austin Mini Bldg? That's a new one for me. The photo makes the place look like a higher floor than 6th (I think that's what I read).
Carol
Craig,
The nearest BTS station is Ekamai and it's quite a walk from there so perhaps a short taxi ride from the station.
Carol,
It's like a low rise mini mall, about the equivalent of a 5 or 6 floors high building half way down or up Ekamai.
OK I've found the restaurant's web site with good pictures, menu etc. - http://www.fuzio.co.th/index.php
Just one last thing about Fuzio. The seven course dinner menu at 1,200 Baht net is very good. Order two and they will give you a bottle of wine as well.
Feel better soon, Panda, while on the way to a new Speedo-svelte shape after all that involuntary dieting.
For what it's worth, I'll add to Craig's report above. I had something similar a couple of weeks ago just after coming home from China: no fever at all but chills and other wretchedness and complete lack of energy for 5 days. It wasn't flu, but just some kind of trans-Pacific viral special, I guess. It is much worse to come down with something at the start of a trip though. Hope you are through the worst of it.
Fuzio:
Wine list.... I recognized a few names on the Italian red list.
No caprese salad??? No bruschetta (pronounced bru-sketta)??? No pizza... Too much fish/seafood for DH... not sure we will be going there.
Thanks for that web site, hanuman.
Carol
No problem Carol.
They give the bruschetta along with the breads for free so I don't think it's on the menu. Will definately try the pizza at Via Vai soon.
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
waiting for more...
carol... we had lunch at via vai today... salad bar and pizza.. quite good..
Monday
We slept quite well but were up by 6… K & I went down to our included buffet… More changes in this area, but several people greeted us… Food was glorious as ever… I was pleased that they have reintroduced some dim sum…
Afterwards, I asked for a big taxi and luck would have it there is a mini suv available… The driver speaks great English (Lek 084-133-4639). He drove us to thai stone jewelry in the nana hotel, soi 4, sukhumvit… K worked out a few projects, B developed a project and M bought some ear pieces…
We then took a taxi to coconut palm restaurant near wat po----5 of us in a toyota corolla---andy says the 4 of them were breathing in tandem in the back seat……
Fantastic lunch for 5 for under $20… “real thai food”…. English menu…
The girls went to the flower market for flowers to take to Dang (Mrs Hanuman) that evening… We had been invited for dinner at Hanuman’s. A & I took a taxi back to the hotel….we visited jack the tailor briefly … The time for our driver was changed to 3:30, so we had to move quickly… It seems tong or someone felt we needed to avoid traffic… As it turned out there was no traffic and we arrived an hour early… Very embarrassing…
We received a very warm greeting from Pook’s niece…. Pook flew down the stairs just fresh from the shower. We sat for a while on a veranda overlooking the river, Dang joined us and she served some delicious warm hors’ along with bubbly. The conversations were fun and interesting…. They are fantastic hosts…. We toured Dang’s wonderful gardens and settled into the living room afterwards in the a/c comfort…
Later we moved to the dining room for a very relaxed and delicious thai meal. Dang really outdid herself and spoiled us --- the food was memorable…. Perhaps the two most memorable items were the grilled eggplant salad (simply the best) and an hors d’oeuvre of lettuce wrap with a tempura fried shrimp, peanuts, brown sugar and coconut filling….One of the main dishes was a sumptuous crab, cracked nicely for easy access.
The evening ended , sadly, and we returned to bkk. All were tired.. We all agreed that we had not had such a nice evening in a long time…
Tuesday
Up a bit later….breakfast in the market restaurant for K & me….. a wonderful swim…off for some shopping….taxi to Platinum Fashion Mall for some shopping, followed by lunch at the loft at central chitlom (pizza for me and Indian tandori chicken for K….We thought the loft has shrunk in size and offerings, but food continues to be good….After lunch we took a taxi to sukhumvit, soi 93 for some Jim Thompson outlet shopping… The oulet facility has been updated, but also has raised its prices we felt… still a good deal can be had…
We returned to the hotel, visited jack at monet il sarto, in the Marriott mini mall for some clothing measurements---shirts for me and slacks and shirts for K…
Dinner followed at the new Italian rest. at Marriott---Brio….
Service was stiff and weird---I later complained to the GM… Food was delicious and moderately priced…. We all had pasta… Mine was angel hair with a rich ragu type sauce and very special small beef meatballs… very rich and delicious… The GM sent us a huge tray of various desserts as a peace offering… Tummy..
Internet and bed…
Wednesday
Up a bit early for breakfast…. K has a dental appt. at bumbargard hospital as a tooth deteriorated the day before we left home… our dentist stabilized it and we decided to check out the thai service… the American estimate is $1400., so we will see what B wants to charge… she has her xray with her.. I also registered for some potential future treatment…
From here we plan to visit kinaree to check out the venue for our GTG on nov 25…. Then its off to visit chang (mr tong) for some glasses… then fittings with jack, and hopefully some pool time. The day will end with dinner at harmonique I hope…
Tomorrow we fly to krabi for 6 nites…. M will go to SR for those same 6 days, staying with ponheary and lori….
Bob
Loving the updates, sounds like you are all having a great time. Muffin and I leave tomorrow for Vietnam, last minute rush as usual. (you will be pleased to know the paint shade has at last been chosen!!!)
Anyway remind me, where abouts is coconut Palm? we may try and make it for lunch there.
N
Bob, Karen, Andy and Beth were lovely guests and we had a great time with them. Andy did perform one his macho muscle dance and I have it on video but I think it will be too embarrassing for him if I were to put it on youtube.
Hanuman... YOU HAVE TO, he has taken soooo much pleasure from taking the mickey out of others, that it's only fair we get to enjoy that video!!!!
Hunuman, "too embarrassing" and "Andy" should never, ever be in the same sentence. The man has no understanding of the word, really. I was worried about his health, but if he's well enough to do what you described, he surely isn't as bad off as I'd thought.
B, you and K sound like you may have nicked Laurieco's book on Medical Tourism!
Have fun, you nice folks!
BC
For your viewing pleasure, for 12 hours only, here........'s Andy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNcNBfVMC0I
That is VERY funny, thanks for posting Hanuman.
Thanks for that, Pook. I saw it "live" at the GTG in BOS. It's great to see our panda on youtube!
Sounds like a great time. Anxious to hear about the dental appt at Bumrungrad. Hope K was pleased w/the results.
Enjoy Krabi!
Carol
Muscle dance, yes. Macho, no. Unfortunately, Andy never gets embarrassed
.
Priceless!
Glad that was caught on video for the world...or at least the Asia Fodorites to see!
thnak pook and andy. great show. i knew attorneys could muscle their way around. lol.
Gpanda, I have news that I hope will cheer you up and make you feel a bit better, if not all better. Today the San Diego zoo named their panda bear! The 104-day old panda is now known as Yun Zi, which means "Son of Cloud". As a present, I sent the Yun Zi a deck of playing cards. Rumor is as soon as he is old enough, he will attend law school.
BC
off to krabi this noon...
weather yesterday was the best we have ever experienced...
harminique was fabulous last nit: combo appetizer platter; pomello salad; yellow crab curry; chicken and cashews; fried morning glories (the best in the city); rice; and a couple of more items..
karen ended up with only a dental consult as the proceedure would take 6 visits and we did notn have time... interestingly the proceedure would have only been $400 cheaper than in USA... about 40,000 B-- remove crown--clean up area--new crown...
the stir i created with the GM at the italian rest the other nite is well known...now everyone knows my name and bends over backwards to please me... really embarrasing...
andy still not feeling well... i think he is fine--just looking for sympathy...
we've had a jam packed 4 days, so now we can begin to relax more..
looking forward to relaxing at the sheraton krabi...
M off to SR this afternoon..
will write a more organized review while awaiting our plane this PM
Glad to hear that the weather is so nice. I hope it will be that way in Dec/Jan as well.
I rather thought that the dental thing would require more than one appointment! Hope K is able to cope until she can get her tooth all fixed up back at home.
C
Thanks for all the good wishes. Souinds like Jeane and MaryA had something similar. Just glad there's no fever component. Here at the Sheraton Krabi, hoping to bake myself well.
Why would I ever be embarassed? All I ever do is exactly what is expected from a panda. The world-famous muscle trick has always gotten a smile. Everywhere.
We want Panda back. Bring back the old Panda!
Does anyone really doubt that Bob is likely putting something in Andy's cashew chicken just to keep Andy quiet? And why? Likely so Bob wouldn't have to hear how Andy really wanted to stay at the ROS but Bob dragged him to the Marriott. Andy, take our advice: eat room service for a meal or two and all will be well.
PS
In the event you really are under the weather, and not just getting led astray by Bob, a cocktail of Bactrim and Cipro should take care of whatever ails you. . . .
Feel better.
Just to elaborate a bit on the previous days…
My glasses with reg. and bi-focal lenses, and decent frames are $60-75 each…
Karen ordered a pair of computer glasses…
Harmonique---absolutely delicious… For the first time we sat in the large room straight in from the entrance… Tons of decorations to look at in that room…Food: combo appetizer platter (fried pork balls, rice noodle shrimp rolls, chicken wrapped around a piece of lemongrass, shrimp and coconut milk steamed in a small pot--- fried morning glories--- cashew chicken--- flat noodles with chicken (pad si you)--- yellow curry crab---steamed rice---one other dish, plus coconut ice cream and mango and sticky rice….Fabulous…
While the taxis around town can be slow at times, I really still prefer it as we arrive somewhat cool and not all sweaty… We also get to see lots of the city which you do not get on the skytrain or subway… the most expensive ride was about 175B and was very long… Traffic is moderate currently..
Each nite I returned to the club lounge with my notebook and did internet for one hour---free perk…
Thursday
Up about the same time… breakfast in the market place rest…. Finished packing… I did internet for an hour… K read in the room..
The car came for us at 11:15…. Quick ride to the airport…
Our first snag… M left to check in at bkk air… we went to air asia… Air asia clerk asked where beth’s passport was and who is Maureen…. Whoops…. Seems the Marriott had given the wrong passport back to the women… beth took off to find Maureen and change passports… she found her easily… Disaster averted… It could however been really messy…
Had a snack at burger king before boarding our 1:50 flight to Krabi… Reserved seating makes all the difference---we were in rows 2 and 3… r.t. flt $85 each with super sizing luggage to 15 kilos, insurance and seat selection… bargain
Quick flt of 1.5 hours in airbus 320….comfortable… landed in krabi… had to walk across tarmac… just as we entered the terminal the heavens opened up and rain pelted down for 25 minutes.
Our car rental agent was waiting with his sign---Krabi car rental--- 1200 B a day for Honda jazz 1.5, automatic… Perfect size for us…Drove to the hotel in maybe 30+ minutes, still raining a bit….
Checked into the Sheraton Krabi was a bit slow… We are in the same building, but on different floors… We look across one of the pools and can see the ocean in one spot…
Walked across the road to the Terrace Thai Restaurant, after beers in our room… Menu: Chili jumbo shrimp---rice---mixed stir fry veggies---flat noodles with chicken---grilled eggplant salad with a larb topping… steamed banana in coconut milk, fried banana with honey, fried pineapple with honey… about 1100 B… very good..
BED
Friday
Slept in way too long.. beds are very firm, but comfortable… we lucked out with a small upgrade and are on the 2nd floor of the first building, making it very convenient… I still request the golf cart pick-ups however…
Beth stayed in the room this AM, and at the pool, while the rest of us drove out to find a cheap breakfast and to drop off laundry----160 B for 2 kilos incl. ironing… Most rest. seem to be closed but we found one open and had toast and eggs… nice place near the water…
K & A joined B at the pool and I am on internet…. Absolutely no plans for today…. Its overcast and not too hot---perfect…
Nope, I just can't imagine Bob and four other adults fitting comfortably in a Jazz. What, were they out of Austin Minis?
(Michael... it would be Bob and 3 other adults. M went elsewhere...)
Bob, you should investigate renting a boat for a half-day to explore some of the offshore islands. The speedboat I got for Maeng and me was fantastic! There are also plenty of longtail boats available. The offshore islands are really neat. Most have a gorgeous white sandy beach you can walk along... swim... lounge... whatever.
How long in Krabi? Can you take the day trip to the Emerald Pool? Watch out for that shortcut back to the parking lot from the pool. Remember the photo of me trying to maneuver the tree trunk stepping stones??? DON'T DO IT. If you go, take the same well defined walkway both INTO and back OUT from the pool. 800 meters.. Lots of folks swim in the pool. That's what it's really all about... the swimming. We didn't do it. We just had a look, and then left.
Then there is the tiger temple... watch your cameras and soda cans. The monkeys there are not afraid to come up and grab! There are no live tigers (that I could see) at this place.
Have fun in Krabi. I loved it there.
C
we are here for 6 nites... tomorrow we have a boat for the full day... they are coming for us at 9... K arranged through internet (australian woman and thai husband)... i thinks its 5500 B for the day including lunch...
The 3 of them spent the whole day at the pool, I stayed in the quiet of our room and on our balcony.
At 5:45 we joined them in their room for drinks. Afterwards we went across the street to the Soho Indian (Pakistani owned) Restaurant. They seem to be struggling… The portions were very small, but were quite tasty… The owner spent quite a bit of time talking with us… We thought it was a tad pricey…about 1900 with tip… no alcohol…
Menu: prawn curry, onion and plain nan, palek paneer (cheese and spinach), indian rice, dal, chicken tikka… Even though the portions were small, the amount was just about perfect for what we wanted…
We have a boat chartered for the day on Sunday… There was a mix up with the dates (K) and they came for us today… I learned this from a bellman… We straightened this out later in the day with a few phone calls, including a call from Australia….
We spoke with our youngest daughter in the morning… I have a thai sim card and it works very well.. The card itself cost 99 B…. The call to the USA for maybe 5+ minutes was about 20 B….You then fund it or add more B as needed… That can be done at convenience stores like 7/11…
Tomorrow I think is more pool time and perhaps a foray into Ao Nang…
Saturday Nov 21
As I had gone to bed slightly after 9, I was up by six…. I ate some rolls we had bought at 7/11 (just outside the gate) and drank nice cold bottled water. By 7 I was at the pool… K stayed in the room a while longer… I was the first person there… It was only me and the birds and one or two pool boys… The pool (there are 2) is very large and only ranges from 1 to 1.35 meters deep and is an infinity pool on two of its sides…. There is a water cascade in the center which creates nice background noise… That however is not turned on until about 9AM… K joined me later as did A…. As I was leaving B came to the pool…
I returned to the room about 9:15 with the intent to utilize the free wi-fi in the lobby..
We are having a real lazy time… A/B can use the down time from their busy jobs.. We on the other hand only have down time… A seems to feel better today but still has the terrible cough…
I think we will just hang out a bit, have some lunch at the pool, as they did yesterday, and then head for Ao Nang in the late afternoon…
BTW, there is no sun so far today, just a bright grey overcast, which is fine as it keeps the temp down… I would call it perfect
What did they learn in Needham Public Schools? Nothing. One does not pluralize RHK or Gpanda with an apostrophe. The title should read RHKs and Gpandas. While Needhamites may be possessive, Cantabridgeans are not and resent the inaccurate usage.
I'm slowly getting better. The whole illness is a plot to subdue the panda. It won't work.
I beg to differ and I'd say it's worked fairly effectively until now. B&K must be running low on the product they've been slipping into your beverages....
BC
Bob,
I read with interest that you had bifocals made. Do you (or any other reader/poster) know of a place in Chiang Mai that makes progressive bifocals, and what they might cost?
Thanks!
Bob, where is the Sheraton located with regards to Ao Nang, are there enough restaurants near the Sheraton without having to go into Ao Nang at night?
The Sheraton is north of Ao Nang, about a 20 minute car ride. There are several restaurants around the Sheraton. The Terrace, just across the street is excellent. You definitely do not have to go into Ao Nang.
we have been into ao nang only once and probably won't go again this trip...
i consider the sheraton remote, but there is plenty in the neighborhood for necessities and food
bi-focals with frames were $75. K had progressives done last year and they may have been $225????
don't know where in CM??? How about the newish mall?? or any optical place
Looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday. I leave Yangon tomorrow, with great sadness, for Bangkok
We did end up going to Ao Nang for dinner… It is perhaps a 20+ minute drive… The town is a combo of a hippie haven, family spot and moderate accommodations… It’s exactly the type of thai town that leaves us cold… There are tons of bars and restaurants, shops, water sport places, ATM’s by the thousand, and more--- think a small Patong in Phuket… Basically it is one main street along the water with another street moving inland meeting to form an “L”…
We strong armed A&B into going to Blue Mango Restaurant where we had previously eaten… It’s thai/sweedish place… I had Swedish meatballs with mashed pots; K had pork tenderloin w/mashed pots; A had spaghetti carbonara; and B a pasta…. It was good..
I had a banana split for dessert and K had deep fried pineapple pieces and B had sweedish apple pie w/vanilla ice cream….A had nothing but his usual pout…
The drive over was interesting through this largely Muslim area… We passed a huge marketplace which just seemed to be getting to its peak about 5-6PM… A&B were surprised at how big ao nang is…
A very leisurely drive home… it was sprinkling… it was very dark---no street lights..
Crash
Sunday
Our day for boating… K arranged for a boat—high sided long tail type boat to take us out to some of the islands for the day. She arranged this on line with Elizabeth (an Australian)…. Cost 5500 B for the day including lunch, plus 200 B each to enter the national park… Elizabeth and her husband Son (Thai) own Andaman Camp and Cruise www.andamancampandcruise.com.... E-mail: kaikava@yahoo.com.au
They will pick you up at your hotel in a truck or at seaside (weather permitting).
Son came for us about 9AM to the Sheraton beachfront. We climbed over the side of the boat, some easily, some not so easily (me)—think derrick…
Son is extremely personable, entertaining and has good English… He is also a good cook as we were to find out at noon… We liked him immediately… Even A would have trouble finding something he did not like about him…
We set out in choppy seas towards Koh Hong, in the Bok Khorani National Park… The crossing was exciting with waves occasionally spraying over the side and soaking me primarily, but the others also… All around in this part of the Andaman Sea are limestone formations, many of them very dramatic and tall.. The ocean is a nice deep blue color and fades to almost turquoise as you get near to shore… After perhaps 45 minutes we arrived at Hong Island….There is a very nice sheltered sandy beach, several in fact… There is a ranger station, Tsunami memorial, toilets, picnic tables, and loads of sand to enjoy…. There is also a semi-enclosed bay which is good to snorkel or swim in… the water is very warm… We land on the beach and are one of perhaps 4 small boats there… It is lovely…. However within an hour there must be 30 boats there, but we had our quiet time at first… A snorkeled, the rest of us just enjoyed the water and beach… About 11, Son brought a huge tray of cut up fruit for us….Pineapple to die for!! We agreed on 12:15 for lunch.
We also were to visit a couple of other spots depending on the winds, which continued to pick up… Many of the boats us Hong for a lunch spot and took off after perhaps one hour, which was nice…
We sat in a grove at a picnic table, where Son served us rice, chicken with coconut milk, beef curry which was nicely spicy and an egg omelet, plus sticky rice with coconut soaked in palm sugar for dessert…. He had very cold drinks for us as well… Sitting next to us were a couple from Kent in the UK and we enjoyed talking with them a bit…
At the end of lunch two giant monitor lizards arrived… One had been on the beach earlier… It was fun watching them slink around… They have long tongues—maybe 12 inches that are in constant search of bugs, etc… They had no interest in human food .. We tried to feed A to them….
After lunch we left the island and traveled a short distance to a sort of lagoon…. This large area of water is entered through a narrow channel in the limestone. There were two small boats at one side fishing for octopus, but aside from them we were the only people there… It was very quiet… There was a single brown hawk circulating above, occasionally descending to the water to snap up a fish … We drove through a small mangrove located at one end of the lagoon…. After ½ hour we left declining Son’s offer to swim from the boat…
Next we arrived at an isolated bay carved from one of the limestone formations… In this small area a marine police group maintain a very rustic outpost…. One of their major functions is to protect bird nests from poachers… They are stationed there one month on duty, one month off… They have one battery powered tv and perhaps 15 huts built into the limestone caves… People also go there to “camp”… NOT ME!!!
Son introduced me to the chief who seemed like a very nice guy… He had the best stilt house…about 10 X 10, with a front porch…
After our visit we motored back to the Sheraton…. We got much less wet this time, but Son had to work very hard zig zagging to avoid the swells…
IT WAS A FUN DAY….
Tonight we plan to go across the street to the terrace restaurant again, as it seems to be the best alternative…
Our clothes are drying on our balcony… We will take a second load to the laundry lady tomorrow…80 B per kilo… A wants to go to the 40 B person just outside the gate, but we prefer this other lady… our white stuff comes back very white and nicely pressed…
We used her the last time we were here
REMEMBER NEXT WEDNESDAY IS OUR BANGKOK GTG AT KINAREE RESTAURANT, SUKHUMVIT, SOI 8 AT 7ish…
A&B just arrived for cocktails…
The dinner was good, as we have come to expect from The Terrace Restaurant.
We had a larb type salad with grilled eggplant and a shredded chicken salad…Both are spicy… While they are somewhat similar, when taken together they are very different and quite delicious… While eating them A decided to remind the owner of who he is: “remember me I was here 3 years ago with my son seth and his wife….” Her courteous reply was ‘oh yes, I’m so busy I did not recognize you’… She forgot to ask how seth and his wife are-- maybe she was planning on giving them a call….
The main courses were two orders of the shrimp with chili paste—huge butter flied shrimp with a delicious sauce and some veggies; a ½ coconut stuffed with rice and shrimp, and steamed rice—maybe one other dish??
All very delicious…
I should say something more about our hotel--- The Sheraton Krabi Beach Hotel…
All of us had been here once before. The hotel is about 6 years old, is set on a huge piece of sea front land, and consists of maybe 8 low rise (3 story) buildings, all with elevators and balconies. All rooms face the ocean but are set back quite far from the sea. There is one large open air reception building and many smaller out buildings housing activity areas and restaurants. There are 2 huge swimming pools, one an infinite pool on two sides, a large lit tennis court… a decent a/c gym facility---free wi-fi in certain areas (not rooms), a business ctr with 6 free large screen computers--- a kids club…. In short it is a full resort..
The rooms are a blend of traditional comfort, with lots of wood accents, a thai carving over the bed, one super wide chair, one desk chair…a table…a table and two chairs on the wide beach facing balcony… a flat screen tv—21” maybe… coffee/tea service and fridge in the room… modern bathroom with combo shower/tub---huge water pressure—it would blow you out of the tub if on full strength.. plenty of nice thick white towels.. turn down service nightly—no chocolates, only an orchid… beds are hard but comfortable—nice pillows… excellent lighting… nice built-in suitcase bench and a moderate sized closet and a safe… a very long desk where 3 people could sit if needed…
We are in the starwoods building, but I suspect that all the rooms are the same.
We look out onto a very wide lawn, with a small stream flowing through (it does not smell as reported on TA) which has some flowering shrubs planted in hedges and some brightly colored red and yellow lilies that look like tall tulips from a distance.. Past the lawn are the two landscaped swimming pools, each with a restaurant. Then next is an even wider lawn with only tall pine trees and sun lounges. This goes right up to the edge of the beach where there is another short hedge and then a wide and long sandy beach…. The surf seems to be very calm…. I think even if the hotel is full, you would not feel it on the grounds. All of the areas are connected either by nice elevated cement walkways or wide sidewalks. They are all very wide to accommodate the chauffeured golf carts which will transport you anywhere you wish to go--- of course I use them all the time..
This is a perfect place for us… The service is excellent, the staff very very friendly, the facilities top notch and for us the price is more than right… We are both here on starwoods cash and points: 2800 pts plus $45 per nite (www.spg.com)... There are quite a few people here with babies, but I have not seen any bratty kids yet….
Most of the guests seems to be Europeans 30-55, with very few Americans… btw, speedos are in---don’t tell A but most of the guys fit them better than does he---some are older than him too…
Would we stay here again?? In a heartbeat..
Monday
After yesterdays very busy day, it seemed in order to have another restful day… I headed out with laundry about 9 after having lazed around since 7:30… K went to the pool. I did internet on my way back…. While out I drove up to the amari vogue hotel, about 2-3 miles further along the coast and made a dinner res for tonight…On our last stay we had gone there for dinner to meet the Long family, also fodorites. The laundry lady was not there, but the door was open so I just put my stuff inside with my address. A woman from a neighboring shop will tell her.. I will stop in later…
After my return I spent over an hour on the computer in the business ctr. B joined me for part of the time. She told me they had moved down nearer to the ocean because it was quite warm by the pool…. After the internet I took a golf cart ride to the larger pool. I joined them on the lawn for a while and by noon needed something to eat… We moved to a table near the pool and had lunch: bacon cheeseburger for me with a mango smoothie and a nicoise salad for K…
They all returned to the lawn and I went into the pool for maybe 45 minutes, before returning to the room fully refreshed…
I need some gasoline so will now go look for that and then post this.
I have to correct Bob's name of the boat driver ...it is Sun not son. We did have a fabulous day with him
btw, she is sitting 10 feet from me
Thanks for the info on the glasses, Bob. Sounds like you all are having a great time.
This is a great read, sounds like y'all are having a terrific time . . . I'm enjoying your trip almost as much as y'all are!
Sandy (in Denton)
About a mile up the road there is a small gas station… The woman pumps me 950B of 91..
A little more internet and a good shower… A & B come to our room for drinks… I had made a dinner res at Amari Vogue Hotel for 7, but rethought it, cause we should see the sunset from there, so we decided to go over earlier before 6… It is a 3 mile drive along the coast…
The hotel is quite magnificent…built into a hillside, with more stairs than the empire state bldg.. There are lots of small waterfalls, small ponds with huge colorful fish, yet more stairs… Finally we reach the seaside where the Italian rest. is located. We are shown to a covered table at the edge of the beach--- perfect… There is a very light breeze to keep it comfortable..
The waitress informs us that the drinks are two for one—a nice bonus.. the girls have prosecco, I have a bad tom Collins (later a daiquiri for #2), A has ??.
The sun is fast falling… Local boys are playing football (soccer) on the beach—it’s a great scene with the sun, the shadows and 5 or 6 rock formations directly in front of us in the water… Heaven..
The general manager comes by to greet us…a charming young swiss man, who studied in providence, ri at Johnson and wales for some time.. he knows boston, so it was quite fun… We talked for quite a while…
We were given a few complimentary hors’ to enjoy with our drinks… The GM gave us a few suggestions for the meal, the best of which was a large shared gnocchi, which was light and delicious and very cheesy… We all had pasta dishes—mine was ravioli stuffed with mushrooms of the forest, which was outstanding… K had a lemon chicken fettuccini—not sure what the others had..
For dessert they all had ice cream (A picked from B’s)—you know the type…I had custard tarts, shaped like a boat, with fresh sliced mango on top and caped with a grilled mango, plus a dish of coconut ice cream---enough for 3…
Bill with tip was about 1900 B…
During dessert the chef introduced himself… He is a very energetic young German whose recent postings included a job on racha (sp) island (thai) and in Rangoon at the savoy hotel… He too was very interesting…
Bed followed
Tuesday
We slept a bit later until maybe 7:00.. got dressed after calling our daughter and went up to the business ctr to skype the… They were making an apple pie for maddie to take to school today.. Our other daughter was not on line or answering the phone..
We bought some rolls at 7/11 and returned to the room for a simple breakfast.. They all went then to the pool and I relaxed (vegded).. They called to come for lunch but I passed, but eventually went to the lobby bar and had a club sandwich and wrote this afterwards..
The PM plan is more pool, followed by dinner at the Terrace thai rest. across the road…
Tomorrow mid-day we head back to bkk, and attend the GTG in the evening….
please note the timliness of this report.... it does not have a 7+ day delay
It's unberlievable. Bob talks to General Managers, Chiefs of Police and other authority figures like he was getting graded. Remember those pathetic students in college that would shamelessly suck up to the professors after class telling them how fascinating they were? I can safely say that I have talked more minutes to GM's on this Bob-infested trip than all the rest of our trips combined.
I happen to agree that the Sheraton Krabi is a superb hotel. Very nicely laid out, wonderful service and comfy rooms. It is nicely supplemented by the restaurants and stores just outside the property.
too bad sheraton was not able to carry over the same charm and service to ROS... every chain has to have a low end hotel i guess..
off to bkk later this noon and the GTG tonight
Have fun! Wave at the doorman at Adelphi, and tell him Carol says hello!
Well, what happened at the party?????
Coming late to this thread and really don't know what to think...
Italian food in China and now Italian food in Krabi!
Panda: hope you're feeling better! That cough will stay and stay and stay (it's been around me for a month now - dang it!)
Bob: great report, sounds very relaxing and it's so beautiful out on the Thai seashore and among those islands. Seems like the area has recovered from the tsunami?
Regards to Mrs. Panda and Mrs. Bob! Please tell Mrs. Bob I've saved her dip package for this Thanksgiving weekend!
Everyone else must still be sleeping off the sticky rice. I skipped dessert since I had to work today. There were 13 at dinner, all seated at one long table. I sat on the civilized end, with Kathie, Cheryl, Hanuman and NYwoman where we had a lot of discussion about Burma and "where to next". I have no idea what went on at the Bob end of the table, except that it was loud.
The food was good, flavorful though not too spicy. Kinnaree is definitely Thai food for tourists, but it's still good.
Michael, maybe they all got food poisoning from the sticky rice... this is waaaaay to long to still be sleeping in, don't you think?
Hope everything went well for everyone. I did see a couple of brief notes about the GTG, but no "full report" just yet.
Michael, interesting that you say Kinnaree is definitely Thai food for tourists..... we always see Thais eating there! I'm not into the spices in any case. This just makes Maeng's cooking that much more authentic, I guess!!!
Carol
You know, this really is an awfully long time for a report on the BKK GTG. You think perhaps the whole lot of them was simply thrown out of the country after the GTG bachanal?
Perhaps they've all donned red shirts... tsk tsk tsk... and have gone and joined the protests!
Bob has no idea how to get online at the Plaza Athenee, so you're safe until light dawns on Marblehead. The BKK GTG was great. Bob went from one end of the table to the other. I was seated in the middle and could be heard everywhere (probably even downstairs. Pandas are loud.)
ET, I'll pass your good wishes on to Beth and Karen.
Actually, Andy probably still has Bob's notebook.
Carol, I did say Kinaree was good, for Thai that is aimed primarily at tourists. I didn't see any Thais there when I arrived or when I left. It's not the kind of place I would expect Thais to frequent unless they were entertaining foreign visitors. But, I *really* don't want to start another one of *those* discussions.
ฉัน เห็น ด้วย กับ Michael!
No problem, Michael. As long as WE enjoy it, it's fine with us. I agree, no more discussions like *that* anymore! (hello from Zurich... just arrived about 2 hours ago)
Carol
Hanuman, I agree with him, too.
remember michaelbkk picked 1/2 of the food--- so whose fault is the tourist food???
Another nice dinner at the Terrace… People continue to glare at Andy when he coughs…
We enjoyed the varied thai meal and the service we receive from the “varied “ gender wait staff—let your mind wander, it’s Thailand.. At the end of the meal we said our good byes and they presented K & B with a small memento, a small Lucite obelisk with etching inside …
Wednesday
K & I went to the buffet in the hotel…good but not fabulous—about 625 B each or $20 each.. . We thought the buffet would tide us over into bkk…
We left the hotel about 10:15 for the 35 minute ride to the krabi airport. We left our rental car in the parking lot with the keys on the floor…. The Honda jazz was a perfect car for us and had the bonus of being automatic…
Our air asia flt was right on time: 1225…. The advance seat assignment in the very front is well worth the 500 B fee… You get on first and are in the first 5 rows ( 3 + 3) with only 2 per row…
At bkk the bags came out in less than 15 minutes and we had to walk a few doors down to find our van driver---always door 5 for Tong’s drivers…
The van is huge and very comfortable, and whisked us into the city…. First we went to the Marriott where we all had left things, and then he dropped us at the Plaza Athanee Hotel on Wireless Rd, just across from the American Ambassador’s house… Our room was not ready, so A put our stuff in his room… We dashed over to Chang’s shop (Mr Tong) near to khoa san rd to see if he could fix K’s sun glass frames, which she had broken in Krabi---she had bought them from him on a previous trip… Not fixable… After some looking she settled on new frames---white with a purple outline. Luckily they took the same sized lenses, so they just popped in… very reasonable… So we each have two new sets of glasses… Traffic was terrible getting there and even worse getting back--- our driver had medical problems which was a bit off putting….
We got back to the hotel at the time we were already supposed to be at the GTG, many blocks away… Quick change and we were out the door… This time we had a fantastic driver… He knew just the way to go---speaking of going, he had to stop at a gas station for the toilet for him---- 1 minute and we were on our way again… We were next to last to get there… We were 13: Andy and Beth; Maureen; Karen and me; Hanuman; Ken (kurosake); Nywoman; Offwego; Tong; Michaelbkk; Kathie and Cheryl…. Pook nicely started the evening off with some chilled bubbly from his cellar and from there the conversations flowed…. NYW talked about Myanmar as did Kathie and Cheryl…tong spread hugs all around and met several previously unknown to her… We had tons of fun, great food chosen by Michael and Hanuman, the two locals…. Great wines chosen by Ken… some gifts totes were provided by Katie at Fodors--- think monk orange… NYW and Cheryl took lots of pictures--- standby for them.
We very much enjoyed the evening and everyone gave great hugs as we departed… Who was it that said we never met a fodorite we didn’t like?? Along that line, we did have a toast to some infamous fodorites, all of whom shall remain anonymous, which drew boos and clapping as names were mentioned… Let the guessing begin…
Michael paid with his plastic, and stuffed wads of cash in his pant pockets…
We had our latest nite of the trip…
Thursday
We woke up fairly early again today…. We all met for breakfast about 8:30… A&B were blown away with the breakfast selection…. Virtually everything you might want was available and all was delicious….. We rank it #2 breakfast after the Shangri-la in bkk…
Jack was to have come to the hotel for a fitting, but rescheduled for 9:30PM on his way home… This freed us up to go shopping.. First all 5 of us jammed into a taxi and headed to Platinum Fashion Mall again…. We hit floor 5 for some more costume jewelry, then down to 4 for shoes and more shoes---199 B to 399 B was the target….Oh yes, a new rice bag to hold clothes or purchases was secured as well… K now has at least 6 new pair of shoes…
Next we took a taxi to siam paragon mall. We went up to the 3rd and 4th floors to visit a number of home fashion and clothing shops…. K bought a wonderful over shirt/wrap (silk) to wear to an upcoming wedding, over some previously purchased thai silk clothing… B received an early x-mas gift of a lovely necklace and M bought a number of things… We visited a number of shops, but our return visit to The Indigo Shop on the 4th floor (shop 418B) is our favorite…. K bought a number of things here for herself and for gifts, and I purchased a nice cotton scarf dyed with natural greenish/blue …. In fact, I am wearing it now as the a/c is drafty where I do this typing… Everything in this shop is quality and the husband/wife team owners could not be nicer… Visit them and buy!!! We spent quite a bit of time in Exotic Thai as well—4th floor.
From there we headed to the food court for some late lunch… Tons of variety and they use a pre-pay card service making purchases from the different stalls very easy… Surplus B is returned upon surrender of the card…
A decided to return to the hotel and lugged all the purchases with him…. Both his taxi and ours got stuck in a huge traffic jam going along Plenochit…. We sat for 20 minutes, only advancing 3 car lengths, near central world on Plenochit… We all decided to leave our taxis and walk… We were headed to the new narai prand (sp) craft store behind the Intercontinental Hotel. The new shop is much nicer than the old one and larger. Goods are displayed more attractively also…. But they have the same old antiquated check out system….
After this visit we took a quick taxi ride back to the hotel.
K & I went for a swim… The PA pool is on the 4th floor and is quite large for a pool located above the ground floor. It is nicely landscaped and has a decent amount of seating… The water must be cooled as we found it a bit chilly
We all met in the lobby at 7:30. We took a taxi to soi 12 via rama IV. Crepes and Co was our destination. I really like this small Swiss owned place… There is inside and garden seating. They serve huge (maybe 16”) fresh crepes with a variety of fillings---I had the ‘Sukhumvit’--- chicken, peppers, mushrooms, flavorful gravy… For dessert I had the banana and chocolate crepe---same size and not too chocolatee…. Taxi back to the hotel..
Jack came at 9:30 for a fitting…. My shirts need some tweaking as do K’s slacks. We will see him here again at both 9:30 AM and PM tomorrow… Fitting took about 30 minutes I think.
A busy, but fun day…
Friday
Another busy day ahead… We were up and down to breakfast early, as the tailor was coming for a fitting for Karen at 9:30--- the shirt had arrived in the middle of the night as we saw the phone message light come on the telephone… A few tweakings here and there but basically good… She liked it so much she ordered two more in other colors… We will see him again tonight at 9:30 or so, for final slack fittings and my shirt fitting again…
Jack at monet il sarto (Marriott plaza) is such a nice guy to deal with and we like his creations very much… His prices are good as well..
Just as soon as he left we went down to the lobby for our 10AM pick-up by Pat from 5th Element…. He and his family own a small stainless steel company which creates many of the fabulous stainless items you see at many upscale thai restaurants and hotels. They use to have a shop at the Shangri-la, which is where we met them…
K had a whole list of gifts we needed for the next 6 months… Christmas, engagement, wedding, and others, plus additions to our collection..… Their stuff makes fabulous gifts and it lasts really well… show room is by appointment only on soi 93, new road… Pat----(662)-(0)292-1968 or pa_bronze@hotmail.com .. I have a CD of their line if you wish to take a look… A few hundred dollars later we were on our way… The son drove us to the skytrain (they will pick you up at your hotel) and we were off to Emporium where we had lunch at a sort of greek place (Olive) in the food court area-- very good. From there we walked down soi 24 the the brand new Marriott executive apartments (just opened last month). WOW are they nice… We looked at 4 different configurations… btw, they are directly across the street from the seafood market restaurant…. Great neighborhood location…. They have a free tuk tuk to sukhumvit where the skytrain station is…
From there we took a very slow taxi to soi 4 to the jeweler, but most of our stuff is not ready… It will be delivered to the hotel tomorrow… Then a taxi back to our hotel … we had hoped for a swim, but we have to leave again soon to go visit Ken at his Marriott apartment on sathorn, also recently opened… From there we are going almost next door to the Banyon Tree where we will be joined by Nywoman for a drink at their rooftop bar. Ken’s apartment was very nice (he got it on Priceline, btw)--- not as nice as the new ones on soi 24.
He served us some wine and was disappointed that the others did not come along. We walked from there to the Baynon Tree and met up with NYW….We went up to the 59th floor and then climbed the rest of the way to the Vertigo Bar. After a few minutes we found a table for 4. There was a lot of smog so the views were not as extensive as some times, but still it is dramatic. The bar was quite busy. I had a beer and they shared a bottle of wine.
After drinks we took a taxi with NYW to Harmonique where we were joined by the rest of the Boston group. The taxi ride was slow so we were only about ½ hour late… They had ordered some pomello salad and we joined in with enjoying it. K and A did the ordering. The kitchen was a bit slow but the food was good.
We took a taxi back to our hotel and NYW continued on to where she is staying.
Saturday
Up about 7 and down to breakfast as we again had a 9:30 appointment with jack. He brought me another shirt and brought K a second pair of slacks for fittings…. He will return tonight with the final products I think---he called a while ago to recheck our initials for the monograms…
After he left and with a breakfast under our belts, we headed to soi 23, sukhumvit to the jasmine ctr building. The Thai Craft Assoc has adopted the 3rd floor for their periodic sales venue. In fact for the whole month of December, there will be a show each Saturday from 10-5… BillT---they still have no schedule yet for January… they advise watching the web site… it took us about 25 minutes to get there this AM as the driver was confused over the directions he was given… fare: 65 B…We went wireless to rama IV to Asoke to sukhumvit…
We met one of the volunteer coordinators, a long time bkk resident from Canada. It was interesting talking to her while we waited to get in—no entrance before 10… The new space is quite fabulous for a show of this kind, with space and natural light…plus good a/c…
There must be at least 50 exhibitors… from stainless steel to sterling silver jewelry to woven baskets to hand silk screened blouses to Christmas decorations to bathmats to dolls to large woven boxes, bags and hampers to greeting cards, etc… K managed to help the cause along… It is such a good cause to… Check their website for the sales during your visits: www.thaicraft.org
From there we returned to the hotel—driver was nice but did not know the hotel or the American embassy or wireless rd or its thai name…
K & I went in search of wi-fi and some lunch… We found a nice bistro in back of the hotel in a little block of stores and had some thai food and tried wi-fi but could not get it to work… We moved on the all seasons place (the Conrad hotel complex)… Went to starbucks and bought one hour wifi card for 150 B--- neither I nor they could get it to connect…We had some dessert and returned to the hotel. I decided to buy 24 hours of hotel direct connect internet for 632 B… and here I am…
K went to the pool and swam with the others… I had quiet time with the computer and the a/c..
Tonight will be our splurge dinner at Biscotti in the Four Seasons..
After that Jack will arrive about 9:30 and we may go for a drink with friends..
I may post tomorrow or maybe not until I return home after Sunday
Some notes about the Plaza Anthanee Hotel: for BillT
The location is fabulous. We did not use the skytrain from here, only taxis, but it is quite close… ½ block from Plenochit (sukhumvit), next door to the Conrad and All Seasons Place Mall, the Viet Nam embassy, and across the street from the American Ambassador’s house (we look directly down into the complex from our room)…
Last time we stayed here taxis were slow to arrive, but this time we never waited more than 3-4 minutes if at all… The driveway is a bit weird as you have to loop around to get to the front door…
The lobby is soaring, lined with marble and a grand staircase, tons of flowers and orchids. The reception is very efficient… The desk furthest in is for starwoods members….. The concierge is the best and most friendly and knowledgeable and willing to help that we have ever encountered in bkk.
The elevators are fast and efficient and well located… The corridors are wide and attractive. The staff you encounter all wei and speak to you in a very friendly manner (a la Marriott)
The rooms are a standard size---more than adequate. There is plenty of storage and work surfaces… a nice flat screen tv—maybe 32”…very good lighting. One comfortable chair and a desk chair. Full length and other mirrors, including a moveable saving (makeup) mirror. The bathroom is large with a full tub, glass shower stall (full water pressure) a huge mirror… two or more bottles of free water per day…. Nice towels…nice gels, soaps etc… no fan but a decent draw to remove steam…lots of light in bathroom, but no nightlight..
The bedroom seems large even with a huge king bed. Two sized pillows for comfort. Bedside lighting and a/c controls… a remote for the tv which works like it is supposed to…a reading light next to the arm chair and a desk lamp, plus a few high intensity ceiling lights… The windows are waist high and ours look out over the city…. The carpet on the floor is spotless… Two telephones, plus one in the bathroom—only one line---personal voice mail… Master electrical switch by the door---leave it on or the a/c goes off when you are out—maid often turns it off… nightly turn down and towel refresh---no orchids or chocolates or cookies however…
Drapes are attractive, but only blackouts and sheers close completely…
Bed linens are first rate and crisp, changed daily. A duvet is the covering as most hotels have adopted lately---often too hot we find so we crank the a/c.. One electric outlet on each side of the bed, two on the desk…
Safe in closet big enough for a notebook although I have been leaving mine out….Internet 632 B per day or a huge hourly fee as an alternative…
Mini fridge in the hall along with two large wardrobes, incl an ironing board and iron.. plus fire extinguishers… Yesterday they changed the a/c filter and I asked how often they do it and was told monthly--- I usually think most have not been changed for years
On-site parking—fee I suspect…
The hotel is both a business hotel and a leisure hotel. Most of the clientel are Europeans or Asians at this time..
There is a small bakery just off the lobby should breakfast noty be included in your room fee.
Breakfast: We find it to be the #2 breakfast experience in bkk, #1 being the Shangri-la…. It’s really soup to nuts---dim-sum to asian soups, to smoked salmon, to freshest fruits, to yogurts, jams, honey to eggs of any sort custom cooked to fresh pastry to Peking duck to 6 or 8 cheeses to 10-15 kinds of breads to hot dishes to sautéed mushrooms and broiled tomatoes to baked beans and on and on…. Juices of at least 5 fruits and coffee and teas, plus ice water… The breakfast room is adjacent to the lobby on several different levels with carpet and shinny wood floors. An indoor/outdoor pond is on one side with small fountain heads keeping the water moving and providing a small water noise… We find it a very comfortable setting to start the day off… there are a few tables outside, largely for smokers I think or for someone who likes car fumes.
The hotel is very quiet despite a very busy lobby area. Yesterday a large wedding was held here. The lobby floral displays were amazing… 5-6 people spent all day constructing a floral arch perhaps 12 – 15 feet high. Each flower was added separately---think Pasadena Rosebowl parade… They also had arches over the grand stairway and a white carpet for guests leading through the center of the lobby to the greeting area…
I can’t think of anything missing other than an additional easy chair in each room. We can’t wait to return here…. The hotel often participates with the starwood cash and points scheme…
Great report on the hotel Bob- wow Peking Duck on the breakfast buffet! My wife will be in heaven and won't want to leave!
we leave for the airport in 45 minutes... great trip
After you have recovered from your trip, I think you should host a party to celebrate 2010 as the Year of the Panda.
Nice report on the hotel, Bobster, but what about the most important feature----or doesn't the PA have a swimming pool?
Waiting to hear any tidbits about the Four Seasons,including about the dinner there...
Glad you guys are back....
eks - if you scroll back to "Thursday" you will see some comments about the pool, including the fact that the water may be chilled...
back home....drove through the rain from nyc to boston...not bad and hardly any traffic...
stopped in hartford for some late lunch....did not see craig selling pencils in his usual place...
Welcome home Bob and Karen!
I was wondering if you were home yet or not. Which way did your route take you home? Was it back thru Europe? Did you see me waving at you from here in Lucerne? haha
Carol
I'm selling them on-line now...
Thanks, Craig..don't know how I missed that piece of pertinent information. Something really must be done about these frigid water temperatures in the City of Angels. I must get word to my local agent to pursue all relevant diplomatic channels to get this remedied before my arrival in February.
in feb, they turn up the a/c on the pool water...
yes we saw you waving, but a stop at Rein's seemed more appropriate...
here are some pics....i do not have any of the GTG because my camera was locked in andy's room
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BauXDJw2aqPrw
Great, great pics, Bob! thanks so much for sharing. It certainly looks like a wonderful trip!
My fav pic: #184
Great pics. Great trip report.
Looks like you had a great trip.
Thanks for sharing.
Great photos, fun memories of Krabi, for me. Thanks!
It's always great to bring your own personal photographer along on these trips. Usually, they aren't quite as bossy as this one. Nonetheless, the sacrifices were worth the brilliant pictures.
My pictures of the GTG are on http://picasaweb.google.com/nywoman
Thanks for the pictures Bob & Fanny!
fanny---thanks for posting these pics...
Saturday (cont)
We took a taxi to the Four Seasons… We were a bit early so walked around a bit looking at the wonderful shops… At the appointed hour we presented ourselves at Biscotti. Oddly enough the restaurant was over ½ empty and remained that way for most of our meal… It was the clearest sign thus far to me that the recession has affected bkk too….
We had an excellent center table. As usual we were presented with a chef’s hors d’ouvre and the usual bread…. Drinks were ordered… K was again, for the 100th time, able to order her soft shell crab appetizer which made her very happy…. I had the most fabulous porcini mushroom soup and the others had various choices… K’s main course was a risotto with fish and I had a calzone, to which I requested some red sauce to moisten it… K had sorbet for dessert as did the others, I had a fantastic raspberry tart with sorbet. Thank God I do not remember the bill, but this was our splurge meal, and Maureen nominated it for best meal of the trip… The rest of us liked some thai meals more, but it did not disappoint… Taxi back to the hotel and K did last minute packing and organizing….
A good nite’s sleep…
Sunday-- our last day
We met Gal and Cherry for breakfast at the hotel. Cherry is doing very little guiding anymore, but still does some Israeli families and special US Navy groups…. She has 5 dogs (huskies) to take care of and 2 houses in bkk to manage… We had a pleasant visit and ended it on the porch off of the dining room to enjoy the relatively non-humid air bkk blessed us with for most of our trip…
It was after noon when they left so we decided to have a swim before the van came for us at 2:45. The water was too cold for me, so I returned to the room to finish up with my 24 hours of internet (over 600 B)… K enjoyed her swim as did A&B… Maureen had gone to church and had checked out…
The van was on time and the traffic was light so we arrived early to the airport and the Singapore check-in was not even open until 30 minutes later… Smooth check in…
A bit of lunch and we were ready..
Flights were relatively smooth, although there was some turbulence. SA staff were efficient. Meal from Bkk to Singapore was inedible, but the others were quite good, including one fillet which actually was still pink… We arrived in NYC via Frankfurt about ½ hour early… Our van was waiting for us at Hertz ($216) and we next stopped at Rein’s Deli in Vernon, CT for a late lunch and arrived back home about 6PM….
A fun trip overall, despite the feigned sickness of one member and all the irritation along the way with the same individual…. On to Bali in May, 2010…
Wonderful slideshow, Thanks and welcome back1
His B-ness failed to mention that he expressed his dissatisfaction with the Franfurt connection to Singapore Air staff. In truth, he did not make a scene, he merely mentioned it. It was entirely appropriate. Us guys in the peanut gallery were quite disappointed. The terminal and gate were really substandard. Completely unacceptable.
i spoke both going and coming home with the staff at frankfurt...SA should be totally ashamed of their facilities....not even enough chairs for 1/2 the passengers to sit down among other things...
ATM's--- for the first time i had quite a few problems with making withdrawals from my TD Bank accounts.... They are my primary bank and i called them before i left to record my destinations and my dates....
Every time i tried to withdraw money i was limited to 3000 B or about $90. That is a real pain and now with the new 150 B fee on what seems like all thai atms, it can get expensive...
I emailed the bank from thailand....no response, as i thought, and i laid it off to not responding to ramdom overseas e mails... then i e mailed them again and i did receive a response that thailand is considered a 'dangereous' asian country for financial transactions, and as such all withdrawal limits are automatically small. HELLO.... I called you and no one told me this... It can be overridden by specifically asking for higher limits....i thought i had informed them with my initial call...
they asked for a response from me, which i sent, and then i was all set for withdrawals of any amount i requested, but of course that was at the end of our trip....Andy had no problem with his account and withdrew $$ for me as i needed it... of course he has a 300 B fee he charges...
They refunded all my charges and added a $25 goodwill gift too, without my asking...fine, but what if i did not have other options while there.... AND HOW ABOUT NOTIFYING ME OF THIS CHANGE... i have used both of my TD cards in thailand before without problems...
So, beware and speak forceably to your bank in advance of any trips to "dangereous" places....
i am already working on a return trip to thailand for next november/december....we just can't get enough of it...
this time i think we will try some serviced apartments....the new marriott on soi 24 is simply fabulous with a very nice pool area as well.... i have already made reservations, randomly for the new JW Marriott in khoa lak--- it looks fabulous and has a very cheap rate just now which includes next fall--- about $100 ++...
btw, i am loving my new shirts from jack... the cottons are soft and lovely and the fit just right...
Any chance your dates would be about the same time I'd be back in BKK for the Christmas/New Year holidays? Probably not. I am sure you want to be home to celebrate with family.
I will most likely be in Switzerland until the 8th of Dec, and then home for a week, before flying off to BKK about the 15th or so (December 2010). No plans yet, but that would be the typical scenario.
Too bad you did not find time to meet Maeng. I'm sure NYwoman mentioned the time they spent together. Maybe next year.......???
Back to Zurich tomorrow afternoon. We are currently in Lausanne. Home Wednesday, but only for one week... and then off to BKK! Can't wait! It's cold here. We had snow!
Carol
we had pickled liver on our list but that nite something else came up and we had to delay it until another trip...
i suspect we would come home by about 10 december...