Sounds like a nice trip thus far.

Hi Patrick, I'm following your reports with great interest since your itinerary has many of same stops as ours next month. I was pleased to read of your first class flight to Xi'an since we booked that at the same price as Coach as well. Filet mignon for lunch... I think I'm gonna like flying in China!

tekwriter, I hope you like your filet VERY rare -- most of my friends would have gagged. But I loved it.

Where are you now, Patrick? Brad should be in BKK until about the 30th, if you happen to be there at the same time. He is staying in the Sukhumvit area (soi 4... Omni Tower). Maybe you two can meet up at Maeng's?

Patrick:

Glad you're traveling in style, filet mignon at 11 am on a plane sounds great, and remember chinese serve soup before dessert.

No, this soup came first -- before the filet, and I've since learned (I think) that those "gelatinous dark green noodles" are actually kelp?

Carol,yes. I get to Bangkok on the 30th. What is Maeng's? Is that the Pickled Liver? And I'm staying at Centre Point Silom.

"Whst is Maeng's". Ooops. Sorry. I checked my notes. Now you'll think I haven't been paying attention.

Yes, it's the Pickled Liver. Brad comes home on the 31st. I can pretty much guarantee you that he will be at the PL on the 30th, his last night in BKK! Hope the two of you can meet up... if not, maybe next time. But I still hope you stop by and say "hi" to Maeng and have some of her garlic shrimp and/or pad thai and maybe some mango/sticky rice. Tell her you are our friend and she'll fix you right up.

Can you save me a little research? How to get to Pickled Liver from Centre Point Silom? I'll definitely plan on going there, that night if I can.

Patrick: The thick ones are kelp, sometimes served wide and uncut, sometimes cut thin. The thread-like ones are seaweed, I believe both are of the same family.

I had lunch at the newly opened Bangkok Express in SF, silver threads with sliced ginger in a claypot topped with grilled prawns in the shell.

Patrick... plans have a way of changing! Now DS is coming home ON the 30th, not the 31st, so he leaves very early that morning. The 30th was his preferred date, so when it popped up this morning as available (last minute saver 1st class) I just had to book it for him! Looks like you will not meet up in BKK this time.

Pickled Liver from Silom... Take the skytrain going away from the river (towards National Stadium station) to SIAM station and switch to the 'other track' which is called the Sukhumvit line. You will be coming off of the SILOM line. Anyway, look for the train going to ON NUT. Take that one to NANA station, 3 stops (Chitlom, Phloenchit, Nana).

When you get to Nana station, you will want to exit on the left side (the same side the train arrived on, going in a forward direction... does that make sense?? same direction as the skytrain is going) and go down the stairs. If you have taken the correct stairway, you will be almost at soi 11, a very busy soi!

You need to know that the sois (streets) along Sukhumvit are numbered so that the odd numbered sois are on one side, the even numbered sois on the other side. You will want the 'odd' side, obviously. The even numbers on the other side of Sukhumvit do not necessarily line up w/the odd side. My hotel is at soi 8, which is directly across from soi 11!

Anyway, if you take the OTHER odd side exit, you will walk a short distance, past sois 7, 7a?, 9, to soi 11.

When you get to soi 11, walk along the left side of the soi. You will find yourself walking on the sidewalk and in the street, as there are lots of vendors and motorcycle taxis along this soi. Walk PAST Zanzibar restautant, and go PAST their private parking lot. Just past that parking lot, there is a small sub-soi. It goes past CHEAP CHARLIE'S which you will easily see from the sidewalk on soi 11.

Walk into this sub-soi, which is a U shape, go past Cheap Charlies, past the Indian restaurant, around the turn, past Tapas, past Charley Brown's, and almost to the next corner, on the left, you will see the sign for the Pickled Liver. The walk down soi 11 and the sub-soi sounds longer than it really is.

Please ask for Maeng, and then tell her you are my friend from the internet! She will be most happy to meet you. I'm just sorry that Brad won't be there to see you as well... but, as I said, plans do change!

When you leave PL, take the skytrain going towards Mo Chit, but get off at SIAM and switch tracks to the SILOM line. You will want to go towards the river, in the direction of Wong Wian Yai station. I assume you will get off the skytrain somewhere in the Silom area. You will note which station is closest to your hotel when you get to BKK.

Have a great time in my favorite city!

Carol

Wow, thanks, Carol. I like your directions -- sort or like "directions for Dummies" and so perfect for me!
I had already printed off a little map from the PL website, but your directions will be much handier.

Having a great time in Chonqqing presently. Just one of those not really visited cities in China of 32 million or so.

Make sure to have a hot pot, Patrick. Go to Dazu if you can.

I had hot pot here the first night. I have no idea of the name, but my friend here took me to what he says is the best -- not a word of English anywhere near the place -- QiQi. We had to wait nearly 45 minutes (Friday night) as this huge upstairs place was jammed. I'm sure I was the only foreigner in the place. For my sake we did the double hotpot -- half was the oil and peppers and half was the fish head broth with vegetables. I like spicy, but learned I had to cook in the broth one then just dip it quickly in the chili oil before putting it in my bowl of sesame and lots of garlic. It was a great night.

Chongqing hotpots give new meaning to "hot." Glad you're enjoying your trip.

"Directions for dummies!" Love that one!

(as a former first grade teacher for 33 years, I sometimes go overboard...)

Sounds like you are having a great time in China. Aussie friends of mine are on their way to China for the next 3 weeks... but they aren't going to visit Chongqing though.

Eating at local places, with only local people (no other foreigners) is definitely the way to go. You get the real taste! And I'll bet it's hot! How's the tummy coping? haha

Carol