Brief notes from Bangkok
Dec 4th, 2011, 10:36 PM
#22
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Cheryl, however, loves Singha. And she had one with lunch today. (and you are so right about me, Hanuman!)
Karen, we fly home Wednesday morning.
Today is the King's birthday. We were headed for a wat in the area of the Grand Palace this morning. There were huge crowds of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the king. We stood and watched the horse guards. Eventually, the king was driven into the Palace in a big gold car. There were rumors that he might make an appearance on the balcony at noon. Cheryl, bitten by a bad case of photographer's fever, stood there for another hour and a half getting sun burned. The king did not come out on the balcony, but was driven back out of the palace about noon.
There will be fireworks on the river tonight.
Karen, we fly home Wednesday morning.
Today is the King's birthday. We were headed for a wat in the area of the Grand Palace this morning. There were huge crowds of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the king. We stood and watched the horse guards. Eventually, the king was driven into the Palace in a big gold car. There were rumors that he might make an appearance on the balcony at noon. Cheryl, bitten by a bad case of photographer's fever, stood there for another hour and a half getting sun burned. The king did not come out on the balcony, but was driven back out of the palace about noon.
There will be fireworks on the river tonight.
Dec 5th, 2011, 05:49 AM
#25
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We have just returned from a lovely evening with Hanuman and Mony. Unfortunately, Dang was out of town and couldn't join us. We ate at the renowned Gaggan, a temple to molecular gastronomy with an Indian accent. What a superb meal! For the gourmands amongst you, this is a must-visit place. In addition to eating the truly remarkable food, we got a tour of the kitchen.
Thanks again, Hanuman!
Thanks again, Hanuman!
Dec 5th, 2011, 01:22 PM
#28
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It's close to the four seasons and yes you do need a reservation.
Mathis, isn't Gaggan awesome? I had one of my most favourite meals there and of course our man on the ground knows everyone here!!! How was the new dish Pook?
Mathis, isn't Gaggan awesome? I had one of my most favourite meals there and of course our man on the ground knows everyone here!!! How was the new dish Pook?
Dec 5th, 2011, 03:01 PM
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Nicky,
A lot of new dishes from the time you and Kuranosuke went there. Some excellent tasty new dishes with just the right amount of spices and the perfect ingredient. This is one of the new dish which is my favorite: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater
Guess what? They are thinking about opening a branch in London as they want their Michelin Star(s)!
jspbeutp,
Their website is still not fully up yet but there's a location map on it: http://www.eatatgaggan.com/
A lot of new dishes from the time you and Kuranosuke went there. Some excellent tasty new dishes with just the right amount of spices and the perfect ingredient. This is one of the new dish which is my favorite: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater
Guess what? They are thinking about opening a branch in London as they want their Michelin Star(s)!
jspbeutp,
Their website is still not fully up yet but there's a location map on it: http://www.eatatgaggan.com/
Dec 5th, 2011, 11:06 PM
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It sounds like we have a good group for a gtg there!
Filmwill, you might be interested to know that the chef cooked at El Bulli. I think you and David would like it.
More conventional cuisine today - we ate at Biscotti, a favorite of Bob and Karen. Excellent Italian food.
We also visited the tree here on the ROS proprty where some of Andy's ashes were deposited, and spent some time remembering him and the good times we had.
Filmwill, you might be interested to know that the chef cooked at El Bulli. I think you and David would like it.
More conventional cuisine today - we ate at Biscotti, a favorite of Bob and Karen. Excellent Italian food.
We also visited the tree here on the ROS proprty where some of Andy's ashes were deposited, and spent some time remembering him and the good times we had.
Dec 7th, 2011, 11:28 AM
#36
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A couple of post-trip notes:
While in Bangkok, we decided to look at some serviced apartments, believing that our stays in Bangkok will be longer once we have retired (still a couple of years away).
We looked at the "new" Marriott Vacation Club offering at Empire Place. First of all, they won't even show you an apartment unless you are a Marriott Vacation Club member. Empire Place is a condo tower, Marriott owns 50 of the units (spread all over the tower). We were not impressed with the apartments. WHile they had washer/dryers, they had no dishwasher in any of the apartments, and the one bedroom apartments did not have an oven. The decor looked tired and a bit dark, most of the views were of the buildings next door. While I read some rave reviews on Trip Advisor, we gave it a thumbs down. Not for us.
We also stopped by to see the Marriott mayfair Executive Apartments near the Chitlom BTS, as Bob and Karen really liked this place. We liked the neighborhood, the apartments were nice, again, only two bedroom apartments had ovens. I know there are two other Marriott Exec Apartments we have not seen. Our verdict? The apartments were nice, but we aren't yet ready to give up the amenities of the ROS.
We had a nice surprise on the last leg of our trip - the 777 from Narita to Seattle has the new seats! At last!!
While in Bangkok, we decided to look at some serviced apartments, believing that our stays in Bangkok will be longer once we have retired (still a couple of years away).
We looked at the "new" Marriott Vacation Club offering at Empire Place. First of all, they won't even show you an apartment unless you are a Marriott Vacation Club member. Empire Place is a condo tower, Marriott owns 50 of the units (spread all over the tower). We were not impressed with the apartments. WHile they had washer/dryers, they had no dishwasher in any of the apartments, and the one bedroom apartments did not have an oven. The decor looked tired and a bit dark, most of the views were of the buildings next door. While I read some rave reviews on Trip Advisor, we gave it a thumbs down. Not for us.
We also stopped by to see the Marriott mayfair Executive Apartments near the Chitlom BTS, as Bob and Karen really liked this place. We liked the neighborhood, the apartments were nice, again, only two bedroom apartments had ovens. I know there are two other Marriott Exec Apartments we have not seen. Our verdict? The apartments were nice, but we aren't yet ready to give up the amenities of the ROS.
We had a nice surprise on the last leg of our trip - the 777 from Narita to Seattle has the new seats! At last!!
Dec 10th, 2011, 08:53 AM
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Kathie: Glad you're having a great time. When I have more time, I'll read more of your threads in detail. Have been a bit swamped with lots of stuff including Pasadena windstorm damage. I'll e-mail you at some point. Have a great continued trip. Happy Travels!
Dec 10th, 2011, 09:45 AM
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Kathie, thanks for your on the spot updating. We'll be at the ROS on Feb 10...first time in Bangkok. If I'm remembering correctly, you do a meet and greet transfer from the airport to the ROS. What company do you use?
