Thanks for the critique of X'ian. MP doesn't walk very well either. We'll skip it.

If Sheldon Adelson had consulted Nate Silver earlier, he would have saved himself a heap of money.

HT, I'm not quite sure what you were saying in your comparison of Amarin and the small fair at Jasmine. Amarin is not just on Friday and Saturday. It is a full time craft 'fair' from my experience.

Are you talking about Jasmine with its 14 vendors with tourist goods being more expensive and vastly inferior, or did you think Amarin was more expensive and vastly inferior?? I've read your paragraph(s) twice and I'm confused. (old age is settling in)

indiana, don't skip the warriors, hire a wheel chair for sure...

Friday Nov 9

Our next to the last K/L breakfast---I am eating less each day. The banana/pineapple/honey smoothies are hard to pass up and I have 2 old fashion glasses full each AM. Today I had toast for the first time and sushi and delicious thinly sliced sausage----oh, yes 2 croissants.

lunch at the pool bar again with the girls. Pat had her 1st thai massage and loved it--60 min. incl in her room rate.
a delicious, but "thin" chicken quesadia (sp) for me, a shake for pat and mixed satay for K. Not much, just enough to get us through to dinner at 7 with J & E.

Ty, the GM, suggested a place in town to have dinner. Home made pasta, so we will probably try that if E&J like the idea.

I spent about 2 hours in the lagoon until lightning and huge thunder booms drove me out. This has happened each afternoon.

I started reading a book called 'FARANG, Thailand through the eyes of an ex-pat', written by an ex-pat Aussie doctor. Entertaining, but not fab thus far.

Pat has started on Bangkok 8.

Looking forward to Beth's and Maureen's arrival in a few days. We will meet up at BKK on our way to Issan.

for the last hour we have watched the royal barge procession live on tv. it is just as exciting the 2nd time around.

In addition we were able to view the crown prince and princess preside over the presentation of the new robes to the monks at an elaborate, symbolic ceremony in a beautiful hall on the grounds of wat arun. He also gave awards to a number of civilians and military people. Each received a gold colored box. The ceremony ended with him riding away in a royal yellow RR.

The up close pictures were very interesting, including pictures from on-board some of the boats.

Bob - when do you leave Bangkok for eastern Thailandhotel? I'm most interested to hear of your adventures in new territories.

reading a book. must be really relaxing

reading beats trying to keep up with native people

we pass thru bkk on the 14th on our way to issan... i believe we have internet there so look for something on the 14th or 15th.

After drinks tonight we went to a small restaurant as you enter khao lak proper. it is on the left side of the road when heading S. The name is a mystery but you can identify it by a large lighted sign that says "Pizza" and under that a sing saying "wine". I think they are both round. There is an ATM just to the left.

Basically an Italian place, they offer fantastic home-made pasta. J&E joined us and we all had pasta preceded by delicious brushetta. J treated us to a nice bottle of red wine. Good It. desserts. A charming evening.

Picked up my stuff from the tailor on the way back to the hotel.

Sadly, our last sleep at K/L for 2012.

What a wonderful trip! Can't wait to see your pix. I'm so jealous of your non stop travels and how "social" they are. You two pick up great friends everywhere. You are friend magnets.

Turkey was great. Istanbul the best. You will have lots of postcards upon your return : )

Like Tower, I am vicariously enjoying the trip. Thanks for the trip report, keep updates coming. (BTW, I knew when I tripped over the damned Scott Brown sign on your lawn last month that it was an omen he'd lose.)

BC

Yes, Bob, you and Karen are "friend magnets" as BostonHarbor says. I too am happily reading all the entries and comments, which are much more amusing now that I have had a taste of the Kimballs "in the flesh."
Keep writing. I would love to be a fly on the wall!

we welcome both 'flies on the wall' as well as in person..

Saturday---move day

sadly we are leaving this glorious resort for an almost equally enjoyable place the Sheraton Krabi. I think it is about a 3 hour ride. Our toyota is working out well and its fabulous to have automatic instead of shifting every few minutes---one less thing to think about.

K is packed and impatiently waiting for me..

We are going to miss u Bob,Karen,Pat....we loved having supper with u guys. Today we finally went to the beach, I loved it. Tomorrow last day of work..then relax till Sunday. Thanks to u we have a few restaurant in town to keep us happy for the week. Jo is still renting motor bike, we will let u know how it went.
Have fun in Krabi, be safe on the road
E&J

the drive from K/L to krabi was about 2.5 hours, just as we remembered. it was very easy except for one very twisty section as we climbed up and over a mini-mountain---reminds me of the mts. in europe where we have driven. All along the way it was very scenic with rubber plantations/wooded areas, coconut palm oil trees which were being harvested, small wats and mosques and small settlements.

We arrived at the Sheraton Krabi and it all seemed very familiar.

We were seated and given coolish towels and a sweet drink. I presented our starwood card and a credit card. After a few minutes she returned and said I have 3 reservations, do I have any documentation and/or vouchers. I did have my starwood printouts for both rooms. Ours is cash and points, and pat's is a pre-pay. She goes away again. There are now by my count 10 people at the small reservation desk dealing with us and one other guest... It is hot and humid in this open-air area with no fans.

We wait some more. She comes back again and tells me that I have to cancel one of the reservations with the agency I made it with. I tell her that it was made with sheraton, and you are sheraton. She continues to insist that I must do it. Now I am not only hot but getting mad with this inefficiency. This is our 6th hotel check-in this trip and the only one with even the slightest problem.
I ask for the front office manager and again in a few minutes a woman appears and the situation is repeated. She tells me the party line. She says she will fix it and to sit down. More time elapses and I go to the counter and ask for the GM---who else?? I am told he is in a meeting (later I find out he is not even here today.
So eventually, like after 30 minutes, we are loaded into a buggy and taken to our bldg. When she opens our door it is still being cleaned---no problem, we don't mind, just let us sit in there while he finishes. NO. Please sit and wait. Pat's room is the same thing.
Eventually we are driven back to the lobby where the front mgr. takes us to two "up-graded" rooms--read re-furbished as they seem like our rooms in the past but with fresh walls, etc.

She asks what else we might like and I answer that free internet and dinners might be nice. She arranges free internet.

She just returned my paperwork and I reminded her of my desire to talk to the GM. She said it is Saturday and he is not here.

Ok, its out of my system for today but not closed.

Update on the tailoring. Everything appears to be fine, but several things we discussed were not done--- no extra buttons on anything; no extra zipper area buttons on my shorts as discussed; front seems to be missing a couple of buttons at the bottom--need to try on to see. As K says you need to check things carefully and I did not do that. I will e-mail him and ask them to be sent to BKK.

I trust this is the only woe of our trip.

Bob u want Jocelyn to go and take care of him?????? But seriously if u need us to do something we will

HI T---eat your heart out...

The GM just called. He has only been here 2 weeks and seems overwhelmed. He was very nice and extended an extreme apology and 20,000 B in credit.... I told him that was totally not necessary but that I accept it gracefully. My philosophy in my business career and now in life is 'make it right' for the customer and admit faults and inefficiencies where they exist.

btw, a few minutes ago a small tray arrived with a rose in a jigger and 5 small candies that look like sugar cubes... are they telling me to sweeten up?

Evelyne... while you are speeding by on the motorbike one day i would appreciate it if J would ask him if they were sent.. if not could you mail them to me from canada.

you guys are the best.

and I thought that I was the best!