Thailand Trip Report
 

Greetings from Bangkok. I'll start this here, but suspect I will have to finish it when we get home.

Departed Boston on 11/19/04 on United, $808 RT. Got tom the airport early to switch so that the layover in Chicago would be more than an hour. The ticket agent was kind enough to get all 4 of us in an exit row, 35. Made a big difference over the course of our trip. In Chicago, we met up with the fifth traveler who was flying from Detroit. The plane from Chi took off an hour late. After announcing the 5 movies we would be seeing, the video screens did not work. No movies. Made the connection in Narita fine. I did note that they treat United like a rented mule and we had to bus from the gate to the plane in a secret hidden location.

Arrived in BKK early and breezed through Immigration and customs like a dream. Tha other flights at 11:30 p.m. had not arrived. Of course, our transfer was not there. After waiting for 45 minutes, we began to panic. He showed up eventually, but he was clearly drunk. Thankfully, he was not the driver. Checked into the Royal Orchid Sheraton without a hitch. Staying in the Towers at Kathie's recommendation.

i told you to try AAC limo....look forward to more info...i posted about the bells...look for elephant house in treasurers and pleasurers...

too bad about video system...

bob

Gpanda, Can't wait to hear more. Who did you use for airport pick-up so we can avoid them?

hey Gpanda, what did you think of the Towers?

yea...how bout those towers????
is there a plaque on the wall saying kathie slept here??

No Bob- you don't give her enough credit- by now they would have named a wing after her.

Time presses, but hopefully more later today. The newbies beckon. My report on the Towers will follow shortly.

I hear that since you've been gone the Republicans have taken over Cambridge, the Red Sox have traded away Pedro, Manny, Foulke, Varitek, and Damon and the "Big Dig" tunnel has been closed preventing anyone from SE Asia from returning. Life must be good.

all of this is to keep CT people in their own state...

and that includes orgy in hartford

i tried to cut and paste from your e-mail andy but i could not get it to take...will try tomorrow when tabitha is here to do it correctly....have fun in CM

bob

This is a test. Very frustrating posting.

I'll try short entries.

Day 3

Again no sleep. Jet lag brutal unlike other times. Gym, sauna and continetal breakfast. Newbies off to Ayuttahya with Pong, guide from East-West Siam arranged through Innovasion.

Bob had given me an errand, to deliver cash and card to Fifth Element in shopping mall at Shangri-la. Took river ferry to Oriental pier and walked by Assumption a catholic school. Having forgotten Bob's E-mail, we went to the lobby and inquired. They were very helpful. They whisked us by hotel tuk tuk to the Fifth Element which is in the other wing of hotel. It would have been a long walk. Unfortunately, store did not open until 11:00 a.m..

We hopped on the skytrain to the Nana station on the Sukhumvit line. How did they ever build this marvel? It wends its way through BKK like a snake on crack. Walked from station to jeweler Bob had recommended in lobby of Nana hotel (This is from memory, Bob correct me if I'm wrong). We had seen several bracelets that Karen had made and were interested. When we entered and mentioned Mr. Kimball, the proprietor said "Mr. Bob Kimball" and beemed with a smile. Unfortunately, he had no bracelets similar to Karen's on display. Beth is not taken with the ornamental style of Asian Jewelry and we bought nothing.

We meandered east on Sukhumvit, browsing in shops and declining many offers for tailoring. We did buy a small container of tangerine juice on the street. This is one of the great delights of Bangkok. It tastes super and provides an instant pick-me-up in the heat. After some further wandering, we ate an early lunch at Cabbages and Condoms. This is a wonderful place. The food is very good and the surrondings are way cool. Everyone should give this a try.

Short posts seem to be working. Frustrating but effective.

Walked further down Sukhumvit again browsing and entering random stores. Walked a couple of blocks to store Beth had picked out. I don't remember it's ezact name, but it's something like Desi Rayi. It's on Soi 23, i think. We walked by a cultural waystaion and wandered through. It's on Soi 21 and on the way to the store from Sukhumvit.

The store was great. It was filled with stunning stuff. There were some wall hangings that were startling. Unfortunately, they cost 40,000 Baht and were out of our price range. We spent an hour in the store and did buy one cheaper hanging, a laquer box, several bowls and a wrap around skirt. Very nice. This store by itself was worth the walking on Sukhumvit.

Skytrain back to the Fifth Element. They too were upbeat at the mention of Mr. Bob Kimball. This is getting sickening. Obviously, he has bamboozled an entire generation of BKK shopkeepers unaware of his politics. We completed the transacion smoothly and returned by river ferry to ROS.

Beth napped, while I burned a cigar around the pool. For those who care, it was a Montecristo #5. I don't like the Romeo Y Julietta brand. Third day of massages from the Wat Pho masseuses (This is listed in the Day 1 post, which has not yet appeared). I remain hopeful.

If you think this is annoying to read, you should imagine how bothersome it is to post in small bursts.

Day 4-the two non-vegetarian newbies accompanied Beth and I to the Thewes Flower Market. Took river ferry and saw the floats getting ready for the Loy Krathong procession. Hopped off and followed Nancy Chandler Map to where it should have been. In its place was a normal food market. We love these, so we spent a long time browsing the various stalls. The proliferation of foodstuffs is staggering. Eventually asked directions and found live plant market along one street. The explosions of color and variety of plants is awesome. Not as overwhelming as the cut flower market, but interesting nonetheless.

Cab to Suan Packard House. The cabbie and I had an amusing ineraction in deducing how to get there. He spoke no English and I no Thai. I had gotten the concierge desk to write the address in Thai. Sopmehow we made it there using his method not mine. I was chagrined and ridiculed by the newbies. I thought of abandoning them.

The Suan Packard House is one of several very peaceful respites from the intensity of BKK. The artifacts are informative and the teak house impressive.It's definitely worth the time. It can be easily combined with a trip to Siam Square and a visit to the Jim Thompson House.