cmerrell

Hi laartista,

This was an incredibly entertaining read! I mainly hang out on the Latin America board but occasionally peruse the other forums (always day-dreaming about travel!). I stumbled upon your report last week and was immediately hooked!

What a tremendous adventure you had! I bet T and H will live on in infamy for some time to come on this forum! I'm somewhat saddened that you have no plans to ever travel with them again. Just think of the amazing (i.e. fun for us/horrific for you) stories you might be able to share with your fellow fodorites!

Doctoressa

Sorry for the long post, but I just finished reading. SO much to say. I must first start with AWESOME! Now, I know I am biased because I know you, but it was as if you and I were hanging on your couch with Bear over some Pita Grill salads and you were telling me about this trip first hand.

Also, Gpanda and rkhkmk, your postings were the perfect toppers to this report. If I ever take a real trip and post it (and anyone reads it and lives), please comment!

SirHellBeast, get a grip. It’s a trip report, not a commentary to the U.N. on the treatment of minors in foreign countries. Perhaps you should ask La Artista for a few Xanax!

Because I am reading this all in one sitting (and made/finished a large bowl of popcorn), I have to comment in one big installment. Fodorites, please forgive me if I bore you. My sincerest apologies in advance!

I agree with Arnie and I want to find out how to get Dom back here. Even if he didn’t get along with Bear, he could stay here and you could come and visit. It would be like having a dog by proxy! (And as a first order of business, I would pull a Bob Barker and spay/neuter my pet to help control the animal population!)

The pictures are amazing. You and your megapixels have done a great job once again. The mosaics were unbelievable. If I were a betting woman, I can’t wait to see little mosaics men at the Bryant Park show in December. To all of you in the NYC area, you MUST come out to see her work… all done by hand!

Now for the meat and potatoes… You know from personal experience that I am possibly the world’s worst travel companion due to severe anxiety and perhaps an undiagnosed case of OCD. But, I think that T really made me look like the model trip buddy. One for her word: brat. She should have been slapped across the face and sent to her room without dinner (and from the pictures, she could use a few missed dinners!) You were way too nice to her. I have seen you dole out some much deserved bitch in your day and you definitely exhibited some serious self-restraint. I would have gone mental on her and perhaps rearranged her intestines to come out of her ears especially after hearing about the sick passenger episode. And I would have ditched them long before Narita and made them sit under the plane with their luggage! As for her side-kick, what a lame and pathetic follower. A spineless jellyfish of sorts. If I were her (and I am glad I am not) I would have said to the flight attendant “She is a physician’s assistant” and pointed to that poor excuse of a human being. Sorry, more like a mass occupying lesion! Both seem like they were such mealy creatures that could have used a dose of “Brokedown Palace”

Can’t wait for your next trip and to see your purchases this weekend! -a

bmttokyo

Well said Doctoressa. Hats off to Robin as well- if I were her, I would have pretended not to even know them as they were trying to get close for those biz seats- certainly not after the "I'm not comfortable with that........." comment re. the wooden carvings. Someone once said - You do good to others not because of who they are but because of who YOU are."

laartista

Rkk- I think you're right, thought I recognized him. BTW thanks for the invite to the Beantown GTG, unfortunately for me, I'm at a show that weekend. Otherwise, I might just jump in the car and drive up just to see you and Gpanda in person.

cmerrell- Thanks very much for the nice comments.Probably will see you over on the Latin board looking at Buenos Aires around the new year.

** Note to self- do not give link to anyone else I know** Just kidding, which brings me to

Doc- LMAO, a response as long as a trip report! Too funny.Thanks for reading. BTW you broke a cardinal rule of Fodor's NO ADVERTISING, not even for me. Sorry fellow fodorites.

bmt- that's a great saying, and very true.

Gpanda

Meeting us will be very disappointing. Bob is tedious and I'm very shy. We can only express ourselves in short written bursts,

I agree, H and T will be forever memorialized in Fodors lore. Future travelling companions can only hope to acheive their status.

We'll give you a pass on the GTG, only if you come up to Boston and have dinner with us at a future time.

ComfyShoes

laartista, I read the last few entries in one sitting. Very nice job. H/T, and I am sure it didn't feel like that at the time, seem to have added to the overall experience Good report. So the question is: Where to next?

Penelopestar

Wow Laartista, I'm new to the boards this week (I'm planning my trip to Thailand for Dec/Jan) I sat and read your whole report for a few hours now, it was like a book I couldn't put down!

I can definately relate to traveling with people you don't know, I had a similar experience in Cabo San Lucas....But unlike you, I left and enjoyed the rest of my trip with people I met the 2nd day!! It was awesome, and we're still friends, that was 10 yrs. ago.....

I'm glad I read your Bangkok segment, I'm going there for only 2 days and heading out to the islands for 9 days.... I know a lot of people on the boards recommend longer in BKK, but I feel like I would feel like you about BKK, plus, I'm not a shopper....so off to the islands for me

Thanks for the great read, and thanks to the peanut gallery for the good laughs!

mcbeanie

Laartista:

Reading this was like a book I couldn't put down. I really enjoyed it, particularly since we endured our own H and T on a recent trip to California. Never again!!!!!!

You showed me a side of BKK I haven't seen -- despite my several trips there.

A couple of questions, however: What does LMAO mean? And do you remember which Starbuck's had the BKK mugs. I have several from other cities, but didn't see any at the Starbuck's we frequented in BKK. Does the Narita Starbuck's have them, too?

Thanks again for sharing your adventures.

mcbeanie

laartista

Thanks Comfy- hope Boston was good

Penelope- Have a great time in BKK and Thailand on the whole. I see you've been asking as many questions as I di before I went. The people on this board are a wealth of info. so take their advice to heart.

mcbean- LMAO means laugh my ass off.
Re: starbucks mugs. I believe we got our BKK ones at MBK or Paragon. They sell them at teh starbucks in the airport though. Also Narita airport location does sell mugs as well.

Gpanda

Peanut Gallery? Perhaps, Bob, but certainly not I. Our comments are meant to be scholarly annotations to the original text. Think old guys in the Muppet Show.

Wonder_Woman

Had a day off work today injured and so was in bed with a laptop and dreaming of my next holiday to Thailand (my first trip there) only to stumble across this thread. What a fantastic read. I have lost a few hours in my day by reading it but it was worth it.

Thanks for the detail - and if you ever tire of being an artist, the world of travel journalism awaits, I'm sure!

WonderWoman

crosscheck

Bravo, laartista. I must confess I haven't had time to read the whole thing, but I skimmed it and savored the juicy parts. So where can we see your art in NY?

crosscheck

Bravo, laartista. I must confess I still haven't had time to read the whole thing, but I skimmed it and savored the juicy parts. So where can we see your art in NY?

bmttokyo

Author: Gpanda
Date: 10/01/2007, 11:35 am
Peanut Gallery? Perhaps, Bob, but certainly not I. Our comments are meant to be scholarly annotations to the original text. Think old guys in the Muppet Show

I LOVED those 2 Muppet Show geezers!!!

Gpanda

One sets goals in life and makes decisions to acheive those goals. Clearly, Bob and I set modest goals and we're both happy to have acheived Geezer status. I note that I have reached this lofty goal at a much younger age than he. In truth, my ultimate goal is to reach the pinacle and become Bugs Bunny. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

cruisinred

I love those muppet guys, too!
I guess that Bob and Gpanda are the Asia board's own Statler & Waldorf!

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photo...0209_0_ALB.jpg

rhkkmk

lorna---i remember the statler hilton and know the waldorf asoria and waldorf salad.....i think i would prefer to be waldorf salad with walnuts and dates...

Gpanda

You are a mere sidekick, think Pancho Sanza or maybe Lou Costello or Art Carney.

pat

Just started reading your trip report, and some one might have mentioned this, but the king is blind in one eye. Most of his pictures has his good eye facing the camera. Another thing, did you see the Sex tour buses? Hear the main participants are from Germany, Japan and Australia.

lolfn

bookmarking...