Saturday, December 15/Sunday, December 16
Bangkok
Our days in Southeast Asia are quickly coming to an end. We’ve had some marvelous times and I have memories that I’ll keep for a lifetime. It’s been a wonderful experience, meeting new people, eating new food, seeing sights and doing things, like taking the Nepal trek, I only dreamed of ever being able to experience or accomplish. Some of the time it’s been difficult, but 99% of the time it’s been a breeze. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful travel companion (who thinks I may have some Japanese blood with the number of photographs I take and then make, or at least ask, him to help me edit).
We used these few days to say good-by to the guys at the Bamboo (went there both Friday and Saturday nights and Mike had chance to play both nights). On Saturday, after staying up way too late the night before (for some reason we both think we are younger than our biological ages), we headed to the weekend market. A bit of rest on Saturday afternoon so we would be awake to go to a Blues Bar across town. A tasty dinner and then to the bar, which was about the size of our living room in Alexandria. The House band was really good. Of course, another late night, but that’s what we seem to do in Bangkok. It’s so easy to sip a soda water and listen to music and visit with people that time just passes by.
Sunday afternoon was spent with Jan and Mr. Tong sitting alongside a canal, surrounded by Mr. Tong’s caged birds chirping away, sipping on Leo Beer with ice and enjoying conversations. Of course we met another traveling couple who gave us some good insight and information for Africa. We went to one of our favorite outside restaurants for our last meal in Bangkok and we weren’t disappointed.
Before leaving for the airport on Monday I treated myself to a facial. Would have liked to do another Thai massage, but just not enough time. So right now, sitting in the airport lounge waiting for our long flight back to DC via Singapore, Frankfurt, JFK and LaGuardia finally ending in Dulles around 5:30 PM on Tuesday, December 18.
I’m not able to get the photographs from Angkor Wat; Siem Reap; Tiger Temple and the beach loaded before leaving for the boarding area, but I’ll let you know when they are up and available for viewing.
Anyway, we’re looking forward to seeing family and friends again and I hope you have enjoyed the blog and the photographs.
Keep well and love to all of you.
PS - Merry Christmas if I don’t get a chance to say it in person!
Monday, December 10 - Friday, December 14
Bang Saphan, Thailand
What can I say, we picked a perfect way to finish off our trip to Thailand. Four magical days at a secluded beach about 300 Km south of Bangkok. We stayed at a very simple bungalow, (Lola’s) and I mean simple. It was maybe 10 x 12 feet with a small bathroom built on the back end and a porch that was a bit rickety. At least it had a western toilet (still required a bucket to flush) and not a squat, although I’m getting used to those too.
Our days were spent relaxing under the shade of a tree reading books, wading in the ocean, walking along the wide crescent beach or just looking at the horizon with a cool breeze blowing constantly. There were very few people on the beach at any one time.
The night sky was filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of stars and we took the opportunity of very little ambient light to sit quietly and stare in wonder at their beauty. We even witnessed at least three shooting stars in one night. Don’t worry, the gin rummy games continued...now I have 1/2 of Mike’s savings.
Of course, as we have done at any of the side trips we’ve made, whether towns other than Bangkok in Thailand or Lao and Cambodia, we located the best small bars to eat and have a few cold beers. Since Lola’s didn’t have a restaurant we would either walk on the beach a bit to the left or the right and find a place. These small eateries would be where we would meet some really lovely and interesting people. Some were ex-pats that have made Ban Saphan their home, others who came upon it like us and decided to stay for a few months rather than be in Scotland, England or Belgium or even Texas. These meetings were a definite highlight of our four days. Mike still finds it amazing how I can start talking to almost anyone and within 5 or 10 minutes have them acting like we’ve known one another for years and exchanging e-mail addresses. Our last night we were out until 1:00 in the morning with a group we had just met a few hours before, all of them telling us the virtues of living in their wonderful little paradise. It sounds is so tempting.
Sunday, December 9
Tomorrow we leave for the beach, looking forward to some quiet time in the sunshine away from the city.
Thursday, December 6
Today Mike and I went on a tour to the Tiger Temple, where we hoped to see some large and maybe baby tigers who have been rescued and are taken care of by monks. It was a long day and the tour included the original floating market, which in my opinion is a tourist trap. I had thought we would actually be able to see some of the produce boats etc., but cruising on the canal wasn’t included in the cost of the tour. Next stop was another tourist attraction which we had no interest in - the elephant park, where some people decided to take the elephant rides (we’ve done that already in Nepal), then on to “the most exciting show on earth”, a silly side show of snakes. Finely we got to the tigers (see photographs). The temple is 130 km from Bangkok, and the ride back to the city took forever. Once we got over the river and to the edge of town, we got out of the van and took the sky-train to NANA. The day was interesting and we met three very nice English people, one girl, Leena, had just graduated from medical school and the other couple was just traveling the world for the next 6 or 8 months. They have been on the road since early September too. We got some great information from them for our future trip to Africa.
