Before i start to tell you about the Grand Palace, there are afew Singapore details i missed. If you have to be stuck in an airport, the one in Singapore is the place to do it. The food is affordable, ranging from runny eggs in a cup to McDonald's to gelato and pastry shoppes. There are clothes, perfumes, purses/bags, makeup, jewelry, bookstores, candy shops. They have recliners with alarms, foot massagers, internet, lounges, tv screens where they play movies, and the best part is, all the luxuries are free. The airport is huge! We have been stuck there for a total of 18 hours and still didn't see all of it. They have a prayer room and upstair, set away, is upclass lounges, a swimming pool, and even a place you can take a shower.
This was very nice because we booked our tickets over the phone with a bonafide space cadet. Our flight from Bali to Bangkok was scheduled for March 16 at 10pm, with a layover in Singapore until 7 the next morning. When we arrived around 1am in Singapore, we took advantage of the recliners and foot massagers and fell asleep until 5:30am when we awoke to acquire our boarding passes for the flight to Bangkok. Because the airport is so huge, we stopped at an information center to find out where to pick up the passes. Instead the attendant informed us that our flight had already left the day before. What had happened was that the girl who arranged our flights, (despite the 2 times we reminded her to check the dates) booked both flights for the 16th. So I tried to explain the dilema to the Jetstar attendant who told me to call the actual company we booked the tickets with. Finally, after finding the phone number on the internet and figuring out how to use a credit card payphone, i called and Aaron booked us for the next flight at 9:20am to Bangkok free of charge and hassle. It was crazy but we can only laugh now.
Moving on. Yesterday we visited the Grand Palace. It is one of the top highlights in Thailand. About 6 square acres of Thai history, elaborately decorated temples of glass and ceramic mosaic, and a healthy weapons museum. Every building is covered with gold paint, intricate murals, goblin looking creatures and buddah. In the last major temple housing the emerald buddah, you have to silently walk through, being sure to never point your bare feet directly at the buddah. It was impressive because the emerald idol dates back to some time in the 1500's. The whole place was elaborate and the pictures do not do it justice.
We love you all and are counting the days,
love d&e.
