Bangkok with a Bang

Bangkok at 5 AM. A bit of jet lag and our body clocks a bit off. 

 Although it looks like good weather, it soared to 98° by the end of the day. We haven’t been in weather this hot since we lived in Angola and Indonesia (ok except in Bakersfield). We have been totally spoiled at the Chatrium, a beautiful hotel by a canal. 

We left early to visit the royal palace (the most sacred site in Thailand) and Wat Suthat.  The craftsmanship and architecture of the huge complex is beyond amazing, especially considering it has withstood the test of time for hundreds of years. It was a challenge walking barefoot on the hot marble to go into the temple.  Suffice it to say that we learned more about the history and culture of Thailand in four hours than I will ever remember in a lifetime. Four hours walking in 98° heat took it out of all of us. 
  

To Market to Market

And not just your regular markets. We got up early to drive to the train market, the most unconventional market I have seen.  The vendors display their wares right next to the railroad track. When the train comes through, they wheel their products back on trolleys until the train has passed. It’s a bit precarious, knowing you are 1 meter from the train itself. Then, after a train has passed through, out come the wares again giving tourists an opportunity to haggle for the best price. 

From there we drove to the floating market, taking a boat through a canal which stretches as far as 32 km. it was fun watching our granddaughters look for the b hi est deal.  

Taipei Time

Starbucks and McDonald’s in the Taipei airport are just as popular here as every other place in the world. The queues at each were at least 20 people long, but the price couldn’t be beat. For only $5 you can get a scone and grande coffee at Starbucks or a breakfast sandwich and two drinks at McDonald’s. 

I was also fascinated by the Hello Kitty themed bathroom. 

Getting ready to Thai it up

 Waiting at the SeaTac airport at 11:30 pm for our 1:50 am departure to Thailand.  (Isn’t international travel challenging?) Allan and I are taking Luna and Rachel, two of our grands, on a 10 day trip starting in Bangkok, then down to Khao Sok and an elephant preserve, and ending with 3 days on the beach in Phuket. Unfortunately, the weather is predicted to be in the upper 90s with thunderstorms. Go figure.  

Revelations

Clean drinking water that is free is not be taken for granted.
One out of every six people in the world live in India.
Very few countries offer sugar-free options for drinks and food products.
Prejudice exists everywhere.
Fish in Australia and New Zealand are almost uncatchable.
You can travel with spouse 24/7 for 60 days and not kill each other.
Toilet seat covers are to be found only in America.
Having the time, health, finances, and energy to travel is a blessing.
Dorothy was right---there's no place like home.

The Sum Of It All

It's been an amazing (almost) 60 days since we left Seattle for worlds unknown, and had I not taken the time to journal and blog, I doubt I would be able to remember half of the details of our experiences. To say they were grand would be quite an understatement. I sometimes feel my head is about to burst with new information of countries, cultures, and people. It's certainly made me realize how little I do know about our world and the problems faced by other people in other places. Although I cannot completely identify with them, my heart is heavy to hear their stories of war, loss, natural disasters, poverty, and economic troubles. But without a doubt there was always a connection, and most often hope for a better future.

Airports - 40
Hotels, motels, B&Bs, motor inns - 32
Countries visited (or made connections in) - 10
Meals eaten out - over 170
Different modes of transportation - 13
Photos taken - over  3,000

They really do exist!

A rare sighting of two Tasmanian she-devils, previously thought to be extinct, was documented near Launceston on Friday, March 22, 2013. This rare footage was released today. The sighting was reported by Allan Vance and Paul Oen, two Americans on holiday in Tasmania, who were walking in the Cataract Gorge Reserve when they heard shrieking sounds coming from a nearby cave. They stopped to investigate and were startled by the appearance of the two strange-looking creatures. Afraid to approach the she-devils, they called the police and the local news station who promptly responded. The camera crew was able to capture these images on film before the creatures retreated into the woods nearby. After reuniting with their wives, who were in another area of the reserve at the time, Vance and Oen attempted to explain their strange encounter. The women dismissed their delusional behavior as the need to provide some excitement after their uneventful fishing expeditions.