One Night in Bangkok

Well quite a few nights actually, as for reasons of my health we escape the Bathurst, New South Wales, winter. I will start, from the begining a very good place to start, according to Maria Von Trapp.
6th June 2006
We set the alarm for 0430, of course I was awake at 0001 and then 0400, so that I would not miss the alarm. But as we had gone to bed at 2130 the night before it was not a problem. Sheila was showered, hair dried by 0500 and I was alot more casual about my preparations and did not finish my ablutons until 0542, when we drove up the road to pick-up Eric Andrews who went with us to Bathurst airport. Eric was driving our car back to our home and will be giving it a drive occasionally to keep the battery charged. Our dog Chloe was left the night before with our next door neighbour Bette Paterson who will no doubt spoil Chloe, but they will be good company for each other.
The last trip away, was when I got to bathurst airport and found that I had left my wallet at home and it was a frantic trip to recover my wallet and catch the flight to Sydney. This time when got to Bathurst airport, I had my wallet but discovered I had left my spectacles behind on our bedside table. I was quite relaxed about this an announced that I would purchase a pair of magnifying/reading glasses from a pharmacy at Sydney airport.
As we were saying our goodbyes to Eric, Sheila remembered a jug of milk that she had left in the fridge and I had left a few slices of bread in the fridge as well. Eric told us not to worry as he would throw the milk and bread out when he took our car back.
I believe that we will always forget to do something or leave something behind that we wanted to take; the secret is to try and make it something that is not vital like passports, tickets, wallets etc.
It was raining as we took off and quite cool at about 2 degrees centigrade. It was also raining in Sydneyt when we landed about forty minutes later, but a bit warmer. When we checked our luggage in at Bathurst I was told that my cabin bag was to large for inside the plane ( the flying pencil again) and that I would be given my cabin bag from the luggae hold when we landed in Sydney. After we landed it was still raining and I sheltered under the wing while I waited to get my cabin bag from the luggage hold at the back of the plane. The rest of the passengers including Sheila, got onto the bus to take them to the terminal. The bus took off while I was still retrieving my cabin bag. Thankfully enough people, including Sheila (I think) shouted at the driver causing him to stop and give me chance to board the bus.
It is just a two minute ride to the terminal and this was accomplished with no further problems.
Sheila had 'booked-in' via the internet so we felt a little superior going to the front of the special queue for a specific internet/telephone counter. I tried to negotiate seat changes to the 'exit line over the wing' for the extra leg room, but with no success as they were already allocated. (Oh yes just like the Ashes cricket tickets. Still I was somewhat mollified when we were told that it was not a busy flight, and we would have a spare seat next to the window, in our row of three seats.
I bought reading spectactles with no problem and Sheila bought three bottles of wine for Adam and Rosalind and the ubiquotus women's magazines.
The flight to Singapore, with Singapore airlines, seemed much easier than previous flights and we were provided with great meals and many drinks (non-alcoholic so we did not dehydrate).
On the Sydney to Singapore fligt I watched 'Memoirs of a Geisha' which was ok, 'Nanny Macphee, for the second time, it is great; Narnia also very good and King Kong which is bad, bad bad. It was so bad I kept watching thinking that they must get better, no they didn't; it is a stinker not worth going even if you get a free ticket.
The two hour wait in Singapore airport gave us chance to stretch our legs and the 100 minute flight to Bangkok was also very smooth and gave me the oportunity for another great meal and the chance to watch the movie 'Failure to launch'; I thought it was better than I feared it would be.
In Bangkok we got through immigration and customs in about five minutes and picked up our luggage in about ten minutes and were at the designated meeting place in the arrival hall at 2110. Adam and Rosalind arrived at about 2123, very apologetic, telling us that the traffic was bad. Traffic in Bangkok bad, who would expect that? Of course the trip to their apartment provided plenty of evidence, though Adam does his great impression of an Italian, GP driver which makes it very EXCITING.
We had a chat, a couple of gin and tonics and went to bed and slept like logs.
7th June 2006
I awoke at 0700 local time and after a quick visit to the loo went back to slep determied not to get up too soon. Sheila got up about 0845 and brought me a cup of tea, in bed, while I had a little chat with Adam before he left for work.
After a leisurely breakfast and lunch Rosalind and Sheila went shopping while I went for a little walk to get acclimitised and pick up some forms from the Immigration Bureau to extend our visas beyond the sixty days on our current visas.
In the afternoon I spent some time on the computer doing some research into 'democracy'. I am enjoying that very much. Meanwhile Sheila and Rosalind prepared some dinner as the housekeeper Khun Noy is away for a few days holiday witnessing the ceremonies for her brother becoming a monk. I also sent an e-mail asking Eric Andrews to post my spectacles to me, as these magnifying ones are not quite as good, (I know Sheila and Rosalind told me a number of times).
The dinner was superb, although we did not eat until 2100 as Adam was late because of the traffic again and he also went via the gym for a workout.
After dinner Adam showed me a flight simmulator program from Microsoft. It is excellent, sadly I crashed evertime, but maybe I will get beter over time and with more practice.
8th June 2006
My feet/heels are blistered from wearing my new boatshoes on my walk yesterday. The idea was to 'break' my shoes in; the shoes won so I have resolved to not walk much today. However Rosalind and Sheila went to the gym, so I went along as well to complete the club membership of the Cascade Health Club at the Ascot hotel, which Adam had kindly provided for us while we are here.
We went through the whole 'joining process' that is very complicated (very Thai), but it is all done with many smiles; so long as one does not let time pressures or logic impact on yu it is ok. Sheila and I went fora swim in the rooftop pool while Rosalidn did a gym work out. Sheila felt a little disoriented and stopped after thirty laps and I completed about forty laps, just a slow breastroke. We had lentil soup, bread and cheese for dinner, whichg was more than enough. Adam ahd to go out to dinner with a couple of chaps from work. We had an early night but for Adam it was a 0200 morning.
9thJune 2006
I think that this day is the actual 60th anniversary of the King's accession to the throne and rightly it is a very big deal in Thailand.
Rosalind went to the gym for a Pilates class while Sheila and i walked to the end of the road to a small supermarket called 'Tops'; where Sheila bought the various ingredients for a chicken curry that she made for the evening meal (Khun Noy is still away).
As we were walking back we got to the corner of their road, just in time to see Rosalind being driven past by Khun Boon Chauy, their driver. We waned, but were not noticed ( we were assured later) so we walked quickly down the raod, with the shopping, as we had the only key to the apartment. We just arrived at the ground flor as Rosalind came back down in the lift to look for us.
Sheila made the chicken curry while I did some more flying lessons on the computer. We were meeting Adam at the Cascade Club restaurant for dinner and Rosalind was keen to let the driver Khun Boon Chauy go home to his family for the weekend so Rosalind drove us to the hotel. As soon as we got out of their road, the traffic was banked up and not moving anywhere. Rosalind ducked and dived through the traffic but still we did not make much progress for about twenty minutes. As we started to move it became apparent that the cause was a shrine set up along side the road near the Suan Plu Post Office, hundreds of Thai people were paying homage to their King and the roads were filled with people so no traffic was going anywhere. Most of the people had bright lemon coloured Tee shirts to clebrate their Kings anniversary as yellow is the Royal colour.
We got to the hotel at 2000 and had a drink at the bar while we waited for Adam, a neat Johnnie Walker, Black label I found very theraputic.
The restaurant was almost deserted, with only one other couple dinning. But the food and service are excellent and we all enjoyed our meals very much.
On a large TV on the other side of the bar we could see that the Soccer World Cup had started and Germany were playing Costa Rica. We saw the first two goals, one each and then Adam drove us home quickly so that we could watch the rest of the game. Adam and I stayed up to watch the end match that germany won 4 goals to two.
10th June 2006
Quite an early rise and Khun Noy is back for the day before she has another couple of days away. At breakfast we discussed our various plans for the day. Adam had to work in the afternoon. Rosalind and Sheila were shopping in the morning and then I went with Rosalind to the gym in the afternoon, Rosalind having a massage while I went to a short swim. Sheila stayed home and had a rest.
The chicken curry was on the menu that nigt and was a great success.
The 11th 12th and 13th can be summed up as more exercise more shopping and:
Sheila, Rosalind and I did a Pilates class using a Pilates machine that looks very much like a medieval torture rack with ropes and springs and things. It also operates like a torture device as well, I don't think I will be doing that class again, I think I will stick with the swimming. We had thought about going down to the river to watch the Royal barges etc, but thought it would be a bit congested as the King is thought of as a incarnation of Vishnu, and is much loved and revered by his people. Apparently the people started to arrive at the Chao Praya river at 0400 and at 1000 they closed all roads to the river as it was too congested. Sheila and Rosalind had gone shopping and one of the major flyover roads in the centre of Bangkok was closed as the King was going be driven below it at some time, and none of his subjects should be in a higher position than their King; so the road is closed until he has been driven past. The traffic was chaotic. We saw a lot of the Royal barge etc on the television, in fact all of the television stations in Thailand have been broadcasting exactly the same programs for the last few days, featuring the life history of the King and people arriving and leaving the various ceremonies. This is a bit over the top as the broadcast of the soccer matches is a bit haphazard to say the least. They are scheduled at 8 pm and 11 pm, but most nights the 8 pm matches just don;t get shown and we see more of the life history of the King. We did see the last 25 mins of the Australia Japan match and we were very noisy especially in the last ten minutes. The Royal barge etc in the setting of the temples and Royal palace in the background is spectacular. I expect that I am causing some amusement to the Thai people with my attempts at speaking Thai, but I did have a chuckle at a sign on the fence of a University that is just around the corner from us, that I have attached. I guess that the given name of Sir Christopher Patten was too long for the sign, but the abbreviation speaks of his elevation far beyond the peerage.

By the way I had some fun buying the materials to make a box kite from a plastic garbage bag and bits of stick etc. When I went into the small supermarket near-by asking for a large plastic garbage bag only produced puzzled looks. Until I was passed to a young lady behind a cooked food counter who gave me a pad and pencil indicating I should write down what I wanted. Being conscious of my writing ability I thought that she was a trifle optimistic. This proved to be the case and I got more puzzled looks. I then drew a picture of a dustbin with a large floppy bag inside and an arrow to the bag. Ah the wonders of the game Pictionary, large plastic garbage bag no problem. I could not buy any sticks anywhere so ended up down a few dodgy laneways until I found a little lady selling plastic pipes of various sizes, that I thought I could adapt for my plans. Well the kite is made and I am pleased with the result, but I have not yet tried to fly it, that will be the testing time and I will let you know how I go.
On the morning of the 14th Adam left for work early Sheila and Rosalind are at the gym and shopping and I was starting this blog from the begining to try and bring it up to date and make it easier. I will keep you posted