Thailand 7/4/05

Flying is a sort of limbo to be endured and results in a multi-hour fugue state. I was so excited when about to leave Phoenix, I think I told everyone from clerks to passengers "I'm going around the world. Really". My excitement had dimmed by two in the morning when the plane left from LA and dropped even further on the 14 hour flight to Hong Kong. Perhaps trying to work on my paper may have been a factor.

Cathay Pacific Airlines is wonderful. You actually get service. Hong Kong International is amazing -- has cyberworld for kids and a play area with little stationary chairs facing a TV -- hummmm. Light airy, civilized, with huge windows through which you can see the sky scrapers in one direction and the magnificent mountains in the other. I talked with two men headed for H...... In India. Missionaries but lovely and friendly and interesting. Both from Texas taking time off from work. One a black lawyer with a sense of humor, the other a counseling student.

Arrived at the Raddison crumbled and disheveled. A giantess from the other side of the tracks among beautifully dressed beautiful Thai people. They were very kind. I went to my room and almost immediately took off for the little shops on the other side of the highway where "real people" shopped and had lunch. I ran across 6 lanes of traffic. Not bad :)

Met Alan, Mabel and the kids a couple of hours later and they helped me stay awake till after dinner to combat jet lag.

Yesterday we went on a half day tour . The Grand Palace. Incredible. Klongs riding in a James Bond boat, my favorite part of the tour. And the temple of the dawn. After a short break we went to the weekend market. Road the subway there and were overwhelmed with choices, people, new sights and, and, and.

We went our separate ways for supper. I went to the hotel "cafe" and was seated by the window where I entertained myself by watching the wild activity (literally) of the staff parking the evening guests' cars. One of the waiters, from the North talked with me a while. He misses home -- 12 hours by train, but feels his future is here and has a dream of some day buying a house.

I walked around the block through alleys last night, watched people and a stray dog and two skinny children and 5 or 6 men who were drinking after their outside eating place had closed. Back to the hotel lobby to listen to a violinist, bass, and pianisty play "You are my love" from "Gone with the Wind".
















I am in my third day here and thoroughly enjoying myself. Ate dragon eyes and Rambutan as well as three or four small bananas and am about to eat part of a custard apple. Went to the Grand Palace, Temple of the Dawn, and Weekend market yesterday as well as taking a James Bond boat along the canals. I love boat rides. Today we went to a floating market about 80 Km outside of Bangkok. Tomorrow we head for Jinghong.