Greetings from Thailand! - 4/14/2001
I can't believe I'm actually here! It's still a surreal thought. My situation suddenly became clear and boggled my mind this morning while sitting in the Taipei airport at 5:30 am (3:15 pm San Francisco time) -- I'm in China, listening to the announcements in Mandarin, sitting next to other people with US passports but who don't speak English. A strange situation! After the short lay over in Taipei, and losing a complete day, I made it to Bangkok. Here, they almost all speak English! (Oh, Scott -- you can rest assured -- the old Pakistani man who walked all of 1 foot per minute actually did make it in time to board the plane and actually followed me all the way here to Bangkok.)
So, here I am in Bangkok. I, unfortunately, arrived too late in the day to catch an organized city tour, and I'm too tired to try to work it all out on my own (I think I'm also still a little culture shy, too). The currency, layout, etc., is confusing after so much travel. I'm not sure if it's jet lag, sleep deprivation, or culture shock, but I'm just going tolay by the pool at the hotel today or take a long bath. Tomorrow I have arranged to visit Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha), Wat Po (reclining Buddah) and Watr Benchamabopit (The Marble Temple). It is also the Thai New Year right now, and everyone celebrates witha giant water fight. People everywhere gather by the rivers (which flow everywhere) with their water guns and pails of water. Everyone gets very, very wet. A friend of a friend, who lives here now, warned me to bring a couple of the disposable waterproof cameras if I planned on taking photographs. Every other kind of camera would get ruined, he said. This festival lasts 3 days. I do not plan on wearing white as I make my way down there tomorrow!
So far, I like Bangkok. I've heard from some that it's a horribly polluted place. I haven't seen that part yet (perhaps tomorrow when I get nearer the rivers). To me, so far, it looks like a modern city with a couple strangely out of place Asian looking temples. The hotel I'm staying in is like most others I've seen by the convention center (where I am) --tall skyscrapers about 30 stories or so. Very comfortable, huge rooms, internet center, every ammenity. My room is huge with both a shower and an oversized tub -- huge, thick terry-cloth robes. They upgraded me to a superior room that had a fruit basket waiting, complimentary morning meal and evening cocktail hour and snacks. All this plus more for just $37 bucks a night! Unreal!
After my tours tomorrow, I'll met John (who'll becoming from Nepal) and we'll fly to Phuket. No more tall buildings after that. Just the tall limestone cliffs met by the sandy white beaches of Ko Phi Phi. I've decided to try to face my fears of deep water and the ocean again and try to scuba dive. Ko Phi Phi is suppossed to be some of the best diving around.
Anyhow, I'm here, safe and sound (and tired). I hope to write before leaving for Cambodia next week. Until then, take care, and Happy Thai New Year!
So, here I am in Bangkok. I, unfortunately, arrived too late in the day to catch an organized city tour, and I'm too tired to try to work it all out on my own (I think I'm also still a little culture shy, too). The currency, layout, etc., is confusing after so much travel. I'm not sure if it's jet lag, sleep deprivation, or culture shock, but I'm just going tolay by the pool at the hotel today or take a long bath. Tomorrow I have arranged to visit Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha), Wat Po (reclining Buddah) and Watr Benchamabopit (The Marble Temple). It is also the Thai New Year right now, and everyone celebrates witha giant water fight. People everywhere gather by the rivers (which flow everywhere) with their water guns and pails of water. Everyone gets very, very wet. A friend of a friend, who lives here now, warned me to bring a couple of the disposable waterproof cameras if I planned on taking photographs. Every other kind of camera would get ruined, he said. This festival lasts 3 days. I do not plan on wearing white as I make my way down there tomorrow!
So far, I like Bangkok. I've heard from some that it's a horribly polluted place. I haven't seen that part yet (perhaps tomorrow when I get nearer the rivers). To me, so far, it looks like a modern city with a couple strangely out of place Asian looking temples. The hotel I'm staying in is like most others I've seen by the convention center (where I am) --tall skyscrapers about 30 stories or so. Very comfortable, huge rooms, internet center, every ammenity. My room is huge with both a shower and an oversized tub -- huge, thick terry-cloth robes. They upgraded me to a superior room that had a fruit basket waiting, complimentary morning meal and evening cocktail hour and snacks. All this plus more for just $37 bucks a night! Unreal!
After my tours tomorrow, I'll met John (who'll becoming from Nepal) and we'll fly to Phuket. No more tall buildings after that. Just the tall limestone cliffs met by the sandy white beaches of Ko Phi Phi. I've decided to try to face my fears of deep water and the ocean again and try to scuba dive. Ko Phi Phi is suppossed to be some of the best diving around.
Anyhow, I'm here, safe and sound (and tired). I hope to write before leaving for Cambodia next week. Until then, take care, and Happy Thai New Year!
posted by Our Growing Family | 10:37 AM
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