Anyway, I will do just a single blog for my time here, and do it by day, with photos attached as I go, for those who are interested.
Thursday 21st Feb. Damien drove me to Brisbane airport in the morning, and spent the whole day flying. Nearly didn't go because found out only when I checked in that they airline had screwed up my booking back from Bangkok to Brisbane and thus the flight wasn't even confirmed !! Anyway, got it all sorted with 5 minutes to spare and just got on my flight - One more vote for getting to airports just a little early - If I had been last minute I wouldn;t have made it !! Met by Sarah, Benn and Janet at the airportand transported in their amazing van to their apartment in town.
Friday 22nd Feb. Lazy morning, delicious fresh fruit and omelette (cooked by maid Wannee) for breakfast, before heading off to wander around the local streets and shops to acclimatise. Really interesting mix of little back alleys and amazing malls with all the fancy designer shops. Great supermarket with beautiful food - And lots of free tasting samples to the point where you could just about have lunch while wandering around !! But we ended up having a Japanese hamburger at Mosburger - Delicious and very different. We also had some little treats like cream filled profiteroles for desert as we wandered home !! Back to the apartment for a few beers by the pool and then a delicious yellow chicken curry cooked by Wannee - Eating local in your own home !!
Sarah and Benn's apartment is amazing. On the 25th floor, with a small swimming pool in their balcony from which you overlook Bangkok !! It is a 2 story apartment, with the bedrooms upstairs, so feels much more like a house than an apartment. There is a bigger (public) pool downstairs if you want to do laps, and a small 7/11 store just just downstairs if you need any emergency supplies, along with good access to trains and taxis (motorbike or car) and everything else.
Saturday 23rd Feb. Another lazy morning after breakfast of fruit and another yummy Wannee omelette !! Then we set off in Benn's van with his driver Jum (Joom?) to find a museum we had been told was excellent. Had a bit of a false map direction to start with, but that meant that we just saw more of Bangkok, so was not a problem !! Even had to go right through the middle of Chinatown where the traffic was pretty solid, with LOTS of people filling all the gold jewelry shops - Maybe linked to Chinese New Year which has just fnished ?
Anyway, eventually found the right museum - Museum of Siam. The museum tells the story of how Thai identity has developed over thousands of years of continuous habitation in this place. http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/museum-siam.htm Very interesting, although some areas were so dark it was hard to read the information. But a very pleasant afternoon spent understanding more about the history of Thailand and Bangkok - Followed by some yummy noodles for a late lunch at a local cafe.
On the way home we stopped at their local big supermarket which has EVERYTHING, from motorcycles to toys to vegetables and beer !! (But you can't buy beer in stores between 2 pm and 5 pm !! Don't ask me why !)
Then home to watch bit of Aussie Rules on the TV with Benn, before heading out to Bourbon Street - An American southern style restaurant serving Cajun style food - I had spicy prawns which were superb, and the others had blackened fish and Reuben sandwiches which were also good.
Hmmm - Not going to be losing any weight THIS trip !! Back home (in a VERY speedy taxi !!) for a quick beer before bed - Wine is too expensive to waste money on over here !! Slept like a log !
Sunday 24th Feb. Texted by Sarah while I was still in bed to say she and Janet were going down for a swim in the big pool and did I want to come !! To be texted from the next room while I was still in bed was a first !! So downstairs for a good swim in the big pool downstairs. I need the exercise and stretching because my back is giving me some real grief at the moment. (Sarah is giving me stretching exercises to do which are helping) Was a lot better after the swim, and then back upstairs for croissants and coffee by their pool, and a barbecued egg-in-bread (a Benn speciality from home). Then a bit of time to do email and my blog (even though it has all come up in Thai so I am having trouble finding my way around !!) before heading out for lunch, so more later.
Later........Went out to lunch at the British Club - Great roast sunday lunch in very pleasant surroundings. Sarah and Benn are members here, because Sarah likes to swim laps in the pool, and Benn enjoys a sunday roast sometimes to remind him of home.
We extended lunch because Benn and Sarah wanted to take us to the Sirocco bar at the top of the State Tower, which houses the Labua Hotel, but the bar doesn't open until 6 pm. So we walked down to the Shangri La Hotel which is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya river that flows right through Bangkok. As you can see from some of the pics, the electical wiring system in Thailand is very interesting !! When we entered the hotel they were having a formal tea dance in the main area - And you needed to see some of the outfits on the floor - It really was quite an incongruous sight to see all these people on the dance floor in the middle of a Sunday afternoon ! We went downstairs and had drinks in the outside bar on the banks of the river - Very pleasant.
We then wandered back to the State Tower as 6 o'clock approached, and rode the elevator up to the 64th Floor of the Labua hotel and the Sirocco Bar. This is all located outside, hanging off the State Tower building. It is the world's largest all open-air restaurant and "Sky Bar", located in the second tallest building in Thailand. The 150-capacity restaurant opened its doors in the winter of 2003. Its main feature is a spectacular 270° panorama of the Chao Phraya river and Bangkok city. It is well known to people who watched the 2011 movie Hangover II, scenes of which were filmed in the Sky Bar. Anyway, incredible views over the city, although the almost permanent smog that hangs over Bangkok limited the view somewhat. But the feeling being up in the outside bar was amazing, although may not be everyone's cup of tea !
As the sun set, we caught a taxi home, pretty tired after eating and drinking quite a lot during the day !! And once we got home we watched the movie......Hangover II. Very relevant as it was shot all around Bangkok, so lots of familiar views to see !
Monday 25th Feb. Another lazy morning, then off by motorbike taxi and skytrain to the MBK shopping centre, which is enormous and has just about everything you could ever want to buy ! The motorbike taxis are a good way to get through busy streets quickly, but are not without their risks !
Interesting just to see everything that was for sale in the shops, although I didn't feel a need to buy anything - The girls enjoyed themselves though !! Had a delicious noodle lunch at a food stall in the shopping centre, followed by Swenson's ice creams !! Then more shopping. Got home by about 6 pm, and spent a decadent hour or two floating in Benn & Sarah's personal pool on the balcony of their 25th floor apartment,
before tucking into an absolutely delicious German (yes, German - Well you can't eat local EVERY night !!) take away meal that we had delivered.
All in all, a great day, and I am enjoying Thailand and Bangkok more with everyday that passes. Looking forward to more adventures tomorrow !!
Some more pics here https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0008Bangkok?authkey=Gv1sRgCJXy4fe7gYrtzAE#
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