Friday, February 8, 2013

6. BANGKOK DAY ONE

Holy Hannah!!!  What a couple of looooong hot days !!!!  The trip into Bangkok is about 3 to 31/2 hours.  We got out to our bus, me dashing ahead so I could get a good seat.  A good seat is as close to the front as possible,  on the NOT sunny side and no window obstruction.  We don't always get one but this time I made sure.

We got stuck in traffic many many times and it took 4 hours to get to the river port for our boat ride.  And of course, there was one tiny bathroom and a line up that snaked back to the ship almost.   Women are so slow!!!!!!  What the hell are they doing in there?

The river ride was awesome!!!  The breeze felt good and our guide was so informative.  We learned all about living along the river and those that make a living on the water.  So many boats.  They call this the Venice of the Far East!  It was fascinating to see all the houses, and their "back and front yards" growing water plants etc, just like a real garden.  We saw an immense number of Wats (temples)  We got off at the Orient Hotel, an amazing five star hotel and were led to a beautiful huge dining room and were presented with the most sumptuous, exotic, delicious meal I think we have ever eaten.  The food was beyond incredible and so many dishes and varieties.  I couldn't possibly explain it, there are no words that can describe that amazing meal!

We got back to our bus to discover that two people from the back took our seats.  This is NOT COOL or acceptable.  I was shocked.  I just stood there and stared in disbelief.  The lady promptly spoke up and said, "oh there was no one in that seat, you can sit there"  pointing at a seat that had been empty…for a reason…it sucked, it had no clear window.  So I turned to her and said, "Please be my guest and you can take that seat and I would like ours back."  She said "No I'm not moving now.  We are settled here."  This is such the height of bad bus behaviour.  Just then an Aussie we have gotten to know hollers from the back "Come on back here with us fun blokes!!!  This is the fun part of the bus so come on back!!  We would love to have ya"  So we went back there, got great seats and spent the rest of the trip in paroxysms of laughter.  At one point though, when we were in the market I happened to stand beside her.  I knew she had cruised before (by her bag she had and the pin on her husbands lapel).  I leaned in and quietly told her that she must be a newby and never cruised before (old time cruisers hate that) and that I knew exactly what she had done (front seats are premium) and I didn't spend 20.000 bucks (I didn't but she doesn't know that) to sit in a blocked window seat.  I wouldn't let her defend herself, I just turned on her and walked away.  COW!!!

I think the flower market would have been much more a fun experience if it hadn't been so crowded, so hot and so easy to get separated..which would have been disastrous.   And Bill!!  He needed to take four million pics so he was constantly being left behind.  And when he would stop to take pics, he would raise his hands with the camera, but also his cane would shoot straight out in front of him seriously beaning people in the head (they are short here).  I constantly had to go back and find him.  I felt like a dog..you know for every step you take, the dog runs ahead and back doing a hundred to your one.  The flowers were beautiful, and it smelt heavenly in there!!!  It took 45 minutes to go from one end to the other.

The next stop was a temple and I didn't get off the bus.  I had been to that temple before, wasn't dressed appropriately and was just too damned hot.  Next we were taken to a gem place where we could buy just about anything.  We opted for the cafe and had a peaceful half hour with some yummy coffee.  Back to the back of the bus and four hours to get home.  It was the longest crazy day and we were exhausted by the end of it.  Had a quick bite to eat, watched two more episodes of Downton Abbey and off to bed.  Tomorrow Cambodia.  And its Chinese New Year!  Yikes!!  They have been warning us!!  TTYL  (if we survive)  Also I will tell about today…

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