Trip to Thailand & Laos- Bangkok

A great Spirit House near my Bangkok hotel.

Traffic is terrible in Bangkok and I like to stay near the River and use the River boats to get around town. The water was very high. There was major flooding in the low lying areas about two weeks after I left.

Two huge barges being towed by tug boats.

An old Portugese building

A vendor on my street.

Another advantage of my hotels location is a Swensen's Ice Cream Store half a block from my hotel. Location is everything.

The display area in the airport on the way home was full of orchids again.

The trip had its good and bad points. The Temples of Nan were absolutely fabulous and well worth the trip there. And I always love coming to this area and just hanging out and walking around...especially in Laos.

On the negative side...it was hard to get around Nan with no tuk tuks...prices are rising rapidly everywhere...and crafts are becoming harder and harder to find.

A nice perk on the way home was the use of the first class lounge while I waited for the plane. Great food and comfy surroundings.

Trip to Thailand and Laos ---Bangkok

Here's an idea for a franchise. Fish therapy. You soak your feet in this invigorating fish tank. Fifteen minutes are a little over $3 I arrived in Bangkok after a 7 and 14 hour flight to be greeted by a man with a sign with my name on it. My suitcase with my clothes and toiletries had not arrived. Terrific.

So the next morning I headed out in my hot travel clothes to a mall near Chinatown. In another Asian capital this building would probably be called "Colonial" But Bangkok never had a Colonial period.

A beautiful Wat right across the street.

Unfortunately the buildings were closed.

A spirit house on the grounds.

Just a pretty street side pond.

A beautiful display of fabric from a shop inside the Mall. I never shop here as the prices are too high and the clerks too pushy.

After buying some cooler clothes you can guess my destination

Just a little ice cream for the weary shopper.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Vietnam: Kanchanaburi & Bangkok

The lovely garden area of my hotel in Kanchanaburi, right outside my door.

I took a shuttle back to Bangkok and checked into my last hotel near Khao San Road, the backpacker area near the river. My room was small but lovely.

The bathroom had a glass door but also a fabulous shower with hot water on demand.

And a refrigerator which was nice but hardly necessary with a 24 hour 7-11 right downstairs.
There is that sink again.

I like the area because it has trees, is fairly inexpensive, has cafe's right on the street, and the streets are busy till all hours.

And its only a few blocks from the river and the river boats which take me to Chinatown.

And, of course, a Swensen's right on my block.

An entrance to a restaurant. There are more and more upscale restaurants and hotels being built in the area.

But life, as before, goes on in all the little alleys in the area.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Bali - Bangkok

In Bangkok I settled into a different hotel on the street where I usually stay. I had to change hotels as my usual one didn't answer my email reconfirming my reservation. That hotel now has a street cafe. The street has more and more street tables every year.
I booked a large room with a balcony right on the street. There was a 7-11 right in the building. How handy is that.
Okay. Okay.....I know you have been waiting for the banana split photo. I found several restaurants which had them on my travels but decided a real banana split needs to be made in a real ice cream shop so I held out for my usual Swensens in Bangkok. It was worth the wait.

In the evening the streets fill with food vendors.

In front of my hotel you can see the tables for tonight folded up on the right.

And later you can see the people dining right smack in the road with cars going by.
A rolls royce in the hotel lobby of an upscale hotel on Khao San Road...right next to McDonald's.
The "scene" on Khao San Road. Its always interesting but gets a little old after two or three evenings.

Vimanmek Palace, Teakwood Mansion Bangkok

Vimanmek Palace is the world's largest golden teakwood mansion. It was constructed in 1897 by King Rama V upon his return from Europe which accounts for its strong European motifs and interior. . The building was originally his summer palace. It was renovated several times but generally fell into disuse until 1982 when Queen Sirikit oversaw the renovation of the mansion as a museum reflecting the Thai heritage of Rama V.

A shrine on the grounds.
Shorts aren't permitted and if you are caught wearing them you have to rent a sarong to cover your legs at least to the knees.

The palace.

You cannot wander around by yourself and must take a tour which is very interesting. Photos inside are not allowed and you must store your camera before entering.

Cannons on the grounds.

A lizard by a small stream.

A bored guard.

The porch of another museum on the grounds.