January 20, 2019 Bangkok Massage (not that kind) and Shopping

Shopping

The day started with a leisurely breakfast and stroll down Khao San Road which was very different from the crazy energy in the evening. Terry found some robes that were irresistible. She didn’t resist two of them.

Massage

Today was our introduction to authentic Thai therapeutic massage. A friend had recommended a master masseuse, Ajahn Yong Kiat, and we had previously made reservations for each of us to receive an hour massage. Terry and Anne had the first massages while I went off to pick up train tickets to Sukhothai in the north. The massages were very deep tissue similar to Rolfing. Reportedly, Terry practiced Lamaze while Anne practiced stoicism. When it was my turn, I practiced whimpering. The massages were done on a mat in Yong’s small utilitarian apartment. He lives there with his young son “Guide.” Guide was lots of fun – he and I played at shooting rubber pellets from a toy gun and he and Anne played “Fortnight” on his phone. Yong is blind and assesses his clients by how they feel – he seemed surprised to learn I was 71. He probably thought I was 90.

Sightseeing

After massage, we headed over to the Jim Thomson House for sightseeing. Mr Thomson was an American architect who had been an OSS officer in Asia during WW2. After the war, he stayed on in Thailand to develop the Thai silk industry into a lucrative empire – he furnished all the silk for the Hollywood classic The King and I. In 1967 he disappeared during a trip to the Cameron Highlands in Cambodia. The mystery of his disappearance was never solved. His house in Bangkok became a museum for traditional Thai architecture and the shops specialized in high-end silk garments. We left the Thomson house and took a taxi to Chinatown for dinner. The restaurant overlooked the river and so we expected great seafood. Nope, pretty blah. Afterward, we walked to the main streets of Chinatown which were bustling and vibrant. We were tired and retreated to our hotel via tuk-tuk.

January 17-19, 2019 Getting There; Being There

Departure and Arrival

We arrived at the Detroit airport extra early because of concerns over the government shutdown. It turns out that there were no lines at all – not at the ticket counter or at TSA.

The 13 hour flight to Seoul (ICN) was uneventful and comfortable (for Terry and I) on a new A350. We had a bulkhead seat. Poor Anne was aft in a middle seat. The terminal at ICN is big, beautiful, and new. We ate in the terminal with the misunderstanding that there would be no meal service on the plane. The next leg of the flight was 6 hours to Bangkok (BKK). Cosmic justice put Terry and I in middle seats in the middle section while Anne got a window seat. We finally cleared through immigration, customs, etc and checked into the hotel at 2 AM – 28 hours after arriving at DTW. We were exhausted.

Boats!

The next day we started our Bangkok experience. We hired a long-tailed boat to cruise some of the canals (klongs). These wooden boats are of unique design with an extended high prow, colorful painted hull, and decorations hanging from the bow. Most significantly, the boats are powered by large engines (aircraft, boat, or automotive?) that sit atop some sort of pivot and are steered by a long handle. The engines drive a long shaft (15-20’ long) with a bare prop on the end. These vessels are loud, fast and very macho! We were excited to see large (6’) lizards (Varanis Salvatore, the Asian water monitor) sitting on the tops of the sea walls. They looked like dragons.

The Royal Palace (Yes, There is a King!)

After the boat ride, we toured the Royal Palace. It was filled with magnificent temples, stupas, murals, and administrative buildings. The building exteriors were covered in gold leaf, porcelain, mirrors and glass.

What’s Wat (It’s a Temple)

From the Royal Palace we went to Wat Pho a temple noted for the huge reclining Buddha. Here as in many of the temples people would purchase small squares of gold leaf that they would press onto statues.

Food (It Tastes As Good As It Looks)

After the temples, we went to a mall to purchase SIM cards and get a bite for dinner. The “food court” was huge and wonderful, including colorful fruit.

Cruising (Woodward Needs Tuk-Tuks)

After dinner, we took an exciting tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel.

Strange Eats on Khao San Road

At the hotel we cooled off in the pool. Terry was tired and went to bed. Anne and I went off to explore the nearby Khao San Road – a series of alleyways filled with tourists, food, drink, music, etc. I bought a hat (180 Baht). We encountered vendors selling zoological snacks (all dead/cooked) including scorpions, crickets, grasshoppers, frogs, cockroaches, tarantulas, etc. Of course, I tried the scorpion (little taste, very hard shell) and Anne snacked on the crickets (a little soy/salty seasoned). We listened to the too loud music covers of “Highway to Hell”, watched foot massages of people drinking beer, and saw little women from hill tribes with instruments that made chirping songs.