Wednesday Evening - Feb 3 -The Adventure Begins - Wed

We have our group meeting tonight at 6 PM and meet each other. There are 11 of us in all. Our guide name is Thou and he is Cambodian. Ben is an ER doctor from Chicago who contracts out to work for 3 weeks at various hospitals and gets 6 weeks off...he travels a lot. Jun (my roommate) is a 23 year old University student studying literature but wants to be a horse trainer. Alex is a British 18 year student who will enter the University in Sept. Alex has a round the world air ticket with his next stop being Singapore then Australia (Perth), Toronto and finally home...4 more months to go. George/Sue and Simon/Elizabeth are British. Charlie/Francis are Brits who immigrated to Australia (Perth) decades ago. We seem to get along well with Ben and Charlie playing the guitar...should help us past the time as we cruise down the Mekong River. We spend about a hour during which Thou checks all of our travel documents and gives us a brief description of what to expect on our 29 day adventure.

Tomorrow AM we take a Klong river tour followed by a visit to the famous Wat Pho. We depart by train in the late afternoon for a 14 hour train ride to Chiang Mai. Hopefully we will have sleeper bunks.

Hope to talk to you soon...Sawadee Krup....Tom

Feb 2 -Tuesday - Remainder of the Day - Visit the Grand Palace and Dinner

Left Wat Arun and returned by ferry to view the Grand Palace. Since it was lunch time, I went to an open market and had street food ...pad Thai (35B), tom yum gai (chicken coconut soup - 50 B) and a couple of bottles of water ( 40B). The food was excellent. Again 33B = $1US.

After lunch visited the Grand Palace. The Thai king, after leaving Ayutthaya having been defeated by the Burmese, relocated to area north of the river and built Wat Arun .....decades later, believing that defenses would be better across the river, the king again relocated to a site across the river now called Bangkok. He built the Grand Palace to house the monarchy. What you see is the western image of Thailand (The King and I) and the "land of smiles"...folks it does really exist. Entrance fee was 350B + 200B for an audio headset. You must dress properly ---no shorts, sleeveless shirts, exposed skin.....Enjoy the pictures..one of the pictures is of the "Emerald Buddha" which is probably one of the most venerable Buddha icons...the head is a huge emerald and the statue is dressed in diamond covered clothing.

The temp is hot, hot, hot and tiring.....took the water taxi up and down the river stopping at various locations to see if I can find an Internet cafe...no luck. I am using the Mercy Center computer to post my BLOG. Had dinner at a restaurant across from Wat Arun ---sum tam and chicken satay + beer. Took a tuk-tuk (see photo) back to the hotel...wash clothes and went to bed.

Tuesday - Feb 2 - Morning - Visit to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Today was free time so I became a tourist.... a Wat is a Buddhist temple. I wanted to see two sites today...Wat Arun and the Grand Palace, once the King's official residence. You are going to view some exception pictures ...they should remind you of the movie "The King and I".

Breakfast and off to the water taxis.... a water taxi station is located near the flower market about 1 mile from my hotel. Water taxis move enormous amount of people between various points on the river. Cost is about 15B or $.50US. I traveled North from pier #$6 to Pier #8, Tia Tan, located very near the Wat PO. Since Wat Arun is on the other side of the river, I took a ferry..3B. Wat Arun is known as the Temple of Dawn and was built after the Thai's left Ayutthaya. Pictures show the beauty of Wat Arun...notice the steep steps...the view from the top

Monday - Feb 1 - Evening - Chinatown Dinner, Visit to Flower Market

My hotel was about 1/4 mile from Chinatown. I found a street restaurant for dinner...tables were inside but cooking was done in woks located at curb side. I had duck + a noodle dish + a large beer ---the portions were huge which included about 1/2 of a crispy duck...total bill about $15US.

After dinner, I wandered down to the flower market which is located about 1 mile from my hotel along the river. The pictures speak for themselves...price for 2 dozen long stem roses - $1.50 US.
Got lost going back to the hotel, tried a short cut. Took a taxi...$1 US. Washed clothes, showered and finished "Up, Country"...a novel about Viet Nam.

Good night.

Monday - Feb 1 PM - Attended a Thai Catholic Funeral

I attended a Thai Catholic funeral for the father of one of Mercy Center's directors. The deceased laid in state for 4 days with numerous novenas being offered. After the final viewing, the lid is closed and family members ( who want to) nail the lid of the coffin shut. Mass is said in Thai but singing is in Latin, Gregorian chants.....neat that I was able to sing). Cemetery is located near the church so we had a procession, final rights and placing of a rose by each attendee on coffin. The Body was placed in crypt because Bangkok's water table is just 16" below the surface.

Went back to the hotel to refresh and have a solo dinner.

Monday - Feb 1- Teaching a Kindergarten Class

Back at Mercy Center. Father Joe is busy so I was invited to teach a kindergarten class...piece of cake. I do not speak or understand Thai and everyone was giggling at me. I used a whiteboard to draw stick figures of my family, drew a map to show how I traveled from USA ---> Japan ---> Thailand, reviewed many word books and did flash card drills of animals. I introduced the children the various American handshakes.....thumb roll, hi-5 and elbow bump....what a hoot. See me in action in the attached pictures. Father Joe is busy so no lunch out today so I was invited to have lunch with the teachers ...Pad Thai (it was sooooo goood) and rice with pork (yuum). Invited to attend a "real Catholic funeral" at 2:30 PM as a guest of Father Joe.

Sunday - Jan 31 - Ayutthaya, Phra Mongkhon BoPhit Buddha, Summer Palace

I'm working so hard that I needed a day off...no kidding. Traveled to the former capital of Thiland , Ayutthaya. Located 40 miles north of Bangkok. Founded in 1350...flourished for 400 years before being destroyed by Burmese. Site laid in waste until the Thai King (one represented in the King and I) began restoration. View how the city was laid waste.

After Ayutthaya traveled to Bang Pa In - the home of the King's summer palace --- beautiful layout with magnificient buildings and gardens...very, very hot...95 F. After leaving Summer Palace traveled by boat back to Bangkok.