Gone skiing

N and K had passes to their club and spa organized for us and we used them everyday, sometimes twice. We had a chance to view some quite spectacular hotels on the river (with the most amazing flower arrangements twelve feet around and high). The view from the Star Tower is quite the most breathtaking ever. The restaurant and bar are 64 floors up, with nary a worry about people jumping off! One night we actually walked into the hotel that hosts N and K's club. It turns out it is the Bangkok Raffles International run by the Swisshotel chain. And this is my recommendation as the place to stay if you get to Bangkok. As spectacular as the river hotels on the river may be, nothing can compare to the peace and relaxation offered at Raffles and their oasis garden.
Now to discuss His Majesty. Karen has suggested you do not actually use the term "The King" in conversation. I believe it is considered by the Thais to be just too familiar. HM is much loved by all. HM seems to occupy some sort of Father Figure or more in their hearts. HM has been on the throne for 60 years! All of his activities and those of his family seem to be followed by all, but NOT in a People Magazine way. It would be very hard to imagine the military to have taken over the government and install Marshall Law without his acceptance. Still it is a relationship with government and his subjects I don't suppose we can understand. The Thais are Buddists, of course, and that comes with a different way of approaching most things!
One way the population is honoring this momentous 60th anniversary occasion is with the wearing of yellow shirts, especially on Mondays. Every Monday of the year sees sea of yellow. The secondary colour used is blue. The picture shows us in our new shirts, (and royal emblem on the chest and Montah and Uban proudly bringing out their very own shirts for the picture.
Karen's driver picks us up very early for the airport run, as our visit with our kids comes to an end all too quickly. Norm comes with us and we discover with no traffic the airport is exactly 20 minutes from their house! Again we are struck with just how huge this new airport is. Still checking in is very quick, because all the check in lines are open with friendly Thais looking as if there are actually glad to see you. Remember if you are lucky enough to come, that there is a 500bhat departure tax. The time to find this out, I might add is not after you have turned all your Bhats in for HK dollars!
One more thing - The newspapers have been full of the Royal flower show that will start Nov. 1st in Chang Mai(a city in the North) It was decided that this will be a great honour for His Majesty and the plans have been in the works for 5 years. Many countries are setting up gardens including the Dutch who have brought thousands of tulips which they are furiously trying to keep from opening too quickly. Now for all our pals in Toronto, Barbados and London who work on internation flower shows, get this : this flower show is set to run THREE months. I cannot imagine just how many flowers will be needed but how I wish I could visit to see.
At the airport plentious passport desks (very little lining up in spite of the numbers of passengers) we were treated to very serious attendants checking our documents. This is not an easy thing for Thais to do as they love to smile all their time. The next time you pass through Heathrow or Pearson think of this. Each of the government desks contained a card reminding us of the upcoming flower show, and beside that each and every desk had a beautiful little ceramic pot filled with little yellow orchids.
Hong Kong beacons. as ever Katie

On Sunday it was decided we would take a river boat trip on one of the famous dragon tail boats. On to the skytrain and at the end of the line, we find a wharf and the touts selling the packages for your journey. Norm has turned into a fine haggler in his five weeks in town and we arrange for a one hour trip (not wishing to stop for a tour inside of any temples) For 1000 bhat (about 30 dollars CDN) a boat will be found for us. A quite delapitated thing draws up along a ferry and in we get. Now I should explain that you have to cross the ferry and climb down(without benefit of stairs) into this narrow flat boat that is bobbing furiously alongside while the driver holds on and is shouting instructions in Thai. We set off and you realize this is pretty much how a rower would feel in a scull... that low down. You are also sharing the river with ferry boats, trawlers, high end hotel boats and tugs hauling goodness know what. The river is very high this year. There has been much rain and flooding. Bangkok is only about 60Ks from the sea so the river gets the effects of tides as well. So this river is moving let me tell you, and tough currents everywhere. Every dragon boat seems to be propelled by something different, including truck motors. They are huge and how the boats can actually support the motors and you is not something to dwell on too much.!
I decide very quickly not to sorry too much about safety issues and just try and take it all in. Temples (wats) are everywhere, big ones little ones, all tucked in between everything else. And lots of the most amazing palaces as well. Just when you are wondering how the river and klong people can live in the flooding and swim in the water, another beauteous thing appears to marvel, and to think about. The trip went down(up?) the river for a while and then headed down another klong. We also notice many many very large catfish leaping about our boat. I think they may think we are going to feed them something, or perhaps we are their lunch. Norm is beginning to regret his catfish salad consumed on Friday.
We head back to our dock and now have to figure out how to get out. We are at least four feet below the dock. It is determined somehow, Norm will get out first, me second foll0wed the the others. The involves putting ones foot on a tire, then up on a very narrow piece of wood and finally a heave onto the dock. Mission accomplished very well on things considered,, but it was not the first time on this trip I was very glad to have dropped 25pounds this summer getting ready for this trip. After clinbimg two or three flights of stairs to get on the skytrain in 35C heat, I was very happy to have spent three months marching with the Ohio State Marching Band on my I pod to get in shape. Go Bucks! This trip is not for the faint of heart or legs!
This being Bangkok, we then hop a hotel ferry at the same dock I might add, pay nothing, and cool off with their cold water and cold cloths. Juxtapositions everywhere all the time.
More to come on Bangkok.. as ever Katie

There is a reason why Bangkok is now considered one of the world's great travel destinations. It is simply a most fascinating place. We started our exploring with a ride on the sky train(the Chid Lon station is right at the end of the block). Of course to get to the station you have to go through the Central department store and shopping centre. Here you will find a big food supermarket, upstairs in the main floor with miles of cosmetic counterswith all the familiar names (including MAC for your Canadian readers) out the otherside and up the stairs to the sky train station. N and K have, as perfect hosts, already provided us with sky train passes. These operate like a smart card, and money is deposited on the card ahead, and you simply enter and retrieve the card, coming and going. This is, of course,miles ahead of anything currently used by the TTC.
We ride around up on the train, getting the feel of the centre part of the city. This system and the sky walk below have simply been added to the city life below. We then leave the train, walk through a shopping centre called Paragon. This is a truly "high end" store. The cosmetic floor is so big, Selfridges in London would pale by comparison. We head out the door on the other side, and walk about two blocks. Suddenly all the stores are small, the people on the street probably not going to shop at Paragon, and we are waiting as the crowd assembles to make a mad dash across a very busy intersection when the lights change. Most of the traffic stops to let you pass but you do have to be very careful of the many buses making a right hand turn just about the time you reach the half way point. That mission accomplished Norm takes us to a little wharf and we hop a klog boat which is part of the transport system. To be honest you don't actually hop on, but crawl over the edge moving quickly as this boat is not going to wait around. And believe me when I say this little exercise bears no resemblance to getting on and off a Venice vaparetto. This is the mode of transport used by all those working folks who are not forking out for the sky train! The klong trip is startling... people are living right on the water in crowded conditions, bathing and swimming! and waving as you go by. This trip transformation takes all of ten minutes from the time we leave Paragon. So it goes with Bangkok. You are always bombarded with images that change from one thing to a complete othere. Still the people seem very content, there is no evidence of the coup anywhere. The only people we have seen in uniform are those trying to direct traffic.
We have been to some really great restaurants, some a little more expensive, some decidely not so. We went to a French restaurant called La Bouchan, recommended to N and K by a hotelier on their trip to Phuket. The food was wonderful and the location was on a street right in the middle of the livelier part of Bangkok where the "ladies of the night" and the bar scene rules.
We have been twice to hear the wonderful jazz at the Oriental Hotel's famous Bamboo bar, and finished the nights at their river bar looking at all the lights across the way, and the boats all lit up sparkling on the river.
All for now. Time to go for dinner with another feast at home. I will finish my tales of Bangkok, and of His Majesty, tomorrow after we get to Hong Kong.
as ever Katie

Thirty six hours from Toronto and eleven hours on the very smooth BA flight from Heathrow we arrive and the spanking new and very large Suvarnibhumi airport in Bangkok. Our entire vision is filled with white tentlike roofs which stretch for ever. Hundreds of skyways are lined up with"Long Live the King" painted in English on the sides.
We are stuck how modern and cool (good airconditioning) everything is. After luggage claim through the doors to be met by Norman and Karen. A lovely big Toyoto and driver, Churpon, (all part of Karen's job with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) arrive and we are all whisked seamlessly away. Evidence of building is everywhere. It seems to condo condition is not only endemic to Toronto. The new toll highways are elevated above the exisiting neighbourhoods below. We can see the beginnings of the skiway train system which will connect to the airport shorty. Then abruptly we are in the city traffic itself, whip around a corner onto a little tree lined street, down a lovely lane, through a gate and stop in the garden of Karen and Norm's house. Such a lovely place with lots of wood, and fans and air con, bedrooms. I hesitate to fill you in on the accomodation as N and K shall be overrun when the word gets out. Then it is off across the street to the grounds of their club in the grounds of a hotel. It has everything including a big pool, lovely gym and beguiling waterfalls and fountains, a veritable oasis right on their doorstep. Back we come to have the best Thai dinner prepared and served by their very own angels Montha and Ubon, two sisters who can and do everything pretaining to your care. I don't know how any future visit to Thai restaurants will be any better than the meal they served us. It is Friday morning here as I write this and we are off to explore . Karen has gone to work(she can walk to her office). And Norman is taking Thai lessons every afteroon. Those of you who remember Norm's struggle with French will be interested to know he already has mastered a Thai vocabulary. Amazing. As ever KatieGone skiing

Gone skiing
.greetings. This is my second test.

Good day to all. This is just a test !