Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Years in Bangkok.
What a fine time we had in Bangkok for NewYears. Norman had booked a very fine air conditioned van to ferry us about on New Year's Eve and off we went first of all to a most wonderful restaurant called The Deck based in a boutique hotel called The Arun. It is right across the river from a most picturesque(and pictured) Wat of Arun.--the river was full of all kinds of cruise boats decorated with tributes to the King , barges jugging up and down, little boats and big ones, and a most lovely dinner. The one thing we remembered from last year's trip was the smiling service of the Thai people. Nothing is too much trouble in their wish to make your every wish fulfilled. We have the feeling no job is too menial. Norman says the Buddhists believe that if their lot is not great in this life, their next one will be better, so you might as well enjoy this one!
After dinner we were back in our van and were very glad to have it. The streets were jammed with people out to enjoy the advent of the New Year--thousand and thousand of them, and our journey was a slow one throught the traffic. However, it was a breathtaking journey through the old part of the city as the avenues are filled with thousand and thousand of lights, in the most magical effect I have ever seen.. The King celebrated 60 years on the throne last year, and this year he celebrated his 80th birthday, plus the Thai's embracing the Christmas/New Years celebrations layers of lights and sigens have been placed on the avenues and it the trees and we were able to benefit from all the magic. Norman had next booked us into the Living Room in the Sheraton Hotel --very cool room--with two jazz bands and a great old time jazz singer named Anita Day to bring in the New Year fully twelve hours ahead of the family in Toronto! It was a perfect New Years eve with all arrangements taken care of and it all worked, thanks to Norman's advance planning.
New Years Day saw Peter and I lounging by the pool, and Norman taking his sister's on more boat rides Norman took us to visit Karen's office so we could see just how close it is to her home(walking distance) and then on the sky train to head to the restaurant. We went back to a restaurant (La Bourchon) that we had enjoyed last year-a little French bistro-situatied in the middle of a distinctly "lively" district--lots of busy streets, bars with everything(!!!) on offer. I imagine the owner of the restaurant is left over from French Indochina..
Norm then negogiated a Tuk Tuk for Mary and Maggie, a cab for us and off we head to the Star Tower for after dinner drinks. The bar is on the 64th floor-jazz band playing and beautiful people abound -and we westerners with our mouths open staggered with the views and lights over Bangkok. I am sure their would be some law forbidding such a thing in Toronto--drinks outside on the 64th floor.. just a little glass wall between you and air.. NO WAY
Night not being done, we are back in more taxis and off to the Bamboo jazz bar at the Oriental Hotel--another very cool jazz spot. The King is quite a jazz fan (he actually plays the saxophone picked up during his American education ) and clubs abound..and good ones at that.
More reports from Karen in Pakistan so we at least know she is all right--she is supposed to head to New Delhi tomorrow to meet Norm--fingers crossed. It is a wonderful place this Bangkok.
What a fine time we had in Bangkok for NewYears. Norman had booked a very fine air conditioned van to ferry us about on New Year's Eve and off we went first of all to a most wonderful restaurant called The Deck based in a boutique hotel called The Arun. It is right across the river from a most picturesque(and pictured) Wat of Arun.--the river was full of all kinds of cruise boats decorated with tributes to the King , barges jugging up and down, little boats and big ones, and a most lovely dinner. The one thing we remembered from last year's trip was the smiling service of the Thai people. Nothing is too much trouble in their wish to make your every wish fulfilled. We have the feeling no job is too menial. Norman says the Buddhists believe that if their lot is not great in this life, their next one will be better, so you might as well enjoy this one!
After dinner we were back in our van and were very glad to have it. The streets were jammed with people out to enjoy the advent of the New Year--thousand and thousand of them, and our journey was a slow one throught the traffic. However, it was a breathtaking journey through the old part of the city as the avenues are filled with thousand and thousand of lights, in the most magical effect I have ever seen.. The King celebrated 60 years on the throne last year, and this year he celebrated his 80th birthday, plus the Thai's embracing the Christmas/New Years celebrations layers of lights and sigens have been placed on the avenues and it the trees and we were able to benefit from all the magic. Norman had next booked us into the Living Room in the Sheraton Hotel --very cool room--with two jazz bands and a great old time jazz singer named Anita Day to bring in the New Year fully twelve hours ahead of the family in Toronto! It was a perfect New Years eve with all arrangements taken care of and it all worked, thanks to Norman's advance planning.
New Years Day saw Peter and I lounging by the pool, and Norman taking his sister's on more boat rides Norman took us to visit Karen's office so we could see just how close it is to her home(walking distance) and then on the sky train to head to the restaurant. We went back to a restaurant (La Bourchon) that we had enjoyed last year-a little French bistro-situatied in the middle of a distinctly "lively" district--lots of busy streets, bars with everything(!!!) on offer. I imagine the owner of the restaurant is left over from French Indochina..
Norm then negogiated a Tuk Tuk for Mary and Maggie, a cab for us and off we head to the Star Tower for after dinner drinks. The bar is on the 64th floor-jazz band playing and beautiful people abound -and we westerners with our mouths open staggered with the views and lights over Bangkok. I am sure their would be some law forbidding such a thing in Toronto--drinks outside on the 64th floor.. just a little glass wall between you and air.. NO WAY
Night not being done, we are back in more taxis and off to the Bamboo jazz bar at the Oriental Hotel--another very cool jazz spot. The King is quite a jazz fan (he actually plays the saxophone picked up during his American education ) and clubs abound..and good ones at that.
More reports from Karen in Pakistan so we at least know she is all right--she is supposed to head to New Delhi tomorrow to meet Norm--fingers crossed. It is a wonderful place this Bangkok.
# posted by katie @ 4:09 PM 
