New Siam

Well adventure has found me again. After a 17-hour trek from Kaohsiung to Bangkok, I arrived a bit frazzled and hungry. But in this massive city of 10 million or so, I managed to find my Russ and Ang at a very nice guesthouse. The next morning we met a good family friend for brunch and then made our way to the Grand Palace. It was like being in a dream, there are no words really. I’ve seen palaces in Europe but this had a lot more bling. Everything is covered in gold and mirrors so it shines brilliantly. And the Thai people (or Siamese) love their king; everyone wears yellow to honour him. He used to be a monk and has been king for 60 years and has devoted his life to the people and humanity. Pictures of him are everywhere, for example the only art in this room are framed pics of the king and queen. But the king has not lived in this palace for 10 years or so and a lot is open to the public.
In the evening the shopping madness began at a night market. It carried over into the next day and I spent a lot of money but have an entirely new wardrobe. I became a hippy overnight. But there is such an abundance of beautiful things and I have honed my bargaining skills. Sunday evening began the disastrous trip to the Island. We bought tickets for a VIP overnight bus. They promised to pick us up by a minibus and an express bus would drive us overnight to the Island, the bus was to load on the ferry and a minibus was to pick us up and take us to the hotel, all by 8 am the next day. Well the only truth was that we were on a bus all night. No minibus came and we had to carry our bags (which for me is over 100 lbs) in the hot sun for a good while. We managed to get the back row in a double decker bus where they cram in an extra seat, that won’t recline because of the back wall. The bus bumped and shook and we could not get a wink of sleep, we ate and drank practically nothing, and I won’t even discuss the state of the bathroom. The bus did not go onto a ferry and they put us on a boat that was much too small for the distance. We got onto the ferry 3 hours late, and they said the ride was 2 hours but in reality it was near 3.5 hrs. Everyone got so sea sick that their heads were between their knees and a few lucky kids (like Ang) took turns puking in a garbage can on deck. Than no minibus picked us up and we waited for an hour before accepting we got completely scammed and climbed into the back of a pick up truck (which is like a cab) and made it to Seaview Paradise. The whole trip took 19 hours. While we waited for our phantom minibus, there was a sweet little girl that lightened the mood. She kept pointing at me and smiling, I realized she was excited about all the stickers on me (to indicate we paid), so we covered her in stickers and managed to find a way to smile.
Our parents arrived an hour later and the rest has been a blissful paradise lifestyle. I have never stayed in such a nice place where they have anticipated your every need. We went with the owner and his family for a meal last night and today the girls went shopping and the boys went to the beach. Actually I didn’t shop (I am out of funds) but I bartered for my Mom and Ang’s Mom. Our villa is nestled into the side of a mountain that is covered with jungle and massive boulders. We are away from the noisy town and have a magnificent view of the ocean. Right now it is just our family but more friends arrive later in the week.
I am in love with Thailand and will probably come back a few times in my life cause it is the best place to eat, shop, and soak in the sun. Getting from point A to B is always an “adventure” but a very small price to pay for an experience that will shape your life.