Category: TRAVEL (Page 33 of 45)

We spent our first afternoon in Bangkok with a tour guide, exploring the grounds of the Grand Palace and the Temple that houses the Emerald Buddha Dude. Never have I seen such opulence, utilizing gold, porcelain, and glitzy reflective surfaces laid out in intricate patterns. I also felt like a giant at six-feet tall, give or take a half-inch of old age settlement, pushed around by tiny aggressive female tourists speaking in unfamiliar tongues. I towered over this tiny version of Buddha that we were all selfishly intent on visiting. We’ll see much bigger versions of the dude on tomorrow’s tour, as the “Buddhathon” continues.

I had to take my tennis shoes off to visit 66 centimeters (26 inches) tall Green Buddha, carved from green jade and perched high upon a shiny castle with his faithful subjects gathered below. Only the Thai people are allowed to pray near this fairy tale like shrine that looks like a sandcastle drizzled in gold and jewels. Nearby, is what resembles a giant Dairy Queen ice cream cone dipped in solid gold caramel. Gods apparently demand loyalty and thrive on glitter, although Buddhists do not believe in a God, but worship Buddha to show their respect. With over 30,000 Buddhist Temples in Thailand, that’s a lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T! They believe in karma and an afterlife through seeking Nirvana.

With so many religions to choose from, how do you pick the right one to guide you through life? A wise friend once said that “religion really doesn’t matter, just find one to get you through this life?” Sadly, I just know too many Christians that look down on those who do not follow their God.” To each their own” is my philosophy – just do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” My God would not be comfortable with the wealth that goes into these religious monuments. However, judging by the huge crowds at least they are good for tourism and the economy.

Our last stop on today’s tour is the Gem & Mineral Institute and Gallery, billed shamelessly as the world’s biggest jewelry store. They must pay the tour guides to make it one of their stops. I’m sure there will be some financial damage done as my wife will not be able to control herself. Like the Hindu God Durga she needs multiple arms to display her many rings and bracelets that she can’t seem to live without. I sat in the air conditioned lobby while she negotiated with the clerk. Before long, a manager dude came out to try to seal the deal. I wonder if Jade Buddha also gets a commission on the sale, since he was the one who initially got us on the tour bus?

I’m ready to “Thai One On,” especially after getting up at 4 a.m., fighting numerous flight delays, and sitting nearly 24 hours on my butt. I’ve written several posts, and watched numerous movies along the long air route from Portland to San Francisco through Tokyo and finally into Bangkok. My eyes ache, my feet are swollen, my stomach is upset, and I’ve broken a pair of glasses. This is the physical price to pay for traveling such a long way from home.

I went to the dentist before we left, joking about all the tooth problems I’ve experienced while traveling. This includes a cap that fell off in Rome and a crown that came loose in Paris. There has been some discomfort with the bridge they built between my two upper left molars, covering a giant hole in my smile. Even though it’s only “temporary,” while they craft the porcelain permanent version, I hope it at least stays in place until we get back. So far, there’s been some soreness resulting from having an extra tooth in my mouth. It will take some getting used to after the extraction two years ago. I’m glad the grinding part is over, and it allowed me to practice sitting still in a chair for hours, anticipating my upcoming flight plans.

We landed in Bangkok at about 11 p.m. faced with the hassles of customs, ground transportation, and checking in at our hotel still ahead before bedtime. After a few hours of restless sleep, we’ll be anxious to start exploring Temples and Buddhas. We are on a afternoon tour of the Grand Palace, Golden Buddha, and Gem Museum and then dinner at highly touted Thanying. Tomorrow night’s feast is at Nahm, but apparently I won’t get a chance to “Thai One On” there because it’s Election Day and the bars will be closed.

The movie Hangover 2 was shot in Bangkok, mostly in Chinatown. The rooftop views were from the Lebua at State Tower Sky Bar, not too far from our Marriott Empire Palace Hotel. It shouldn’t be crowded tomorrow night with the ban on alcohol. We did see the entourage of Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun exiting the VIP section of the airport. The King of Thailand’s (once King of Siam) titles include Head of State, Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Adherent of Buddhism and Upholder of religions. He is not an elected official, but rather inherited the throne in 2016 from his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He is 67 years old and a favorite of our cab driver, who pointed him out in the royal processional that slowed our progress from the airport to our hotel. We were also trying to communicate with him about the conversion rate from dollars to bahts.

Our hotel that is really an apartment is very luxurious an situated in the downtown business district. I tried to run this morning through a sea of people rushing off to work on the narrow sidewalks. There was also a near collision with a motor scooter. We’ll catch the tour bus in a couple of hours and let them navigate the endless stream of street traffic through the Bangkok streets. After that, I’ll be ready to “Tie One On” and hope that there will be no hangover to hinder tomorrow’s activities.

I’ve written of Marathons and “Schnauzerthons,” but this morning I was involved in another athletic endurance endeavor known as a “Luggagethon.” After tripping over the suitcases in our closet all week and sorting out what we should pack, it was time to lug them to the car. After our recent purchase of two large Hartmann baggage, we barely met the fifty pound maximum for our 10-day supply of clothing and personal items. The cases were bulky and heavy as I slowly maneuvered them down the stairs and into the garage. Rotating wheels were of little use in terms of convenience. Only brut strength was of any practical  use in this first stage of the “Luggagethon.” Two smaller carry-ons and a backpack easily fit in the trunk, but were still a hassle to pack and stow. These would get heavier and heavier throughout the day. This is just another reason why this event is not for everyone.

The two bags were too big for the trunk so I had to lower the top to get them in the back seat of the car. In this sense, a convertible quickly transforms into a pick-up truck. However, since they were still too large to clear the narrow passage between the front and back seats, I still had to hoist these cumbersome bags over the headrests to fit them inside. Then I simply closed the top for the drive to the airport, completing stage two. Fortunately, rain was not a factor this morning.

Once we finally found a parking spot, I lowered the top and did my best imitation of The Hulk, getting the suitcases to the ground without pulling any muscles. It was then an easy roll to the shuttle, as I rested up before getting them up the steps. Naturally, we barely missed the first bus, and waited for the next one that was well beyond capacity. I stood holding on to both bags so they wouldn’t roll back out the doors during several stops on the way to the terminal. Upon arrival, I once again muscled them down the steps taking precautions not to wrench my back. The wheels once again became handy until I got to the escalators, where they suddenly became a liability again. It was such a relief to finally hand them off to the attendant after one last back-wrenching dead-lift to the scales. I would not see them again until Bangkok, and hopefully we would all arrive at the same time.

The end of Stage 3 left us with just the three carry-ons to deal with through airport security. After taking off what I had put on in the closet earlier that morning and removing the electronics from my matching Hartmann briefcase, I was almost there. The gate, however, was about as far away as it could possibly be. My muscles were once again aching by the time I had finally settled in my economy seat. In several hours, I would make sure that I would exit with everything I brought on-board with the exception of some snacks that had settled in my stomach like a rock. It was then a scramble to the International Terminal after flight delays getting into San Francisco. I’ve “left my heart there” but would prefer that my luggage stays with me.

Stage 4 will be the “Terminal Dash” in Tokyo, after a ten-hour flight. We’ll again gather our precious belongings and shoulder them to the final flight into Bangkok. Today’s “Luggagethon” will conclude once we’re reunited with our stowaways, lug them to a cab, and transfer them to our hotel room. The next one will start anew in a few days when we head to Phuket.

I flipped the calendar page to Mount Etna this morning, thinking it was an Italian site that I had already been to see. Instead, I had it confused with Mount Vesuvius that had reeked volcanic havoc on Pompeii and Herculaneum. Mount Etna is actually on the island of Sicily, so it was not a destination that I could claim, just like a majority of the other 1000 Places To See Before You Die sites. Every day that I turn over on this calendar is a a reminder of how little I’ve seen in the world. I haven’t even yet been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Other missing locations this week include Beqa Island, Fiji; Lijiang, China; The Gobi Desert; or Costa Rica. What have I been doing these past 67 years and how many more do I have left to see these “must see” travel meccas?

Over these next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the wide expanse between Seattle and Bangkok. We’ll make short stops in San Francisco, Tokyo, and Seoul as we “hop” across the earth from our home base of Portland. We’ll skip over the Pacific and then follow the coastlines of China and Viet Nam. In the process, as “Globe Hoppers,” we’ll only be able to claim the air space. After we explore Bangkok for a couple days, we’ll “hop” over Thailand to Phuket, about 500 miles south. There will be a lot to see in a very short period of time.

As we continue to make travel plans for the year, there will always be hassles to overcome. Yesterday, for example, I booked a hotel room in Rochester, New York rather than Rochester, Indiana. Even though I spotted the mistake 15 minutes later, it is non-cancellable, so I will have to stop the credit card charge through my bank. It’s hard to believe that there are on-line agents that won’t cooperate in a situation like this. At least, most airlines give you 24-hours to correct your mistakes. It’s the second travel booking error I’ve made in the last week and both occurred on my phone. I like the convenience, but when it turns into hassles, it’s time to reevaluate my methods. It’s very frustrating!

We’ll board the train to Seattle in a couple of days and spend two nights. It’s a very convenient way to get to downtown and the ballpark. We’ll meet eight of our friends, with three college baseball games and a group dinner on the agenda. I don’t think any of our wives are excited with these plans so there will be shopping deviations. The weather will also be chilly with snow in the forecast. The Phuket beach is sounding better and better, but there’s not enough money in our retirement accounts to spend every getaway in an exotic location or “hopping the globe.”