Thailand Honeymoon: Bangkok

Day 1: Bangkok, Grand Palace, Siam Niramit Dinner & Show

Back on the plane, we were wired, as all the amazing things we saw in Dubai kept our conversation vivid. Consequently, the plane ride from Dubai to Bangkok was not wisely spent on catching a few more zzzs. As soon as we arrived in Bangkok, our friendly travel guide whisked us up, and the laughter was immediate. The people in Thailand are not only friendly, as widely branded, but funny! We laughed so much on this trip and enjoyed the people as much as the places. 

Finally arrived! And can change out o thees cloths we have had on for two days! 

electrical lines tell you a lot about a city, economy, poverty, etc 

Driving through this mega city of more than eight million, it wasn’t long before I saw myself talking about Bangkok in past lectures. There I am referencing the immense stats and impressing that this is a huge city, but now I could see myself in the future with wide eyes spinning around saying “in every direction you look you see Manhattan, it’s like seeing 20 cities inside one city, I have never seen anything like it….” 

We arrived at our hotel around 8 a.m. and had just under an hour to change, SHOWER, and eat breakfast. Mind you, we had spent the last two days on a plane, and I had not had more than seven hours of sleep. Why is it that men are so much better at sleeping on planes? "Tiered" was a major understatement here. 

Our first expedition was to see some of Bangkok’s most prized and historic monuments, primarily the Royal Gran Palace.  This expansive complex of royal residences, temples, and other buildings was home to the royal families from 1782 to 1925. Bangkok was once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, which later became part of the great Kingdom of Thailand we know today. Some of my favorite things to see here were directly related to the monarchy. The Thai people love their royal family, and from our first taxi cab to our last, I continued to seek out (very carefully) any dislike or less than affectionate references to the monarchy.  This was simply to hear honest feelings from the people who live there since you often find what is told to tourists is not always the exact truth. So, I tend to ask the same questions repeatedly to see what the overall feeling is about national history, conflicts, beliefs, etc.  In this case, the people of Thailand showed instant joy when I asked about the King, Queen, and their daughters. Still, a few gave glimpses into the uneasiness surrounding the Crown Prince and his three marriages, strange requests of his wives, and other less-than-glorified actions that do not reflect the current, beloved King. 

But, back at the Palace, you can see the hall where the royal coronations occur, along with the thrones and other ceremonial aspects.  The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is also very famous, and we highly anticipated it. Yet, we laughed when we saw the little Buddha so high and far away. 

Overall, the Palace is a must for its history and the eclectic architecture built over 200 years under the direction of different kings.  After our four-hour tour, we were back at our hotel two hours before we headed out for a night of fine Thai cuisine and a world-famous show! I was so excited about seeing the Siam Niramit Show. It had been described as a beautiful story of the Kingdom of Siam's history through a Circ De Sole rendition, with over 150 artists and performers and 500 different costumes.  This is right up my alley!

We arrived at the show and had an hour to eat, and oh did we eat, the food in Thailand is incredible whether you are at a four start hotel, tiny hole in the wall, or in the alley behind your hotel (we tried all of these venues).  After eating three plates worth of food and the clock ticking to 7pm, we started to show our exhaustion. As we took our seats, I was immediately taken aback by the amazing show at the same level as the Circ De Soles I had seen, but unfortunately, I did not get the full history lesson I was hoping for. 

As we loaded into the car to return to our hotel, the other two couples from England were going on and on about the show and asking us how we liked it. George and I both said it was "incredible" and "we loved it" and agreed to any specifics they pointed out. When we got back to our hotel, I asked George, “Did you see the goats!” he said, “Ugh, no, I missed that part,” and he said, “Did you see the elephants?” We both lasted about twenty minutes and were sound asleep during the show. I woke up to amazing spectacles of lighting and water flooding the stage, goats being herded around, and other loud moments, but I could not keep my eyes open for more than a few minutes. Apparently, neither could George!  So we both caught each other trying to pull a “it was a great show,” but in reality, we were too tired and would have to return! 

I will never know why that was booked for our first night, but it was still a great memory and the start of an amazing time in Thailand.

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Three Strangers through the Desert: Vegas to LA

Here I sit in downtown Los Angeles, my back up against the wall, with my luggage separating me from a group of actors and their friends. We all just left the screening room, where we watched a comic independent film based on the idea of Lucifer trying to get back into heaven. How in the world did I end up here with my luggage? It all started when the loudspeakers at the airport gloomily sounded off an apology for a thirty minute delay in our departing flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Supposedly, this was in hopes that a nearby shop would have the “part” our plane needed to successfully deliver us to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, but predictably, it was only ten minutes later that the attendant spoke again, but this time with embarrassment and fear; the flight had been canceled, and the part could not be found. 

As everyone on the floor, including me, quickly gathered our belongings scattered around us, those sitting comfortably in the chairs formed a long line, leaving the floor occupants the line caboose. We are presented with a single option to take our 50-dollar voucher and find a hotel until we can catch another plane tomorrow morning. As I sit and ponder this scenario at the back of the line, I turn around and ask the lady behind me if there was any information I missed. As I turned to ask this question, I realized I was face to face with the woman who I had previously been unabashedly staring at from my comfortable position on the floor. She was clearly Italian, and her voice carried far beyond her pink flip phone, which echoed throughout the entire terminal. As I was reading my Bloomberg Businessweek, I felt a twinge bit impatient with her repeated phone calls, each heavy with, “Oooooohhhh girrrl!” and “You know what I mean?” This prompted me to move initially to a farther location and thus “potentially” missing crucial information on our flight-cancellation situation. Flash forward thirty minutes, and I am now looking into this woman’s face, hoping for more information. Unbeknownst to me, I am now also looking at my second option. 

She quickly reminds me of her heritage, grabs my arm, and loudly and enthusiastically tells me, “Oooooohhh girl! I already called my friend and she is renting me a car online right now! I am going to Los Angeles tonight!”  This, of course, did not answer my question, but her answer left me mumbling something like, “That’s a good idea,” and I am not sure what else as I pondered this newly formed second option. Before I could respond, a young man's back opened up and said, “Really, you are going to drive to LA?” What followed in the next thirty seconds was head nodding, and somehow, overlooking the two people sandwiched between us with confused expressions, the three of us agreed with our eyes. With that, we were off. The three of us, complete strangers, left the line and gleefully smiled at the others, looking on in admiration and caution. This is not something I would recommend, but I believe I am a good judge of character and hoped that these two individuals simply needed a second option as much as I did. We introduce ourselves, and once in our rental car, we quickly become familiar with each others’ pasts and presents. 

For four hours, a brain surgeon from Glendale, CA, a makeup artist from Detroit, and a geography professor from Texas journey across the lonely stretch that so many friends make between the megacities of LA and Vegas. This voyage, however, was not filled with reminiscence but of new discoveries and fantastic conversation. 

  The makeup artist, come to find out, desperately needed to get to LA before 7pm for a movie premier downtown; this was her first special effects, and she was hoping to do some great networking. When we got to Burbank to drop off the rental car, the friend I was staying with was already in acting class, so I asked if I could tag along to the primer to get a little closer to my final destination. The ride, the movie, the theater, and the people were all worth the diversion. But, back to her story: her father had left Armenia during the Turkish-Armenian War and fled to France. He met a Nepalese woman there, and soon they were in love. Shortly after, they moved to Detroit to reunite with the man’s brother, who had fled to Detroit after the Turkish-Armenian War. This is how you get an Italian-Armenian, French-speaking makeup artist from Detroit. Wow, what a fascinating woman with incredible stories. 

One of our elongated conversations revolved around the brain, imagination, and medical history because the man happens to be a brain surgeon. He had to be at the hospital by 11pm for a shift, and thus, the reason for his eagerness to join us in the adventure. Strangely, the woman’s father had been hit by a car last year and had been left in a coma with severe brain damage. He is now fully recovered, and all the questions this woman had of her father’s potential full recovery and other things were answered by our very own brain surgeon – chauffeur. 

Between the three of us, we also discussed North Korea’s future, Christianity and its differences for those who assume to know Christ and those who live with him on a daily basis, the illegal tiger trade and its potential lifeline of territory in the Himalayas, medical history throughout the US Revolution and WWII, and so much more. What a group and what an adventure.

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