January 25

I was up at 4:30 again and down at the restaurant before it opened at 6:00.  Bill form Perth was supposed to be there but he still wasn't feeling well so didn't come down until after 6:30.  We chatted for a little while until I had to go and retrieve my luggage for my 7:00 transfer to the airport.

As soon as I walked through the door at the airport a guy latched on to me, took my tickets and passport and led me to a counter.  Then he took me to a waiting area and told me (after several attempts) that we had to wait for 45 minutes until the check in counter opened.  If I had known that I could have had an extra hour's sleep.  I sat and had a smoke, bought some cigarettes and waited.  Eventually we moved into the departure area but the ticket counter still wasn't open so I sat and chatted with the family from the UK.  They were teasing me about flying business class but it was all in good fun.  I was the first one to check in but then had to wait some more until Customs and Immigration opened.

When I finally got into the departure gate area I located a smoking room and sat there for a while before going to the Thai Airways lounge.  There I had a beer and a couple of terrible tuna sandwiches and watched part of an old Rocky movie.  I had just gone back to the smoking room when I noticed a guy walking around with a sign so I went out to read it.  It said that due to the late arrival of the plane the departure would be delayed by 45 minutes so I went back to the smoking room.  I had no sooner lit a cigarette than they announced the boarding.  It must have taken them 45 minutes to get the information to the guy and have the sign made up.

The flight itself went well and the meal was good (salad, shrimp in a pink pepper cream sauce) but I only picked at it because I was still full from breakfast and the sandwiches.  After the LOOOOONNNNGGG walk through Bangkok airport to get to Immigration and Customs I was relieved to see that there was almost no one in line there and the transit through took only a few minutes.  My suitcase arrived moments after I got to the carousel so I was good to go to look for my contact.  I couldn't find him but he eventually found me and we were off to the big city in his (well leased by the company) Mercedes.  Bangkok was really hot and humid as well and I was uncomfortable in my jeans and couldn't wait to get to the hotel to change into shorts.

The drive to the hotel took about 45 minutes along the usual expressways that look the same in every city in the world I think.  About ten million people live in the Bangkok region and except for the language on the signs it could just as easily be Toronto or Los Angeles.  It is only when you get downtown and see the people and the small storefronts that you know you are in Asia.

This is a very large hotel with thirty floors.  My room is on the twentieth with a view over the city.  There is a wireless internet network - just what I have been waiting and hoping for so that I can upload my photos and journals.  Trouble is it isn't working and won't be for a week.  Since I will only be here for three nights that is of no use to me.  I'll have to go out tomorrow and see if I can find somewhere else.

I spent much of the afternoon trying to better organize my suitcase but am not sure that I accomplished very much.  After trying for at least fifteen minutes I finally got a needle threaded and sewed a button on one shirt, repaired the buttons on another and got my laundry ready to take down in the morning.  Wrote a post card, caught up my expense list and tried to get my clippers working but no luck there so my neck may well have to remain hirsute  and my beard untrimmed until I get home.  I went down to cash a traveler's cheque, go that done and then tried to check on my reservation because they showed me as checking out in the morning.  As I expected that was because I was a day early for the tour and they don't have the two things coordinated.  Hopefully I won't have to change rooms because I don't want to have to pack again.  My attempt to get stamps for the postcard were futile once again so went for a walk to find somewhere where they might sell stamps.  I located a 7-Eleven of all things.  They didn't have stamps or didn't understand what I wanted but they did have cold Singha beer so I settled for that and returned to the hotel.

Window shopping here is an unsettling adventure.  The moment you look in a store window one of the employees bursts out of the shop to try and entice you into buying something or taking advantage of their services.  So much for  a leisurely stroll down the street.  I was also approached by a taxi driver who wanted to take me to one of the sex shows and it was difficult and uncomfortable getting him to take no for an answer.  Thankfully it was broad daylight and I was only steps away from the hotel or I might have been a little concerned.

On my way down in the elevator I was joined by an Arab gentleman and his two black clad, completely covered female companions.  They stared at me and talked about me but made no effort to communicate even when I did.  Another uncomfortable situation.  I opted to eat from the buffet in the dining room as it had a wide variety of dishes available.  Dangerous though I knew it to be I couldn't resist the fresh salad ingredients with a tasty creamy dressing.  I also had a generous helping of fish fingers (fresh, not of the frozen commercial variety), some sugar peas, a pork dish and a chicken dish.  Only the latter was particularly spicy.    A small piece of chocolate cake, a small apple fritter and a custard for dessert rounded out the meal.  The dinner seemed quite expensive (about $20.00 I think) after the cheap meals in Myanmar.

Being full and tired i think I will now go to bed even though it is only 7:30.....