Bangkok Blisters

I made it!!!  My guesthouse last night was without internet access so I wasn't able to write anything until tonight (it's Saturday night here in Bangkok).  

La Residence Bangkok

The route we took from Detroit to Tokyo wasn't what I expected at all.  We flew diagonal across Michigam, over Marquette, into Canada flying north of Calgardy and through Alaska before crossing the Pacific.  The monitors in the plane updated our progress on a map and also showed our speed and altitude, it was interesting.  Airplane food has improved greatly or maybe I just didn't remember it accurately because all my meals were REALLY good.  I was antsy on my second flight, from Detroit to Tokyo, which was the longest.  On the last flight, everyone had their own personal video system in the seat back in front of them.  Too bad I slept the ENTIRE flight!  I met some really nice people on the plane including a woman whose husband works for the US Embassy in Bangkok and several retired couples.

Bedroom at La Residence

I made it through customs with no problems and got to my guesthouse around 2:30 am locale time.  Unfortunately, I didn't like the guesthouse as much as I had hoped.  I paid $15 USD for the night which is normal for that area of Bangkok.  It was clean which is the most important thing but when I had to step over a passed out farang (foreigner) on my way out this morning, I knew I had to find other accomdations!  So I'm now at La Residence Bangkok, which sounds a lot fancier than it really is. It costs 1200 Baht per night which is $32 USD per night.  So it's a step up but still budget range as far as I'm concerned.  And it's REALLY nice.  Unfortunately, I can't post pictures tonight because the connection here is too slow.  I had planned on uploading all kinds of pictures but no such luck.  Anyways, my room is super!!

La Residence Bangkok

So, I spent my first official day in Bangkok....lost. ha ha.  Really, I did feel lost for most of the day.  But eventually I figured out how the skytrain and subway work and it got easier.  I have to say that the skytrain and subway are unbelievably clean, moreso than D.C. or Chicago.  I'm disappointed that I didn't see more today.  By the time I got my bearings, it was getting late. The heat was also a big factor as I was constantly feeling like I was about to drop dead!  I'm going to go to my room tonight and make a plan for tomorrow though.

I did go to the weekend market which is the biggest market in SE Asia and perhaps the world.  I couldn't cover it all and didn't even try.  The amount of good available was amazing and I decided not to buy anything and instead come back before I leave, buy a suitcase for $5 USD and stuff it full of souveniors!!

Pumping Iron in the Park!

Lumphini Park is the biggest park in Bangkok and I decided to check that out late this afternoon.  I was shocked to see how many people were these.  TONS of people.  And there were these free aerobic classes going on everywhere.  One of them had to have at least an hundred people.  The best part is that it's all FREE.  I took some video but of course I can't post it right now.  There's playgrounds for kids, an outdoor weight center where the thai men were pumping iron, etc.  It was one of the nicest outdoor areas that I've ever been to. 

I wish I could show the pictures I took, hopefully I'll find a way to upload them soon.

Working out in the park

Working out at Lumphini Park

Sunset in Lumphini Park