In the Presence of Royalty

Trip Start Oct 12, 2005

Trip End Mar 31, 2006

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Where I stayed

Marriott Bangkok Resort And Spa

(Bangkok hotels)

Flag of Thailand Bangkok, Thailand
Tuesday, November 1, 2005

We first realized something unusual was happening when music began to play and every person in concert hall stood and turned towards a side entrance door. The door opened, and a procession of well dressed smiling people emerged. Amongst them, a Thai woman of about fifty or so appeared and everyone in the audience bowed. She walked slowly to her seat, a plush red silk covered chair in the center of the concert hall followed closely by TV and still cameramen. When the music finished and, after one last bow, the audience took their seats. The show could now begin ... the Thai national anthem had been played and the Queen had arrived.
The presence of the Queen, HRH Sirikit, was a very pleasant surprise for a special evening that had begun a few days before when we found our way to the office of Thai Ticket Master to buy a few seats for a performance of Pierre Amoyal, his famous Stradivarius violin and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. We were looking for some sort of live performance to attend and this was happening just a few days later, so we snapped up a few tickets, for $12 dollars a piece, which back in New York probably would have cost more than five times as much

01 Our Friend

. But even at that price at home would you be ten rows away from Royalty?

For the benefit of those who are more familiar with orchestra music than we are, the program included Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8; Bach's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E major, BWV 1042; Mozart's Divertimento in D major, K 136; J. Balissat's Dreams and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Srongs, Op. 48. The performance, sposored by the Swiss embassy, was really great. Worthy of a royal audience.

As everyone who has ever traveled before knows, no single day can be perfect. Earler in the day, when transferring from the Atlanta hotel to our new upscale digs at the Marriot Bangkok Resort and Spa, we had our first encounter with a less-than-reputable Bangkok taxi driver. Leaving the Atlanta, we get in the cab and see he hasn't turned on the meter yet. So we say "Turn on the meter, please." He starts driving and Says, "Too far, 150 baht." Now we know that this is crap because we read about it in the guidebook. So we say, "No, turn on the meter." And replies, "No, 120 baht, OK." So we very forcefully say, "Turn on the meter or stop the cab, we are not going anywhere without the meter!" "OK, OK," he says, and finally turns the meter on. He simmers in silence and honks his horn a lot as we cross the city and the meter ticks up

02 Nice Digs!

. We worry that maybe he will take us on some godforsaken circuitous route which will end up costing us more in the end, but no, we arrive at the Marriott and the meter reads: 80 baht. Of course he than says, "100 baht." And we say, "No way, 80 baht, 80 baht" and motion to the porters for them to come over and help settle this. But the nefarious cab driver relents, grumbling and accepts the 80 baht, cursing at us as he drives off. Ha! Kristy and Matt - 1, Cheating Taxi Drivers - 0. Keep and eye on the score as we keep traveling, we're sure we will not always do as well, especially in our next destination, Hanoi, where we will arrive on Wednesday.

And don't forget it was Kristy's Golden Birthday on the 31st. For those not familiar with the Golden Birthday - this is a tradition originating from a tribe of children who lived on Stockford Avenue in Wilton, Maine during the 1980's (including Sarah Haeger!). Essentially your Golden Birthday is the day your age and the your birth date are the same -- so Kristy's Golden Birthday was this year when she turned 31 on the 31st. To mark the occasion, she had a nice relaxing resort day -- complete with a yoga class, lazing by the pool, dim sum lunch, drinks at the swim up bar and a lovely riverside dinner. The hotel even sent out a cake with three candles on it. Kristy was absolutely thrilled to receive all of your Birthday wishes. Thanks for all the e-mail everyone, it just made our day to get messages from home!