Around The World 2011 Day 11: Bangkok

This is the day that something semi-momentous happened.  And semi-momentous means of nerdy significance.  After a year and a few weeks, my iPhone 4 crossed the 9,999 picture threshold.  And I would say that 80-90% of those pictures were taken with the Waste in mind.  In other words, I have taken more than ten thousands pictures in the last year for YOU.

Another day, another breakfast.  And note this pic, because the last one of the day will bookend with it.

You have to love it.  I wanted a shot that showed how we are eating along the Chao Phraya River, and I tried the hold the phone out with my arm and tap it without looking and see what I get method.  And we both liked what I got.

Starting your day with a breakfast buffet has got to be on some top ten list somewhere.

Breakfast is served.  Still loving QuadCam.

Today Barbie and I are going to do some hotel site inspections.  This involves taking a taxi to another part of town.

The valet in the pith helmet has eluded my camera until now.  Like a Western fool, I kept trying to sneak a picture of him.  Today I just took it.  And, in classic Thai fashion, he turned to me and smiled.  In fact, he now likes me and remembers me every time we come through the front door.

We hopped into a taxi, asked him to take us to the St. Regis, and then during the ride had to tell him around seventeen times that we did not want to go shopping.  He was super nice and we tipped him extra for not stopping at a mall against our will.

This hotel opened in April, which is three months ago by my math.  You know the saying, The Newer the hotel, The more over the top oh my hell I cannot believe how nice this is.

What a lobby?  Already we are impressed.  Actual reception is up on the 12th, as is the custom with new, fancy hotels these days.

We met up with reception and soon got a tour of some rooms.  Then we hit the pool.

There are worse places to put a pool than on the fourteenth floor overlooking a horse racing park.

From the pool I could spot The Peninsula hotel, which is across the river from the Mandarin Oriental hotel.  Which means that basically our hotel is THERE.

Next we were given a tour of the Elemis Spa.  I shall give you a full tour, because this is basically the most amazing spa we have ever seen.  The Newer the hotel, The more over the top oh my hell I cannot believe how nice this is applies to the hotel spa as well.

Welcome.

You wait in here, with the sounds of the jacuzzi jets below you.

How cool is that?

This stone walk is supposed to be like a foot massage.  I wish I would have had the guts to kick off my shoes and walk across it then and there.

Here is where Thai massage is given, so that the masseuses can climb aboard and walk on that back.

A room for more traditional massages.  I am not bothering to write oh my hell can you believe how nice this is every time, but I am thinking it.

A personal tub.

And with that, our tour was over.  I would have to say that anyone who can afford it must stay at the St. Regis.

Chilling by the St. Regis pool.  Note Barbie moved around while I was compiling this panorama, so that there is a half Barbie to the right edge.

My feet have been to the St. Regis Bangkok pool, overlooking the race track.

Exiting the lobby, you feel like royalty.

Bye bye, St. Regis.  Time for your neighbor.

The Four Seasons, complete with another elephant statue's behind for my mother.

Whereas the St. Regis was quiet like a library, this hotel lobby is bustling with activity.

The Four Seasons Bangkok's famous mural.

Since we are less than a block away from it, we decided to visit the Erawan Shrine.  out the doors and to the right, according to the map.

Walking down Racha Damri Road, I kept feeling like we were in New York.

The Erawan Shrine is a Hindu shrine with a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu creation god Brahma.  Honestly, I find this shrine very interesting.  It was built in 1956 because they laid the foundations for the Erawan Hotel on the wrong date, and by placing this shrine they hoped to eliminate bad karma.  I have no idea if the hotel became a success, but this shrine is now a top tourist spot where visitors constantly leave offerings and say prayers.

So... a shrine put up not long ago to make up for a construction error has become a thing?  This is quite a world that we live in.

We joined in, making the customary offering of a candle and lit incense.

Barbie placing the candle and incense and making a wish.

These dancers performed in the plaza facing the Erawan Shrine.  Before I learned the shrine's god was of Hindu origin, I kept thinking, "Boy those dancers' outfits look Indian."

Which brings us to today's video!  (Not that I promise a video every day.)

And now back to ur usual still photography.

A last look at the Erawan Shrine.  When that much incense is burning at once the entire area smells blessed.  Walking away, Barbie and I agreed on where in our home to place a little Buddhist spirit house.  We will be bringing home some Thailand with us.

Barbie burnt her hand a little lighting the incense, and bought this can of iced coffee to hold on the burn.

Once the burn felt better, she gave it to me to drink.

We passed the U.S.A Embassy, and I took a picture.  I have no idea why Picasa has flipped it, but, as always, I will go with this as a sign from the internet gods.   

Next we walked over to Lumpini Park.  Bangkok has several very large parks within its city limits.  Think Manhattan's Central Park but sliced up a bit and spread around the city.

In a city of skyscrapers, it is always amazing to feel this far away from it all.

I am not afraid to tell you.  This lizard scared me.  Look at him!  He is probably two feet long.  He is like a little dragon.  If he came at me, me in my open toed sandals, what the heck would I do?

Soon we were in a taxi headed back to our hotel, but instead of going up to the room we hopped into a boat to cross the river and take a look at The Peninsula hotel.

Welcome to The Peninsula.  Had the Waste been around nine years ago, you would have seen pictures of The Peninsula in Hong Kong, because that is were we spent a few nights at the end of our honeymoon.  But there was barely an internet back then, let alone a Waste.

From The Peninsula, our room in the Mandarin Orienta is THERE.

Barbie on The Peninsula Bangkok grounds.  It is an older hotel, though not as old feeling as the Mandarin Oriental.  Still, after the St. Regis, everything is feeling so last decade.

Lunch at The Peninsula.

Salad for her.

Chicken satay for him.

It has been a long time since you got a food on the fork in focus with no depth of field so that the background is out of focus shot.  Again there is no explanation why Picasa flipped this shot, but I have no choice but to not correct it.

We shared the Pad Thai, which was excellent.  Out of all the Pad Thai eaten this trip, this might be the current champion.

After The Peninsula, we jumped over to River City because somebody wanted to buy a new bikini.  In case you cannot figure out, somebody is not me.

The lights in this bikini shop, Phuket Mermaids, were cycling at the same exact rate that the iPhone camera refreshes.  This created this super strange effect on the iPhone camera that you could not see with your naked eye.  To your naked eye, the light was constant.  Through the camera, you an tell why spending hours under certain fluorescent lights leads to a headache.

What do you do after a day of hotel site inspections, long walks, and ever-present heat and humidity?

You hit the pool, dummy.

Now... part two of this adventure is about to begin.  As you were told yesterday, we came to Thailand to go on a tour with a company called Trails of Indonesia.  Tonight is the first official fam trip meal, where we will meet the other travel agents and their guests with whom we will be spending every day for two weeks.

We met up with everyone in the lobby, and soon it was time for a dinner cruise.

The Mandarin Oriental boat has to take us to the pier to wait for the dinner cruise.

Asian person in an ironic English t-shirt.  Black White Rich Poor.  I should have asked him, "Would you mind telling me what your shirt means to you?"

Boarding the dinner cruise.  You will be seeing pictures of our fam trip compatriots soon enough.  I did not want to be the guy who demands a group photo right off the bat.  There will be time.

The first course, some food.

Second course, Thai lettuce wraps.

Delicious. 

Spicy pork.

Egg soup.

Main course, curry chicken and fried fish.

Main course on the plate with white and brown rice.  Note: Thai brown rice is way brown.

Dessert, Thai mango and pressed rice.

But this dinner cruise is not just bout food.  We will be passing every landmark we passed yesterday during the day.

The Rama VII Bridge, completed in 2002.  The cables are golden and there is one pylon to this suspension bridge, which gives it a fairly unique look.

It was raining all night, and there was quite a bit of lightning as I was shooting the bridge.  I was determined to catch some.  I took, oh, say, twenty-three pictures, not paying attention, hoping for a lucky coincidence.

Hello!  Lightning caught by an iPhone!  Kiss my grits, photography snobs.

Okay.  I will go the extra mile for YOU.  WIth each of the pics I took of landmarks tonight I will include the daytime pic from the day before.  For YOU.

The Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  I believe we will be taking a closer look tomorrow.

The Wat Arun, or Wat Arun Rajwararam.

Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, which translates to The Lord's Supreme, Great, Royal Palace, has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam and now Thailand since the 18th century.

I must admit, it is pretty cool looking at the day and night comparisons.

At long last, our day ends.

We stroll back from the dock with this perfect bookend shot, coming from the opposite side of this morning's breakfast shot.

But wait.  Our feng shui is ruined.  Ruined?  Why?  How?

This young woman had to wear those shorts, and had to pass in front of me, literally forcing me to take this picture.  And, based on the rules of the Waste, I do not mess with picture chronology.  This glitter-shorts were the last picture taken and are therefore the last picture shown.

So it is written, so it is done.

Until tomorrow.