Travels of THB: Days 18 and 19: Paro to Bangkok

Days 18 and 19: Paro to Bagdogra (somewhere in India, 25 minutes by plane from Paro) to Bangkok

Finally, a utility box worth publishing!

Weather: Cool in Paro, very hot and very steamy in Bangkok

Quote of the Day: Oh my goodness, they’ve upgraded you to villa!! By "expediter #2” accompanying us from the Bangkok airport to the Siam Hotel in downtown, a ride of 1 hour against traffic (40 minutes to go 20 miles to downtown, 20 minutes to go the last 1.5 miles)

Paro: Up early to redistribute our stuff into different piles so we don’t have to open our big suitcases for our last stop of the trip: Bangkok. Goes better than expected, maybe we didn’t accumulate as much on this trip other than a few extra pounds around the waist.

That's our plane, fresh from India. Why are the passengers standing around taking selfies and kissing the tarmac? Maybe because of the zig-zag approach to Paro. It's a gorgeous day for flying, clear and not too windy. Our next two flights were fine.

An excellent Indian veg meal, one of the best in-flight meals ever. Hot naan, everything else served at right temp and consistency (THB did not eat the roll)

Generous tips for Tashi (who probably missed out on some USD when our travel partners had to defer due to illness) and Chencho (who expected nothing as his gratuity was already factored in to our tour price).

Make it to the Druk lounge (yes, Druk Airlines has a business class lounge in the Paro airport) exactly 2 hours before our flight. There are two guys in the lounge: we saw them at the Taj a few days ago.

Flight to Bagdogra very short, the flight from there to Bangkok was about 4 hours. We lost or it gained an hour, our body clock sez 3:30 and the local time is 4:30. In any case the plane is also an hour early.

Bangkok: We have something called expedited arrival and there’s a guy with a sign inside security with our name on it, inside immigration, at the top of the jetway. Apparently all the foreigners in business class paid for this service. Our first expediter shows us where to line up for expedited immigration and THB has no trouble picking the slowest line. After immigration expediter #1 is there to escort us to baggage claim and load our two suitcases (not to be opened in Bangkok) onto a trolley and takes us outside and hands up off to expediter #2, the guy in the quote above. The ride is an hour, and we get cultural update (expediter #2 is Buddhist like 95% of Thailand…more on this later) and the driver is Muslim (apparently no English). What we don’t get are drinks to enjoy with the pretty decent (smog and steam driven) sunset.

Siam Hotel: Unbelievable! Somehow (well, the hotel, 39 rooms, is probably 25% full) we have been upgraded to a villa. It is our good fortune because we were originally booked at the Mandarin, the long-time best-spot-in-town place: it’s undergoing renovation and they themselves recommended we not stay there.

Our good fortune (all those offerings in Bhutan? A visit to the Tiger's Nest?). Turns out the room is awesome, the location is great, and we have our own butler. Actually the latter is a floating concierge. Not someone who does our laundry and helps THB get dressed. The guy who escorted us to the room and explained how the room works is a butler, the guy who came to our room on day 2 is a butler. The guy who met our water taxi when we got back is a butler. The three guys at the check-in desk are butlers. No women butlers…buttlerettes?

THB will describe the hotel in pics

First, the grounds:

Actually, first the passion fruit drink served in a "flask" shaped bottle, no glass, and a cold towel

From the back patio/boat launch area

The back patio / boat launch in day time

We saw one guy in this pool overlooking the river; he was facing the river and using his phone

Lots of water features; they bring a bottle of natural bug spray to our room

Main building from rear

There are lot of 1800s type items throughout the main building, yet the place is so big it never feels crowded

Water lily pond, the lilies open up during the day

Small shrine near the restaurant near the back patio

Another relic

Next door on the river

Now our room:

Lofted king size bed

Desk #1 at left

Desk #2 (dressing table) where THB is finishing up this post while DB sleeps in

Amankora take note: this is where you put an immense bathtub

And this is where you put the water spout

Our own private pool in the "front yard"...clothing optional

Stairs to our front row roof deck

If you want to see the traffic flow by on the river...it's too hot and steamy to spend any time outside unless you are in the pool

The room comes with a smart phone loaded with appropriate apps and info; you can make calls to anywhere for free. Sorry, THB is not much of a phone talker, otherwise he would've called everyone on this distro list just to show it could be done...

The gym:

A first for THB; he goes 15 rounds of shadow boxing, the other guy won the fight

DB knew about these: they have them at the gym she goes to...lube and oil change are extra

Sign of the tape: at the weigh-in THB had again lost 100 pounds, sweated off in the sauna outside and all those rounds in the ring and the jog up to Tiger's Nest and the ice skating routine coming down

Dinner is in a dim outdoors Siam restaurant attached to the bar.

How dim was it? The menu comes with one of those attachable mini-lights.....didn't help, THB gave up and let DB take the lead on ordering

Local brewski

Amused boush: Watermelon sprinkled with sweet powder of some sort

Veggies wrapped in rice paper: very good dipping sauce (at least, that's what THB assumed, it was just a dark puddle in a cup)

Pad Thai and Chicken in Green Curry

THB asks for a fan. No fan arrives though we see one in use at breakfast the next morning. Veggies and tofu in rice noodle rolls, pad thai and chicken in green curry, two local brewskies, 2440 THBs (Thai bahts), 80 USD.

THB does his 7 minute workout, the gym is a revelation! Pics above. Of course, THB has the place to himself. The theme of the trip: it's lonely at the top.

Papaya and lime very good

Breakfast: soft scrambled eggs on some sort of hybrid bagel/English muffin, a round squat potato pancake, toast, pastry, café au lait, guava juice, included.

A street full of food vendors is right outside the Siam, very convenient.

She gave DB a hand bouquet and wants a smooch on the cheek in return

THB and DB canvas the territory and THB manages to burn his hand slightly on a hot griddled pastry full of very hot custard that oozes out before THB can react. Good news: THB doesn’t put the hot custard in his mouth. Maybe tomorrow for breakfast instead of the Siam.

Pay is a live wire, pic taken by one of the floating butlers...this is the last time we looked cool and put together during the tour; That's an umbrella between DB and THB and not a Flaming Thunderbolt of Wisdom

The last of the boat people in this stretch of the river

As in Bhutan, Thailand is a Kingdom and a parliament and unlike Bhutan a very over-riding military. Old king (think Queen Elizabeth reign) died a few years ago and the Crown Prince (64ish) is about to be coronated after a respectiful 2 year wait

Brollies in action; Pay left hers at the ice cream stand; one call and a friend at the ferry handed it off on our way back to the Siam. These guides know everyone (or at least someone) when they need a bit of help. Of course, this is Bangkok, a city of 8 million so Pay doesn't know EVERYONE. Tasi in a country of 800,000 does know everyone

“Pay” is our guide for the day, scheduled from 10 to 1, we start at 9:45 and end at 2:15. We do the Bangkok greatest hits: the Grand Palace, temples, the food and flower market, a terrific coffee shop, brewski ice cream, and ferry rides and tuk-tuk rides. Pay is awesome, very personal and thorough, easy to understand, awesome.

The tour in pics, note the crowds at the Grand Palace...this is off-season! So many buildings crowded together, many temples, THB can't possibly tell you about any of them and their functions.

We aren't at entrance, we're heading to the queue to get in. This is a peek at the entrance

You have to wait your turn for this first photo op. THB is carrying 5 days worth of water in his bag

Many stupas

A mock up of one of the Wats of Cambodia...a gift to the King?

Pay says there are lots of Chinese tourists; THB would say a ton of Southeast Asians, Asians, and some much smaller percent of Europeans and N. and S. Americans, and a few Africans

Our first tuk-tuk ride of day. Not like India, this is calm compared to traffic in Mumbai

Pay asks driver to change the you-tube station so now we get forlorn love ballads from the early aughts

Now we have escaped the Grand Palace, it's on to the food and flower markets (under one roof), cool, shaded and a bit of a breeze

Potato chips

The extract is a bitter tasting juice or paste that women rub on their nipples to wean babies. Can also be used to cane children who are acting out

Green mangoes

And now you know how google maps has conquered the world. They have got down to walking the planet

Mushrooms

Our lunch spot: a true oasis

THB orders one of every drink as long as it comes with ice

Wall decorations: a list of cities...

Pay shows restraint on THB's behalf and orders him a mocha...

DB gets the best Arnie Palmer ever

Pay gets a lychee smoothie. She can't finish it, THB almost asked for a to-go cup

Gold leaf Buddhas in an outdoor temple site

Pay has small sections for us to apply. Old shaky hands is at a loss so DB adds one for THB

Note the placement of the ATM! In case you are short a few THBs for those offerings, modern world is right at hand to help out

DB pic of jewels

Another shot for Prof Woo's instagram project

The 140 foot long reclining Buddha, unlike the 120 foot high Buddha in Thimphu

Pay lies down to take this shot of our nostrils

Not an accurate recreation: Buddhas had to have suffered from that foot fungus THB and millions of others have now

The statue came first, then a building was put up

Diamonds...okay mosaics....on the bottom of his shoes

From the rear

You can buy a bucket of 108 coins and put them in these bowls as an offering. It is the only sound we hear all day similar to the prayer wheel bells of Bhutan. No prayer wheels here

Crew cleaning the building

8 Buddhas

It's an ornament from the mid 1800s, some sort of horn; would look great in the loft

A pic of the "horn" ornament on an ancient temple

Another refreshment stop

Beer gelato or ice cream: A TWO-FER!!

THB has a very cold Singha

12 cents to cross the river

Crowded

Many signs warning of pickpockets. Does anyone steal smart phones anymore?

One monk per temple except at more important ones

Broken porcelain from China is part of the decoration of this temple

The roof line of the Royal Palace. THB doesn't think we were allowed to see it

Thank goodness, these are very steep, very shallow steps

It's a takin!!!

Our boat back to Siam...not easy to get in, you have to step on the bunting and lunge forward. THB benefits from watching DB give it a go

Time for a long dip in our private pool.

Then rest up for a second long dip in our private pool. Lunch on the Siam deck to watch the sun set between 5 and 6. Around $50.

half gone by time drinks arrive

Bruschctta done 3 ways: best was the blue cheese with orange marmalade

Fried shrimp

Take a break and come back for dinner aboard the Siam boat, dining on another plate of pre-ordered snacks with two (unfinished) local brewskies (around $50), taking the ride from the financial district on a up and back that lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Our on-board tray: warm olives, tuna tartare and crispy crackers, chicken satay

Impressionistic pic of large white stupa at night

Another dip in our private pool. A great way to cool down.

Book Review: Into the Silence, The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest, Wade Davis (paperback, pub’d in US in 2011): Two truths and a lie: WWI was covered brilliantly through the recounting of the impact on the lives of the mountaineers and their support crews; Mallory was well explained (a terrific natural climber at lower altitudes who forgot to bring the essentials when setting out on big climbs, especially his last one); and Everest won, not conquered until 30 years after the time frame covered in the book (1921-4). A terrific book, extremely well written, and an essential book for those traveling to Tibet, Bhutan or anywhere you can see the Himalayas, or if you’re interested in the flawed lives of British explorers. Highly Recommended

Signs of the times: