Back from Bangkok

It feels wonderful to be back home again and in our Alpine. Thanks to the Johnsons and their kind hospitality, our trip to Bangkok to meet our grandson was smooth and easy. 
While we were gone, Alpine remained safely parked in their driveway here in Simi Valley, and transport to LAX via the Van Nuys Flyaway bus made airport access a breeze. The Johnsons dropped us off at the bus depot and picked us back up again. 
Thank you Debi and Sandy - we could not have done it without you! 

Debi and I at the local quilt store enjoying sewing time together

We left December 5th, returned on the 27th, and have hung out with Debi and Sandy for several more days as we recovered from the gruelling 20-hour flight and our bodies adjusted to being back in this time zone. 
Debi and I have had fun sewing and visiting quilting stores, while Michael and Sandy have taken care of Alpine To-Do's (replacing sway bar bushings, new shocks, flushing the water heater, replacing fluorescent tubes in the kitchen, etc). 

Baby Aidan and smitten grandmother

As for Bangkok, we spent a wonderful three weeks with our daughter and son-in-law and our baby grandson. Why Bangkok of all places, you may ask? Well, the short story is that our son-in-law's job took them to Dhaka, Bangladesh (yes! I know, don't ask!) but the health care system in Bangkok, known for its medical tourism, is far superior. So that is where baby Aidan Alexander was born on November 25th. Since the new family was spending several weeks in Bangkok after the birth for post-op visits (Kathleen ended up having a C-section), registering baby's birth with the American embassy and applying for his passport, it made more sense for us to travel to Bangkok and spend time with them there. We were glad to be an extra pair of helping hands to the new parents, and it was our pleasure to cuddle Aidan and watch him grow. 
All grandparents are smitten with their grandchildren and all grandchildren are simply the most beautiful and wonderful. But our Aidan surely tops them all😉

Bangkok itself remains a noisy, congested, steamy hot, and polluted memory. To be fair, we did not visit like most tourists who travel to popular tourist destinations. We lived the Bangkok city life, much like the locals, stayed in a high-rise condo, took taxis to the hospital or other outings, and walked to the local markets. 

view out of our bedroom window on the 28th floor

It is the first time we have experienced an East Asian city which made it interesting and fascinating because it was very different from any of our previous foreign travel experiences. Thai folk are certainly courteous, kind, and friendly. Their surroundings are more intriguing, a study in stark contrasts: the city is a sprawling hodgepodge of striking modern high rises, side by side with older tiny store fronts with rundown apartments above, and in between in any space available, you will find shanty-like abodes.  I found the high-rise buildings quite fascinating in their diversity of architectural style. Some have roof gardens and swimming pool on one of the floors so it is not unusual to see a bit of green sprouting somewhere on terraces of buildings in this concrete jungle. Our building had a fully equipped gym, outdoor pool and patio on the 9th floor.

Thru Thonglor, the high rise condo where we stayed on the 28th floor,
 the canal and run-down buildings below

small shops selling their wares

too bad this shop was closed as we passed it

Interspersed within the various communities are gilded temples with several shrines, much like local neighborhood churches. 

the temple around the corner from us

Land and space are at a premium in this over-crowded area and the Thai are superb at making use of every available spot so that outdoor markets appear under bridge overpasses, and sidewalk "cafes" with their food carts become set up at lunch and dinner time.  Outdoor cafes literally arise on the same narrow, uneven sidewalk amidst the never ending traffic. 

food stalls at the outdoor market close to us

stalls offering various merchandise, set up under an overpass

an outdoor cafe set up under this overpass

navigating "sidewalk cafes" outside our condo

But what I will remember most is the insane traffic that continues day and night, with taxis, cars, and motorcycles constantly propelling forward in the chaotic gridlock. Motorists appear to have their own set of rules when it comes to squeezing through, past, around, and in between other moving vehicles. Drivers slide past one another with inches to spare, and still manage to avoid hitting outside mirrors or fenders. One guarantee is that no matter how far or how near you need to travel, it would invariably take three times as long as expected to get there and the taxi drivers have learned to apologetically utter "traffic jam" in English. There is nothing that moves fast in that congestion, the only exception being our trip back to the airport at 2AM when there were slightly fewer cars on the road and we continued moving without stopping.  Bangkok drivers must surely be the most patient people on earth!

The motor cyclists are another memory. They too follow their own set of rules as they negotiate their way, weaving in and out between lanes and cars, or if they need to, simply drive up and on the sidewalk. An English language travel guide warned that in Bangkok pedestrians have no rights.  Some sidewalks have faded lines intended as a motorcycle lane.  Motorists seem to be quite accommodating towards the motorcyclists. While cars remain stopped in the typical gridlock, the cyclists buzz on by, and if there is a red traffic light, they all congregate in a large clump ahead of the cars. Anticipating that the light is about to turn green, they surge forward en masse, like a noisy swarm of mosquitoes. Motorcycles are also taxis, transporting one or more passengers on the back, none of whom wear helmets. I saw families of four on motorcycles, and I was fascinated to watch motorcycles delivering goods. One in particular was hilarious with a mattress balancing on the back.  
I found it all rather hair-raising, yet in the time we were there, I never witnessed a single accident, and was quite amazed that we hardly ever heard honking horns, which in the US is a standard in large cities. Previous complaints about LA gridlock down I-5 pale by comparison.

Here is a photo collage of a few of my memories of the unusual and different that caught my eye while in Bangkok:

the city was in mourning for their beloved king
and many buildings had a shrine in his memory

in addition to memorials of remembrance, fronts of building were draped with
black and white swags while the city remains in mourning

most buildings also have shrines similar to this one
at the entrance to our condo building for folks to stop and pray

one of several canals and speeding water taxis, probably the fastest
transport system in this gridlock city

walking along the canal

we stayed in a modern, 2-bedroom condo with the washing machine outside on
the tiny open balcony - hanging laundry was slightly unnerving at this height in case I
dropped anything over the rails

Dragonfruit, one of several new "fruity" experiences

flesh of the Dragonfruit, sweet like kiwi 

one of many very fancy malls in the shopping area

intriguing to see these hampers, filled with
British and American goodies, to welcome the new year

a mobile grocer selling fresh veggies and fruit

a tangle of electrical wires throughout the city, an
electrical engineer's nightmare

Buddhist monks, green taxis, pink taxis, motorbikes - a busy,
diverse city constantly on the move

experiencing Chatuchak Weekend Market

tempting tropical fruits, perfect for sweltering hot days

noisy and smelly Tuk-Tuk taxis

Phraya River sunset cruise to the Asiatique night bazaar 

One day the two of us toured the Grand Palace and Wat Pho Temple with the reclining Buddha. It was 96°F and I was thankful for the umbrella that Kathleen lent me, as well as a hand fan. Here we got a glimpse of royal and spiritual Thai culture, and its unique, strikingly ornate architecture.

gilded towers and spires in the Grand Palace

captivating roof lines and turrets

Wat Pho, temple of the reclining Buddha and
many more golden Buddhas

reclining Buddha, over 150 feet long and 49 feet high