December 22, 2005 - Home Stretch

Turbulence doesn’t seem to be deterring the in-flight service of mixed nuts and rice crackers but is scaring me a bit. The baby across the aisle is handling it much better than I am. Up until now, this trip has run pretty smoothly and I have my sister to thank for that. Right now, I’ll just try to hold on to my nuts, and be calm.

The last two days in Bangkok have been filled with many flavors. It is no exaggeration when one says that the senses are overwhelmed by such a city. My senses (and sensitivities) were surely affected by the hotel that my sister had selected. Reflections is what they refer to as a boutique hotel. Each of its twenty-one rooms has been designed and decorated by a local artist and for kicks, my sister booked me in the overly pink “flower room” (with an overabundance of hearts). I must say that it wouldn’t have been my first choice by I do appreciate my sister’s attempt at humor (even though it may be off the mark every so often just as cupid’s arrow can be).

Yesterday, we started the day with a visit to a few of the “must-see” tourist sights (and sites). The reclining Buddha was enormous (I guess I would be too if I spent all day lying around).

And, the Jade Buddha was impressive, though small. It is an important enough “treasure” to justify a sign to remind tourists not to point their feet in its direction. I enjoyed seeing its attire for the fall/winter. This Buddha is so revered that only the King himself gets to dress it.

The National Palace was an example in extravagant. The artwork and architecture was extensive as was the number of tourists. It was a major change from the solitude and tranquility of Bhutan. Nostalgia can be pretty strong.

The afternoon was spent in a cab getting to an art and fashion trade show one of Bangkok’s enormous convention centers. I was reminded that “not far away” is purely a relative phrase. The trip out there left but 45 minutes for my sister to navigate the hundreds of stands. Time was short because we had massage appointments back at the hotel.

The professional massage is a foreign concept for me. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy them on a regular basis. I certainly could use them. But, in the U.S., the cost can be staggering. As a physician, I would have to work almost three hours to pay for one hour of massage therapy. Here in Thailand, an hour costs the same as the toll at the Lincoln Tunnel. It was a nice treat, one to which I hope I never get accustomed.

I was happy that my sister and Clara had the opportunity for a mini-reunion with their college roommate, Pam. It has been over a decade since they have seen each other. They have collectively inhabited many countries since going their separate ways. Pam now lives in Thailand where she was originally from so it was a natural opportunity for them to relive some old times and catch up. We had dinner at one of the more extravagant Thai restaurants in the City. Even with a name like “Curries and More”, it was absolutely delicious and the service was impeccable (all for the cost of a very mediocre Thai meal back at home).

The night market was truly a test, however. I’ve never been much of a shopper but claustrophobic I certainly can be. It was late and being our last day in Bangkok, my sister and Clara were in a self-described feeding frenzy. The problem is that things can be very inexpensive in Thailand so “need” often becomes secondary. Perhaps the theory is that considering the lack of expense as a barrier, it is better to error on having and not needing than needing and not having. I guess I can’t argue with that and it does drive the local economy…but for me, it also drives me crazy. Anyway, at least I walked away from the experience with twelve pair of chopsticks…falling somewhat in the “need’ category.

The “Princess Room” was already booked for last night so I ended up in another strange room. The room had movable walls which did entertain me when I was trying to accomplish full coverage when using the toilet. But, they certainly were right when they advertised that one can see the TV from any corner of the room (including the toilet and shower).




The turbulence has calmed a bit and the in-flight service has resumed with beef stew. My belly is full but no doubt I’ll eat everything on my tray. I’ve managed to get fat while visiting many “third-world countries”, undoing the weight loss from my U.S. roadtrip. I’m not proud of this “accomplishment”, just surprised by it.