Bangkok

That last photo is for Jas - a rave on Khoa San that - at 4:00 am is still going on.

I'm not sure how to start a new entry so I'm adding this to the last one....of course e.veryone knows it's me now and not Lou.  

It has been an incredible couple of days, I don't quite know how to describe Bangkok and pictures never do it justice. The sights, smells, poverty, filth and chaos somehow add to the experience of this city. People work from morning til night, the streets are littered with garbage everyday and it is swept into piles and picked up early every morning, there are people from all corners of the world here, the weather is warm, and when you turn your face you go from smelling a tuber rose to smelling delicios aromatic food and sweet fruits to a rotten stench that can only be backing up sewer. And the food is so yummy, fresh fruit shakes, pad Thai, curries, tom yum soups, seafood,... My mouth waters just thinking about it and I'm stuffed from dinner still. Travelling in this city is an experience all on its own however walking can be the most treacherous. Today we went to china town by water taxi along the river, the boat was full to more than double it's capacity, crammed in worse than sardines, yet a breeze off the river that is both full of garbage and flowering hyacinths left me wanting to keep going when our stop came up. Housing is the same here, you see people living on the street or in cardboard boxes in alley ways or houses made out of tin, with no windows 8 people to a 10 x12 box. Then next door is a lovely apartment building. No one lives in a whole lot of space, and most everyone's living is done working. Apparently it is very expensive for children to go to school here which is why many even most don't, parents have to pay for schooling, then they have to "pay"/"bribe"/"reward" teachers and principals for there children to be there. Last night I spoke to a woman from Briton who teaches here, for the British council, her son is a year old and she said when he gets to be 5 she will move back to Briton because even on her salary she couldn't afford to pay for his education here. Shocking! I best be off, we have a busy day ahead of us sightseeing tomorrow, the we catch the train Friday to HoHin an ocean town 4 hours from Bangkok for a few days before heading into Cambodia, we are having great fun so far, happy new year all!  Jassy, thanks for the message that you got home safe!! 

Xoxoxoxo

Khoa San, New Years Eve.

Tuitions

Lovers in dangerous time and place. This smooch went on for like 5 minutes.

Khoa San Rod

I've just figured out that I should post the pictures first and then the comments, but what the furthered pictures.

Day One New Years Eve

We have now been in Bangkok for 20 ish hours - it is 1:00am ish New Years Day. So much has happened this day - I'm going to try to give you a sense of it. We were on the street at about 7:00 this morning and we walked Rambuttri road. This route takes you to a major road through the Khoa San district. We came to a round-about and a small motorcycle and it's driver came sliding across the asphalt ( yes serious road-rash) toward us. We stopped our walk and we're about to assist when two other bikers ran up to the fallen fellow - we thought to offer help- and started kicking the shit out of the fallen driver. Kim grabbed my arm and said - quite wisely - "Let's get out of here". As we walked away another attacker/biker ran up to the foallen fellow brandishing a knife. ( to our relief we did see the fallen driver about an hour later looking hale and sound)

So now it's 7:20 am.

We wandered a bit more and found my little cafe that served the best and cheapest Pad Thai and had first breakfasts - Pad Thai, beer and a smoothly of course.

Went back to the hotel and then back out for a trip up Khoa San road.

Back to the hotel for a 6 hour nap. Mmmmmmmmm.. Oh right, we did spend a bit of the afternnoon sitting around the rooftop pool.

 

And then it was New Years Eve

Pictures.

Jerome our hotel?.. A little spell correct gone crazy? .....from our hotel.

The view of the Choa Praya Jerome our Hotel.

Kim gets the swing of it.

That's more like it. Got Into Bangkok about 6:30 am, went to our hotel - they sent us right up even though we were hours early for our check in - we dropped our bags and took a walk around Khoa San area to establish our bearings and then stopped  for a bite. It must have been terrible - 2 plates of Pad Thai, a quart of beer (hey, it was still last night to us) and a pineapple smoothly for about $5.15. So it had to be terrible, right (mmmmmmm...)

Hour 8 of our Beijing layover. zzzzzzzzzzz.....

Kim, totally HOT.....and sour soup at the Beijing airport. The best food in Southeast Asia. Well it must be, right? If 2 soup, a beer and a glass of wine costs 40 bucks it musts be great.

On our way!!

8:14, Sunday the 29th. Stayed at Blaine and Erin's last night. Flights leaves at 10:00. Communications dark at least until Beijing. ....Lou

Having never left my home town for more than 3 weeks ever, this seems a little unreal, a bit overwhelming even.  However I'm excited and a wee bit nervous, all my daily routines will change, what an opportunity to .....,  I'm not sure yet but I'll let you know! .....Kim 

A REQUEST.

If you are reading this, it is because you are our loved ones and we really want to share this with you.  While we look forward to any comments you might be inspired to offer, you will also note that you have the ability to repost our posts to places like Facebook, etc. We would request that you don't. Lets keep this an exclusive club. Thank you.

NOT THERE YET.

OK. If you find yourself here, it is because you redirected from the Tumblr blog. ( Couldn't figure out how to allow comments using Tumblr.) From here on out our adventure will continue here on Blogger.

We are still in Maple Ridge so nothing of note has taken place. However, in 48 hrs......