Larry's Travels
January 11

Well this blogging isn’t the greatest unless you have access to the internet all the time. We were in many remote places and since I was a novice at this program, I had a lot of trouble posting. Either the password wouldn’t take or couldn’t find the blog because it was so slow or just got fed up with trying to post when is was so slow.

Anyway, I am home now, safe and ready to go to work, I guess. A long vacation has its pros and cons. The pros are many but the cons are “you really aren’t interested in getting back to a schedule!” I am working with that con right now!

The flight home was really nice. Eva Air does a very nice job of making your travel enjoyable. They have four classes: Economy, Evergreen, Business, and First. Most airlines just have the three. Evergreen is a class between Economy and Business. You have a wider seat, which is all I am interested in and it is reasonably priced. I have the perks of using the lounge while in the airport and priority loading but not the high price of Business class. My routine is that I leave Bangkok at 4:55 pm (not the 6am flight of Northwest) and have dinner and watch a movie for the 3 hours to Taiwan, spend some time in the lounge and walk around in Taiwan, and then on the long leg home, I take two Ambien sleeping pills and sleep for 8 hours, wake up and in an hour or two land and I get my rental car and drive home. Last night I was home by 10:15 pm. The plane landed at 7:30 pm, went through immigration and customs and out by 8:15, no traffic going home and in bed by midnight.

Allen tried to get on the same flight but Eva was booked on the leg from Taiwan to LA until January 24. He really didn’t want to wait so tried the internet and unbelievably he got a flight the next day. He is incredible when it comes to travel details. He checked the internet and found that by using some miles he could upgrade to business class and get a flight, and then checked by phone and the people there said, “no possible seats in January, February, and March. He didn’t take no for an answer, went downstairs again to the internet and ½ hour later he had the flight. The ticket from Eva is refundable so he had to pay very little and was treated to a flight direct through San Francisco to Palm Springs. It really pays to not take no for an answer. It is crazy what games the airlines play!! No wonder they are all failing. Really stupid to call and be told no flights and then get one by yourself, so much for customer service.

We are now home, Allen is sleeping having arrived at 12:30 pm. It will take a few days to get up back in the swing of things but that is fine, we had an enjoyable time.

Grama is fine, still has some pain but looks great and the pills are working so she is getting around with her walker. Richard said she is weak but sure doesn’t look like it. Eating a lot of ice cream and maintains her appetite. Blood pressure is under control and she seems fine. She keeps saying “she is ready to go but no one wants her.” Her favorite joke! She will probably outlive her mother at 104.

Before our next trip, I will look for another blogging program and maybe just do a website instead. We will see.

Larry's Travels
January 3

While in Pattaya we beached, beached, and beached. The weather here is superb. Sunny, dry and warm! We have only to walk out the front of the hotel and we are on the beach. We were out late last night so slept in until 10 am and watched the guys in a trash truck try to get it out of the sand. They had attempted to turn around in this small frontage road and got the front wheels stuck in the sand. The truck was very heavy and it was very amusing watching a whole group of experts trying to get a consensus of how to get it loose. We finally gave up watching and took showers and had breakfast and by the time we walked out they had gotten it out. Very funny watching a group trying to figure things.

The beach here is very narrow because most of it is taken up by a ceiling of umbrellas. They take them down every night and put them up every morning. Very hard work for the boys but they couldn’t be nicer. They run up and down the little alleys of chairs fetching water, beer, food, and anything else you want. Once you pick out your chairs, they put a beach towel on the seat, put a small table in front of your seats and then anything you want. The water has been a bit cool so I only swam once. Met the nicest, amusing man named Kevin from New Zealand. He has been here for three months and is going back home in about a week. He has a great personality and sense of humor. His travels have been fascinating and all over the world. Spent three years in Bangkok, spent some time in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and China. Very fascinating to chat and bitch about the same things we bitch about in America. He is quite an historian and I would guess him to be about 60-65. He lives alone and plans next year to spend six months here and six months in New Zealand. He owns about 100 orange trees on a large piece of property and that keeps him busy for the warm months and then comes here for the cold ones. Really a nice plan.

Other than that, not much news to report. We leave for Bangkok (about a 1-1/2 hour drive) tomorrow at noon and will be back to Sathorn Place, our home away from home. Plan on going back to the computer store and making some purchases, MBK (the large department store), visit a chicken farm (no bird flu) for
Aek and visit his father and sister here in Bangkok. My photoshoots have pretty much fallen through so we will have a full 6 days of wind-down. I leave on January 10th at about 11 am.

Allen called me this am from Cambodia and says he doesn’t feel well and may fly home with me on the 10th. That would be wonderful and I will call him tomorrow am and see if he still is interested in coming home early. Will keep you posted.

Larry's Travels
January 1

Well Thailand really came into the New Year with a bang, actually 9 of them. Thankfully they were small and only 2 people were killed but still it was a horrendous start of the year. It seems that these cowardly acts were intended to embarrass and hurt the economy of Thailand because now tourists will think twice about coming to this wonderful country. The backers of the ousted Prime Minister, Taksin, are thought to be behind the bombings. This is the first time these acts were aimed at this sweet and kind country and it is a shame.

They picked strange targets and thankfully they were antipersonnel bombs. One was put in a trashcan and killed an innocent man walking by. A couple of police traffic buildings and the Victory Monument in the center of Town. I think they were meant to intimidate the government and tourists more than really kill anyone but the results were the same. 2 dead and 34 injured.

Aek and I were in Pattaya for New Years and were treated to a wonderful fireworks display. Our small hotel is located right on the beach and we have a nice balcony overlooking the water and beach. Next door was a large dinner and show and they provided fireworks also. So we had a ringside seat for the show on the beach, next door at the hotel, north to the center of the town and south to the Jomtien area. All three were spectacular. We purposely had an early dinner just a few blocks away because there are many people on the streets and there is sometime about an Asian and fireworks and firecrackers. Unlike America, which waits until midnight to celebrate the New Year, these people can’t seem to wait and the fireworks and firecrackers started at about 6pm. I had my doubts whether they would have any left for midnight but I shouldn’t have worried. It was spectacular. Sipping cocktails on our balcony and watching the wonderful show and being private and not fighting the crowds and traffic was great.

Tonight they are having a street party in the Jomtein Plaza area, which is like a two story set of shops, restaurants, and bars. The cost is 200 baht, about $5.00 for a buffet dinner and drinks. Very nice thank you to the people in the area. Then we may go into town to do some sightseeing on the “walking street. ” People watching is at it’s greatest on this street. About a mile long, many shops, bars, entertainers, and just strange and funny people walk from one end to another. At least you don’t have to watch for cars.

Went to the beach, called home, and wrote a note on the internet to let people know we are safe and sound 2 hours south of Bangkok. No problems, no worry.