We Told It On the Mountain

April 18 -20, 2017

Because Songkran would still be going strong in Pattaya for a couple more days, we finished out our trip with a two-night stay in Bangkok.  Songkran celebrations happen in waves; Bangkok's celebration was finished a couple of days before.  Pattaya's party goes on for several days.  But, aaah, back to the comfort of our home country-away-from-home!

We took a taxi from Suvarnabhumi airport to Hotel Muse, a lovely boutique hotel in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok.  We were pretty disheveled after our long flights from Kathmandu; I felt a bit embarrassed walking into the stylish lobby.  But the staff couldn't have been lovelier, greeting us with respectful, warm smiles.  The lobby has a bit of a Gatsby feel to it - lots of dark wood, arched doorways, soft lighting and colorful ostrich feathers.  We were treated to four small glasses of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as we checked in - very tasty.  Then a staff member escorted us up to our room.  He paused outside our door, and said, "I have a surprise for you.  You have been selected as our Muse of the Day!"  This granted us an upgrade to one of just two rooms with a full balcony, along with various discounts and Happy Hour privileges.  How nice!

in the hotel's foyer

The room was beautiful, with a full sitting room, dining area, work desk, and a separate bedroom with a huge bathroom - lots of rich textures, like leather, marble and even a cow skin rug.  So this is how the other half lives!

We got cleaned up and went up to the Speakeasy, a rooftop bar, for a late evening drink and a small bite to eat.  It was quite dark by then, and we had to use a little menu light to see the menu.  The Speakeasy offered a lovely view of the Bangkok city lights.

The next morning, we were able to walk a short distance over to the American Embassy.  Tim had ordered a passport card at the same time we got our passports, but it took a bit longer to arrive.  He had just received an email a few days earlier, notifying him that his card was ready for pickup.

A guard chased us away - "No photo!"

I was disappointed when the guard at the window said only Tim could go in to get his card - guess being American doesn't count for that much.  Luckily, a Starbucks was just across the street, and I wasn't too disappointed about waiting for him there.  I was in line behind two young men who were chatting enthusiastically about a video game in very obvious American accents.  Their t-shirts and tattoos convinced me they were US military, and they confirmed it when I asked them.  I thanked them for their service and said, "Welcome to Thailand!"  They responded, "You, too!"  I'd assumed they were on leave here, but was surprised to find out they were actually stationed in Bangkok.  Pretty sweet gig, if you ask me.

I ordered a chai latte, and was seduced by a sign advertising the new chocolate cruffin.  I was not impressed, and that's saying something for a chocoholic like me.  It didn't take Tim too long to get his card.  Once we met back up, we walked around to find a place for Tim to get some breakfast.  I did not miss this steamy weather of Thailand while we were away - it was hot!  We ended up in a place called On the Table Tokyo Cafe - the food was okay, and they had lots of interesting health drinks.

It was nice to be in Bangkok without feeling the need to see the sights, so we spent a pretty low-key day.  We did a little shopping - I found a nice shirt that actually fit, a rarity in this country.  And we found a place for Tim to get a haircut.

We had lunch at the Beer Bridge, where the Thai waitress was unusually un-Thai-like, never offering a smile and acting like she was being bothered to wait on us, even though we were the only ones in the place.  (Felt more like the service we get back home!)  We did enjoy the nice cold beer, and some good chicken wings.  And we were entertained by the sign on the door:

"Happy Zone!"  And can someone explain why a horse is used for "No Drug?"
(See comment below)  

You can see how busy the waitress must have been!

Before dinner, we revisited the Speakeasy for our free Happy hour drinks.  I tried the Spiced Passion Martini, a little too heavy on the chili for my taste.  Tim enjoyed the Gin and Sin, especially after he got them to double the gin!  We had another nice view of the city below and watched the sun set between the buildings.

Tim was excited to have a real steak, after his vegetarian stint in Tibet and Nepal, so he texted his buddy who lives in Bangkok for a recommendation.  We wound up at Artur Restaurant, also within walking distance of our hotel.  The food and service were both top-notch, and we had a very enjoyable evening.

Another nice perk of being Muse of the Day was a late checkout.  We were allowed to keep our room until 6 p.m. on our checkout day, which gave us another full day in Bangkok.  We agreed to meet Tim's buddy, Chris, and his new wife for lunch.  This was the couple whose wedding we attended in December.  His wife suggested one of her favorite Thai restaurants, The Local, and she met us there on her lunch break from work.  We took a taxi, as we didn't want to be late.  Several taxis were waiting on the street, but the hotel staff said those taxi drivers liked to cheat their customers.  They called us a taxi instead, but it took quite a long time to get there.  Then we had to make our way through Bangkok traffic.  Chris and Tania were already waiting inside when we finally arrived.

The Local is designed to preserve old Thai customs of home and food.  We were led along a long wooden walkway, the walls lined with several period pieces of Thai history - dishes, pots, cutlery, etc.  We continued up a flight of stairs to a large, airy room with rattan chairs and Thai silk cushions.  Tania was kind enough to order for us, and ordered a variety of foods from many different regions of the country.  Neither Tim nor I are huge fans of Thai food, but everything we had here was delicious! We were grateful to have Tania's expertise at our disposal!

lovely desserts

After lunch we hiked back to the BTS in the afternoon sun, and rode the couple of stops back to our hotel.  We took our time, wandering down new streets and stopping in interesting shops.  We were still too full from lunch to think about dinner, but we stopped back up at the Speakeasy for one more Happy hour before Mick arrived to take us back to Pattaya.

a view of our hotel from the BTS station

sunset from the Speakeasy

So much to absorb and process from the last two weeks.  I am so thankful for all that I learned and experienced, broadening my view of the world even further.  I am thankful for all the wonderful people we met along the way, who were so willing to share the beauty of their countries with strangers.  And I am most thankful to Tim, whose hard work day in and day out made this amazing adventure possible.




via GIPHY