California

May 1 - 9, 2017

Happy 35th Anniversary, my love - things are better when we're together!

A couple days after we returned to Thailand, Tim was off to India again.  We enjoyed some time down by the sea upon his return.  (Our anniversary just happens to be Labor Day in Thailand, so Tim had a long weekend.)  The tide has been going out really far lately - it seems to be a seasonal thing.  Many locals go out and dig for clams when the water is so low.

We see all sorts of crazy things on the streets of Pattaya.  I saw this particular one on the way to buy groceries, and asked Khun Mick to slow down so I could get a picture.  Bet that guy feels like he's king of the world up there!

Just a couple of weeks later, we said goodbye again - this time I was the one leaving, heading to California to watch our middle son receive his PhD hood.  I was so excited to be going; we hadn't seen our guys for nearly a year - way too long.

I had a decent layover in Beijing on my first trip from Bangkok to LA.  It was kind of nice to have a break long enough to stretch my legs and get something to eat before that marathon flight to the US.  The Beijing airport's got a lovely little pagoda with a fish pond; a very relaxing place to quiet one's mind.  I also found a chair with a fold-up table and charging station, so I was able to pull out my laptop and get some work done on my blog.  Charging stations have become pretty commonplace for airports in the last few years - a great innovation.

Flew up over Russia and Alaska

Found this stuck to my jacket when I woke up on the plane 😊

When our seemingly endless flight finally landed at LAX, we taxied around for quite a while, then the pilot shut down the engines and announced we would wait for a truck to come tow us to our spot.  It was a good fifteen minutes before that happened, at which time we were towed to what must have been the absolute farthest corner of the airport.  Guess Air China doesn't rate.  From there we took a nearly half-hour bus ride up to the terminal.  Then we had to pass through the NSA check - we must have been 500 people, Americans and foreigners, waiting to talk to three security guys, which took forever.  Then one of the three agents had to take someone away from the counter, leaving only two!  Welcome to America.

chiangmaicitylife.com

All was forgotten when I finally made it out to the curb and got a hug from Ted.  The air in LA was blessedly cool, and I got to ride in the front seat!  The steering wheel seemed to be on the wrong side of the car, though, and everyone was driving on the wrong side of the road.  I got so excited to see Paneras and Taco Bells along the way - the little things you miss.  All a bit of shock to the system, to be honest.

It was my first time to Ted's apartment - nice place in a pretty neighborhood.  I would have a week with Ted, and his ceremony wasn't until Thursday.  Lots of time for fun!  Once I got settled, we went out for some real food - In-N-Out burgers.  We took our booty up to Kenneth Hahn State park and had a picnic with a view of the city.  It was actually a little chilly - a sensation I relish these days.  And the burgers were delicious...mmmmm.

Downtown L.A.

Nice Japanese-style garden, but it was tricky to get there -
worth the hike

When Hiustyn got home from work, we went and got sushi from one of their favorite sushi places, Ugly Sushi.  I didn't think it was very ugly, but it was quite delicious.  Our dinner entertainment was re-watching the scene from Shanghai Noon where Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan are playing a drinking game in side-by-side bathtubs.  Always hilarious.

On Tuesday, Ted went to get new tires put on his car - a much needed graduation gift.  Later we drove down to my niece's place.  Fortunately (rim shot), my sister and her husband were in town for the pending arrival of their new granddaughter.  My niece and her husband recently bought a new house with a steep hill in the back.  My sister told me you could see the ocean from the top of the hill, so we decided to climb up.  My little great nephew decided to join us, and was sandwiched between me and my sister.  Did I mention the hill was steep?  That hill was heavy!  There was lots of tenuous footing, and our little companion slipped several times.  I was afraid he was going to pull a Jack and Jill on us, but we all made it up to the top.  And there was the ocean - a tiny spot in the distance, but the ocean nonetheless!  The trip down was equally exciting, but no broken crowns.

Three ladies and an almost baby.  That hill!

We left my brother-in-law to put together a new hammock, and the rest of us went to lunch at a nice Mexican restaurant called The Red Onion.  Had some yummy margaritas, full baskets of tortilla chips (never happens in Pattaya), and some tasty enchiladas.  Even the little guy enjoyed the margaritas (his mom shared her virgin margarita).

After lunch, we stopped to pick up my other great-nephew from school.  He asked his mom how I knew his name.🤣  We stopped back at the "hill house" to visit a bit more, then headed back to Ted's place.  I made him stop at a Wal-Mart we encountered so I could grab stuff from my list of "things to get while in America."  So much selection!

We got back with little time to spare before the three of us headed to the train for a trip to Dodgers Stadium and a real American baseball game - the perfect Mother's Day gift!  The train is walking distance from Ted's place, which is great, so no need to drive.  And such fragrant flora along the way! The train got delayed en route, before continuing on to Union Station, where we transferred to the free shuttle bus to the stadium.  So convenient!

Waiting for the train to...

Union Station, then onto...

the shuttle bus to the stadium

Shuttle bus to the stadium was packed, but festive!

We got off the crowded shuttle bus at the front of the stadium, and had to hike quite a long way, including up a massive set of stairs, to get to our seats.  I thought we left all those stairs behind in Tibet and Nepal!  The game had already begun when we arrived.  It was "Viva Los Dodgers!" Mexican Heritage Night, but we were unable to score the free T-shirts that were being given out - qué mala!

We had great seats, great weather, and yummy hot dogs and beer.  Ted missed a good chunk of the game standing in the refreshments line - thank-you for your service!  It was a good game, complete with a pretty successful wave by the fans, and a perfect tenth-inning win by the Dodgers over the Pirates.  This baseball fix that should tide me over for a while.

Dodgers celebrate their extra-innings win

Me and Hiu

Jackie Robinson tribute

Waiting for the shuttle back to Union Station

Heading back through Union Station after the game

  

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