Athanas Asia Adventures: 2018

Stella and Joe at the Skybar.

Joe had a work event in Bangkok, so Stella came along and we made a long weekend of it. Bangkok is less than a two hour flight from Hong Kong. We left Thursday morning and were at our hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, before noon.

Built on the site of the first hotel in Bangkok, the Mandarin Oriental is a spectacular five star hotel. It sits on the Chao Praya River that runs through central Bangkok. The hotel is on one side of the river, while the gym, pool and one of the restaurants is on the other side. An old wooden ferry boat carries guests from one side to the other at all hours of the day and night. The hotel is absolutely beautiful inside and gets the Joe and Stella thumbs up of approval. During the day, tourists in shorts and flip flops scurry around, but in the evening no shorts or flip flops are allowed and the hotel lobby and bar fills up with well-dressed high society folks from around the world.

Tuk Tuk motorcycle ride.

After walking around the neighborhood of our hotel, we took a ride in a Tuk Tuk (a motorcycle with double seat attached to the back of it). We went to a nearby shrine and saw the very large reclining Buddha. After that, the Tuk Tuk driver kept trying to take us shopping because he clearly got a commission from any sales. We returned to our hotel and Joe spent that evening and the next day (Friday) working.

Outside the very large reclining Buddha.

On Friday, Stella went with her friend Trinity to see the Jim Thompson House, designed by American architect and designer Jim Thompson in 1959. The house was amazing. It is extremely odd to see the clump of jungle surrounding the half-acre house in the middle of the concrete jungle of Bangkok. The house is surrounded by lush gardens. Inside, the house is filled with art. Jim Thompson was an avid art collector, collecting pieces from all over Asia. Stella and Trinity then went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum is huge and has an eclectic collection of traditional Thai art and modern art. Stella and Trinity finished their day with some shopping, first at an art mall and then at one of the massive Bangkok outdoor night markets, exploring nearly two miles of little shops.

The Jim Thompson House.

One of many gardens at the Jim Thompson House.

The outdoor foyer at the Jim Thompson House.

Koi fish pond at the Jim Thompson House.

Worker making silk at
the Jim Thompson House.

Trinity walking through
the Jim Thompson House garden path.

Stella and Trinity on
their way back to the hotel
from the night market.

Crazy Bangkok traffic going to the night market.

The enormous map for the night market.
Each color block has hundreds of shops.

Seven story art exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

On Friday night, we planned to do a pub crawl. We started at Maggie Choos, a cozy Jazz bar. From there, we walked over the Skybar, the tallest open air bar in the world. The Skybar was made famous by the classic Oscar-worthy film, Hangover II. The 360 degree views of Bangkok from the Skybar are simply amazing. Upon our arrival, we ran into no less than 50 of Joe’s work colleagues, who were delighted to have us arrive for the purpose of paying the bill. The party raged on until 3am, turning our pub crawl into a two location event. At one point, Joe discouraged the young male Singaporean associates from having a push-up contest with the young female Hong Kong associates on their backs. Nearly 300,000 Thai Bhat later, the manager asked Joe if he would like them to keep the bar open later than closing. Joe wisely declined. Stella and Joe then herded the mob back to the hotel, with Stella practically carrying one of the fellows.

After party at the Skybar.

Our friends Gary and
Simon at the Skybar.

View from the Skybar.

Stella next to street art.

On Saturday, we were not feeling our best, but we got in a Tuk Tuk and headed to the Grand Palace. The Tuk Tuk driver took us down an alley to a boat tour operator and tried to get us to buy a boat tour and take a boat up the river to the Grand Palace so he could get a commission. We explained that we wanted him to take us, which he finally reluctantly did. It was a long drive and we got to see a lot of Bangkok (and take in a lot of pollution).

The Grand Palace.

Outdoor hallways in the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace.

Lion outside the Grand Palace.

Amazing gold detail on the outside of the Grand Palace.

Stella at the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace.

Built in the 1780s, the Grand Palace consists of a walled complex of numerous religious, administrative and residential buildings. Upon our arrival, Stella had to put on a long skirt because shorts and non-full length skirts are prohibited. Many tourists came unprepared and purchased ridiculous looking baggy pants with elephants on them. We then waited in line to get headphones for a recorded walking tour. While the recorded walking tours are usually good, this one was not worth the long line in which we waited to get it. A friendly Grand Palace employee warned us, but we did not heed the warning and later regretted it.

Although not large by Asian standards (the Forbidden City and Great Wall have spoiled us), the Grand Palace is simply spectacular. Every square inch of every religious building is completely covered in intricate carvings. We wandered around through the throng of tourists in baggy elephant pants in complete awe. It was damn hot walking around the palace (94 degrees). We strongly advise that you bring a few water bottles if you ever go.

After leaving the palace, we walked a very, very long way along the river looking for transportation home. There were enticing ferry stops every five hundred meters or so, but none of the ferries seemed to go anywhere near our hotel. The ferry stops did have little shops in them. Stella looked for some flip flops, we purchased a neat dragon made out of rope and, at a shop along the road between ferry stops, a couple ceramic statues. Eventually, we caught a taxi and headed back to our hotel.

Dinner cruise with
traditional Thai music and dancing.

In the evening, we took a dinner cruise up the river. We were very well fed, got a show of traditional Thai music and dancing and saw many beautiful temples lit up along the water. Afterwards, we got a relaxing foot massage. Stella claimed it was the best foot massage ever. It was definitely very relaxing.

Muang Kaew golf course.

On Sunday, we went golfing at Muang Kaew golf course. Muang Kaew is halfway between the city and the airport, so it is perfect if you need to catch a flight right after golf. The entire driveway leading up to the clubhouse was covered by a fencing, which we thought odd. Just how bad are these Thai golfers? However, once we were playing we realized why. There is a hole that requires you to hit your drive 200 yards over trees and that driveway. Although our drives made it, the fellows we were playing with were not so lucky. Good thing they have the fencing!

The course was flat, but very nice. There were quite a few holes that required long shots over water and the greens were all elevated and surrounded by bunkers. Joe got a par on the 17th hole to take the lead in the match. The 18th hole was a par 5 around a pond. Despite hitting his second shot in the water, Joe landed the ball right next to the hole and tapped in for par. Stella was off the green in three, but chipped in for a birdie to win the last hole and tie the match. We took the short flight back to Hong Kong right after the round.

Joe and Stella on the dinner cruise.

Joe, Peter and Stella after the Chelsea Europa League soccer game.

Joe had a business trip to London in early October 2018 and Peter had never been, so Stella, Joe and Peter went to London. Unlike Peter, Spiro didn’t have the week off school and had to stay at Indiana University. The flight from Hong Kong to London is 13 hours. Due to the time difference, if you leave Hong Kong around midnight, you arrive in London first thing in the morning. The morning we arrived, we walked through Hyde Park and St. James Park, and passed by Buckingham Palace, the Parliament Building and Westminster Abbey. Big Ben, the famous clock tower above Parliament, was covered in scaffolding and closed. Peter said “I always wanted to go to see the parliamentary building. It was unfortunate that one of the coolest things to see in London was closed down.” We went to the War Room, the underground bunker beneath the Treasury Building that Winston Churchill used as a headquarters during World War II, and we went to the Portrait Museum. The second day we took a trip to Cambridge and visited King’s College. The third day we went to the Imperial War Museum. The Imperial War Museum has a fabulous exhibit on World War I and an equally good exhibit on the Holocaust. In the evening, we went to see Hamilton, the musical, which was outstanding. The fourth day Joe had to work in the morning and attend a work dinner at night. We also had to change hotels from the Churchill on the west side to the Andaz on the east side near Joe’s office. At Liverpool Station next to the Andaz, Peter discovered Krispy Crème donuts and was in heaven. In the afternoon we found time to see the inside of Westminster Abbey. One of the original Magna Cartas was displayed there in the upstairs museum. The fifth day, Joe had to work all day, but Stella and Peter went to the Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the National Gallery. In the evening, we attended a Chelsea Europa League soccer game. Chelsea won 1-0. Peter found the Chelsey game “very cool.” On the last day, we went to visit the British Museum and checked out the many antiquities looted by the British during their years of world domination. Peter referred to the British Museum as “the national museum of we stole your shit and don’t think you’re getting it back.” On the flight back to Hong Kong, while Stella and Joe lounged in Business Class, Peter sat in the back next to an elderly woman who he claims pounded seven shots before take off. She seemed very relaxed after that.