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Published: February 24th 2012
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We left Chaing Mai and flew to Bangkok, the City of Angels. We are getting pretty efficient as a group when we fly!! We are usually seated all in the same area of the plane, and getting used to the boxed lunches and Asian airline efficiency. I have also enjoyed the classical music that they play while flying...a welcome change to mini tvs at every seat. Our suitcases are packed to capacity....so we will all need to buy another suitcase for the trip home! Jim and our guide, May, met us at the airport. We went directly to the tailors, where we all went on a shopping frenzy.....choosing fabrics and styles for our custom made clothes. Lots of staff to help us....a very unique process that most of us had never experienced. We will have 2 more fittings, and the finished products will be shipped home. We checked into our hotel, the Royal Orchid, and again, we have been upgraded to suites with a gorgeous view of the Chao Phraya river. The staff welcomed us with flowers and fruit and chocolate in the room. For dinner, we boarded a converted traditional rice barge which is now a private boat. We were
greeted with flowers and welcome drinks, and an elegant long table with gorgeous flowers and covered chairs. There was a beautiful girl playing a traditional Thai stringed instrument called a "kim", and also a woman playing the violin, with recorded accompaniment. The view was spectacular, as we gently cruised along the river. It was very nice to meet Or, and to have a chance to thank Jim for the wonderful trip so far. We just can’t believe all of the amazing experiences that we’re having...well beyond any of our expectations. We finished off the night with a nightcap in the hotel lounge, where a Beatles band played all of our favourite tunes while we all sang along!
Wed morning we enjoyed breakfast in the Executive Lounge on the 27
th floor. Then we headed out for a morning of touring. First stop was the Grand Palace, which is a dazzling complex of courtyards and buildings adorned in gold leaf and coloured glass. We saw the Emerald Buddha, and then went to see Wat Po, which is the oldest temple in Bangkok and houses the amazing reclining Buddha. Our last tour was of the Wat Trimitr, which houses the 700 year
old Golden Buddha, the largest in the world, weighing approximately 5 tons. It was extremely hot, and it was very crowded, but they were certainly amazing sights to see. We were happy to get back to the hotel and the pool, where we enjoyed some free time. Then we went to see the offices of Destination Asia, where our friend Jim is the CEO. We met the lady that had done all of the work to arrange our trip, and presented her with a gift. Then we went for our first fitting at the tailor’s. So exciting to see our new duds and some of us even ordered more!! Ended the day with dinner at a great restaurant just down the way from our hotel.
On Thursday we split up into two groups. One group went for massages in the morning, and then we went to a mall where we shopped and had pedicures. The other group went to a Thai cooking class, where they spent time at the market, and then prepared 4 dishes. They ate the food they had prepared for lunch, and then went for massages. The tailors came to our hotel for fittings, and then
we all headed to Jim and Or’s apartment for a wonderful dinner party on the rooftop of their building. The view was spectacular, and the meal, catered by the Four Seasons Hotel, was incredible! There was a DJ playing all of our favourite tunes, a gorgeous dinner table, and no less than 12 staff serving our group of 14! Their apartment is right across from the American Embassy in downtown Bangkok. Jim and Or literally rolled out the red carpet for us....and it was a night we will never forget.
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Anne & Dave
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Great Blog
Nice pictures Jane. We will follow the adventures this week! Anne & Dave