Thailand!

This pineapple moment was the closest I got to
Thai culture today.

Given the choice of a week at a resort on a Thai beach or a week in the urban jungle of Bangkok, Brianna and Nolan opted for urban jungle.  So, I find myself in central Bangkok for a week of first-world indulgences that these two kids have been desperately missing.  Therefore it should come as no surprise that on day one of our Tour de Bangkok, I tasted not a lick of tasty Thai food, and my Thai cultural quest turned up absolutely nothing. 

The trend started last night when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on the first leg of our journey.  We disembarked from our Jetstar flight to HCMH - a typical no-frills domestic flight that followed a two hour wait in a smoke-filled holding area - starved for dinner.  Our only options were over-priced airport food.  Brianna and Nolan chose spaghetti and sodas (beginning their quest for all things western).  Next we boarded Quatar Airways and enjoyed one of our most lavish flights in recent history - hundreds of entertainment options, free food and beverages, blankets and pillows (fly Quatar Airways next time you get the chance).  We were all a little sad to land in Bangkok with so many entertainment options left unexplored.

             

              

Our taxi ride from the airport to our central Bangkok hotel featured Nolan's excitement at his first ride in a car with the steering wheel on the "wrong side."  My "excitement"/anxiety was directly linked to the speed at which our driver was traveling on an eight lane highway (accompanied by erratic lane changing that had me constantly checking to make sure he was still awake).  On the rare occasion when we have traveled by taxi this year, the speed of travel has only been as fast as the flow of motor bike traffic - typically 60 km per hour is the limit.  Hurtling down a deserted expressway at close to 120 km per hour was terrifying.  Nolan and I took in the city lights.  Brianna promptly went to sleep - only stirring slightly when Nolan shrieked upon spotting our first 7-Eleven.  We're not in Vietnam anymore!

Steamy view of Bangkok from our hotel room

 A 3:00 a.m. check-in didn't lend itself to much hotel exploration.  We couldn't even figure out how to turn off our light without turning off the A/C, so we crashed hard with lights and air conditioning both in full force.  Six hours later we enjoyed a Thai/Western breakfast buffet and checked out our steamy view of Bangkok from twenty-seven floors up.

The Prince Palace Hotel

     

       

Hotel Breakfast

Then we set out on our distinctly non-Thai adventure.  Beginning with Coke Slushies at the 7 Eleven and ending with a Tall Latte at Starbucks, we sought out all things western...malls, food, movies and book stores.  With the exception of a wild water taxi adventure back to the hotel at the end of the day, we could have been in any big city in the United States.  Brianna and Nolan were in heaven, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit to enjoying a few indulgences myself.

The tuk tuk we never took took after we battled the
driver over a diversion to the gem store.

        

Hot walking is better with a Coke Slushie.

Air-conditioned shopping mall

Modern Mall Art

   

Heaven: Double Chocolate Donut and an Iced Latte
That's my boy!

The book store she's been craving all year!

      

Happy for this stop on the travel itinerary

Starting tomorrow we'll go with a more East meets West strategy and attempt to balance some authentic Thai experiences with our western extravagances.  I, for one, can't wait to eat my way through the streets of Bangkok which were only a tease today.

Taking to the canals for our trip home

Looking forward to tomorrow's eating adventure...