Well, we’re finally back home!

We left July 27th to implement our “Hurricane Evacuation Plan ‘06”, and here we are with less than a month left in a season with nary a storm on the radar screen! The next one was to have been named “Joyce”; alas, this may never come to pass and our Joyce’s fame may have to rest in the fact that she must have spooked Mother Nature…we all owe her a debt of gratitude.

Our last days in Bangkok were unremarkable but fun. Joyce went on a shopping rampage inspecting every handbag, bead necklace, silk product sold in that city and ultimately buying enough merchandise to overstuff eight large duffel bags. She became especially enthralled with skins of dead reptiles and other exotic critters, having acquired, among other things, a magnificent python jacket, a stingray wallet and a crocodilian backpack. As if this wasn’t enough, we made the fateful decision to “leave no friend behind” so that we were soon laden with tons of tchotchkes, which ultimately necessitated the purchase of yet more bags.

Our one outing between Mahout training in Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai) and our farewell to Bangkok was a day trip to the “Bridge on River Kwai”.  This turned out to be not only a very long drive but also a fairly unpleasant visit involving a glimpse at a military cemetery of Australians and other allied POWs who had perished at the hands of the Japanese, followed by a look at a primitive, badly maintained, and amateurish war museum in honor of those who died in the epic 1942 construction by POWs of the 415km rail line linking Thailand to Burma.

The famous bridge was, of course, in great evidence and we not only got to stumble on it amidst many local sightseers but we even got to ride the railroad on all the way up to the Burma border in what turned out to be an insufferably long, boring and uncomfortable ride culminating in a rather disgusting buffet luncheon where we were finally rescued by our guide in the middle of a furious downpour for our ride back to Bangkok in relative comfort.

Despite all that, we could not help reflecting on the horrendous nature of this horrible war that had swallowed the world in the 40’s and caused such ungodly suffering. We felt guilty squirming about the minor discomforts we were experiencing during our visit compared to the atrocities of those times.  Especially for Peter, this was a new education on the subject, as his experiences had been entirely limited to the European theater.

During our last days in Bangkok, beyond the interminable shopping marathons, we indulged in revisiting our favorite restaurants and we decided to try the movies again.  Very simple; all we had to do was to walk a block from our apartment, climb three flights of stairs to the Skytrain platform, ride the train for 3 minutes and exit into the 10 million square foot mega shopping center modestly known as “The Paragon”. On the fifth floor there are a bunch of theaters including an IMAX where we had seen “superman” during an earlier visit. On this occasion, we returned with lowered expectations to see “Click”. The tickets however were more expensive than the IMAX. As we were wondering why this was so, we noticed that they gave us access to something called the “Ultra-Screen” which turned out to be the Upper Class of movie going. We were ceremoniously ushered to a lounge and served a cocktail and a snack in posh surroundings. As show time approached we were led to our personal alcove containing two reclining couches that felt more like beds than seats, and a coffee table where we were served a beverage of our choice. An attendant came over and wrapped each of us in a blanket and furnished us with pillows. If it hadn’t been for the fact that we had to rise for the national anthem and give honor to the King, we would have stayed in this coddled position throughout the performance. As it were we had to get ourselves un-tucked and recreate the chef d’oeuvre of pampering…ah well…life can be rough. A few days later we went to see “The Devil Wore Prada” and then we finally saw “The Departed” a much better movie; but as these were was not in IMAX, nor showing on an Ultra Screen, we reconciled ourselves with “Business Class” seats where all we got was a couch. We never did get to see what steerage is like in Bangkok moviedom. The significant thing about all this, is that we actually went out to the movies…eat your heart out Blockbuster!

And so, in summary, these are our final memories of Bangkok and Southeast Asia:

•    Everybody is friendly and as helpful as they can be. Nobody seemed particularly interested in our politics, their concerns appeared more focus on local situations. The overwhelming manifestation of this good will is found right off the bat in the Thai greeting which we mastered as soon as we checked into our first hotel. It’s called the “Wai Prah”. The “Wai” is when you clasp your hands together, as if in prayer, and bring them towards your chin with your head bent slightly forward. This action is used in greetings and farewells, very graceful to see, and used as often as a show of respect and acknowledgement rather than as a handshake in the west.
•    Things are generally less expensive than in the US although luxury goods and services can get very high. We had the opportunity to experience both ends of the spectrum and we were impressed with the sophistication and quality of the high fashion shops and restaurants. At the same time, great meals and a wide range of cuisines could be had at moderate prices as well as goods in mainstream stores;
•    Except for the epic traffic jams, Bangkok can be navigated if you have a plan and a strategy…but it takes at least a week to understand the basics about the city;
•    Outside of Bangkok, we will never forget the elephants not only in North Thailand, but also in Sri-Lanka, where the Perahra with its parade of over 100 elephants bedecked in festive lights will for ever leave an indelible mark in our memories;
•    Sri-Lanka also immersed us in the culture of the place with the fragrance of its spice gardens, the beauty of the tea plantations and our introduction…or should we say induction…into the Amanresort style of hospitality. We can only hope that the rebellious Tamil Tigers and the dominant Singhalese Lions bring their long feud to an end and make peace;
•    Manila, like the Bridge over the River Kwai, with names like Corregidor, which we saw as we were flying over the area, reminded us of the war in the Pacific and the fact that the Philippines were once a US colony;
•    Singapore, while a disappointment as a tourist destination, was nonetheless a revelation in its contrast to the rest of SE Asia in terms of orderliness and almost obsessive control over human behavior. Even its Chinatown looked dressed up in a business suit!
•    Bali, on the other hand, emerged as a colorful attic for sculpture and hindu icon addicts, with all its roads lined with statuary markets and bazaars. In fact, Ubud where we stayed and bought a bunch of sarongs, felt just like a 60’s beatnik art colony - we  even saw a graffiti-laden Volkswagen minibus! But the place did have its own special charm…only do not expect to find the pristine white sand beaches and secluded resorts the name of the area evokes;
•    Taiwan, where we started our Pacific journey, was remarkable in that it gave us an introduction into the Chinese culture which, in the final analysis, underlies much of what we experienced in that part of the world. For Joyce, it was jewelry “Amuse Bouche” for the rest of the trip when she indulged in some Jade and Coral baubles in the magnificent lobby of the Grand Hotel in Taipai.
•    We left Bangkok overloaded with toys, memories and sundry baggage, braced for the 37 hour passage home reminiscing about how we’ve really enjoyed the ex-pat life, and how we will miss that City and its gentle people. We also started to think about the next chapter in our travels, the one that will bring us to Timbuktu, in some wilderness in the SW end of the Sahara desert…stay tuned!