Bangkok by Night

Okay okay buddy...before you start getting any of those filty little ideas that only your perverted mind could have I want to state it loud and clear that it was a family night out in Bangkok! LOL

Me messing with my new toy while the little one looks on as we wait for the cruise.

On by recent working trip to Bangkok wifey and the little one tagged along. We were only there for a few days but we wanted to make the most of it since the last time we came the little one was only just starting to walk.

That the ship in the background slowly coming to dock. Check out the beautiful background sky.

We had heard a lot about the night river cruise decided to try it on the first night. It was a great experience and we enjoyed it once we got there. Getting there was a whole different story though. It started at the concierge who recommended that we take the skytrain (BTS) since it was rush-hour. Believe be in the past I'd never take a cab in Bangkok at rush-hour...it was so much easier to walk or take the train. Hmmmm...now we weren't prepared for that because the station is a little hard to get to but rather than risk missing our cruise that we hed booked earlier we took the advise.

Close up of the ship/boat all lighted up...again check out the beautiful shades of blue in the sky.

The minute we got into the hotel shuttle the little one dozed off. By the time we got to the shuttle stop she was fast asleep. So we had to carry her up the stairs to the sky train station which as the name goes is "Pretty darned high up". Fortunately we had a easy time on the train as the kind people of Bangkok actually got up and gave my wife their seats. That happened at the hotel shuttle, the first train and the connecting train. Believe me we were drained but could see that traffic was indeed at a standstill as always.

Don't ask me what building it was but that was the hull of another cruise boat gliding past..

Once we reached the last station we were beat and then had to find the hotel. That too was a small challenge as we could see the dock but not the hotel. Finally after some queries we found the hotel but it was on the wrong side so we got a tour of the Shangrila...well we had to walk through the hotel and it was a really nice hotel. We finally reached the boarding area...where we sat and took pictures as we waited.

Another place with no name...I could bluff you and you wouldn't even know right? LOL

The boat was really very nice...it had better be for the price we paid. The food was excellent and there was dining on the deck as well as in the air conditioned cabin. We opted for the cabin because it looked like it might rain. Fortunately it didn't and we were able to move outside freely to enjoy the sights. There were many things to see and I was busy with my handycam (okay I haven't downloaded the clips yet). It was a really marvellous experience.

And this is the view of the...urmmm...whatever. I must say that the river was really clean and odourless plus theere were dozens of boats all over. There were even barges that were running silent and dark so as not to be obtrusive to the tourist. Very well done.

Some folks actually dressed up really spiffy (not you Spiff) and we did wonder if we should have worn our Sunday best...errr NOT...it was a cruise on the Chao Phraya and jeans was okay if you ask me...but we did think that if we did it again we dress up too LOL Just for the fun of it!!

The temple by the river...might have been the palace...DOH!

All in all we had a nice experience and the food was simply excellent. I guess I should have taken some pictures of the food but wifey was holding this camera so I'll just blame her...besides she's fast asleep now and can't defend herself LOL

Okay this is my in my favourite pose...drinking my coffee while gazing out...I kinda like the little hand on the side too!

Well that's it for the cruise. It was an delightful event and I recommend it. There are several different boats and we saw one huge one speed by while blaring Hindi music....I guess it was for the tourists on board. However, our little Shangrila boat was kinda cozy and romantic and I guess that says it all.

Cheers!

Whacky Wednesday - "Life" with a Computer

This post is dedicated to the millions and millions of computer users worldwide. The source/s is unknown but it's still funny nevertheless. Cheers folks and hope this brings a smile to you today!

A fun day at the beach!

It was a beautiful day...

spent making sandcastles on the beach

and taking walks along the shore...

even venturing into the waters edge for a taste of the sea...

and a taste of the best Curry Laksa in PD...

capped off with a gorgeous sunset upon the gentle waves!

It was fun in the sun for the family over the weekend as we took a quick trip to a nearby beach. It was a really good break and we had a fun time. Going with my best buddy ensured that I had the best possible time with family and friends. Also after a long time, I didn’t have to worry about assignments that were due and could just relax and enjoy the retreat.

I think that my little girl had the best time of all. Although she one doesn’t know how to swim yet and we couldn’t really venture to the sea she really enjoyed walking into the waves, making sandcastles on the beach and frolicking in the pool. The smiles and laughter are precious and I’m glad I brought the camera.

The best thing about it was that although it was an overnight affair, but because we went early and checked in early we had so much more time on our hands. We were on the beach and then the pool and then the beach again and the pool again…I lost count. We were so tired that night but my good buddy and I wanted to stay up late like old times.

Unfortunately we are like “old timers” now and couldn’t stay up past 12. We did try to talk a walk on the beach after the kids went to bed but the place was pretty deserted. I recalled the time I went to Siloso Beach in Singapore and how crowded the place was and couldn’t help wondering why our old beach which is the closest to the capital can’t have even the slightest semblance of what is at Siloso.

My buddy and I could see the potential for so many things and wished that we could be given a half mile of beachfront and we would turn the place around with the right planning. Maybe it was just wishful thinking but I think there is potential for more. After all it’s not that far from town and great for a quick rendezvous, all it needs is a touch of class to attract the crowds back.

Anyway the next day as we drove into town for lunch we did see that there were certain stretches of the beach that had started to do what we were thinking about so there is still hope yet. Speaking of town, we also discovered what I think is the best curry laksa and the best ABC – Air Batu Campur (literal translation “solid water mix” or as the stall owner so aptly put to a foreign customer “it’s like Malaysian ice cream”) in Port Dickson!

The curry laksa was think and creamy and the ingredients were plentiful, even the sambal chili was laden with dried shrimp and really spicy. The ABC on the other hand was not too sweet and full of red beans that were cooked to perfection. It was lip smackingly good food for a very decent price. I strongly recommend the place if you happen to stray over to PD town someday.

Anyway that was it. A quick getaway that ended all too soon. Wish we had more time to stay but maybe next time. We're planning to do this more often...considering that it's only an hour or so away...it does't get any closer that that! Sometimes you get stuck in the parking lot of a mall for longer than that hehehe

Cheers and have a nice week!