One Night in Bangkok

I have the best job.

Once again I am off traveling to an exotic, random locale in support of my work. So despite the less-than-glamorous aspects of a trip like this – the stress of all the planning, the jet-lag, the crazy hours, the inoculations - I do feel incredibly grateful to get to experience Thailand in this way. And, no, I can’t tell you about why I am here…well yet, anyhow.

The long flight here was, amazingly, quite pleasant. The empty seat next to me definitely made a world of difference on the thirteen hour flight from Toronto to Tokyo. Yet again I am traveling with someone I met for the first time (a business associate named Garry), so we were able to have a nice cold beer in the Tokyo airport and stretched our legs before the remaining six hours to Bangkok.

After finding our luggage, we met our driver and weren’t on the road for more than twenty minutes when we were pulled over by the police. But it was all just to let the King’s vehicle pass by us. The Royal family is very revered here in Thailand, so it was a privilege to see him drive by. But I like to think he was just coming to personally welcome us to his country.

After a good sleep and some breakfast, Garry and I decided to stretch our legs before the three hour journey to our final destination in Kanchanaburi. Lumpini Park is a short block from our hotel so we made our way down there to see the lake and people relaxing and enjoying the green space – children playing, soldiers riding their bikes, women with parasols and a couple practicing a ballroom dancing routine.

After some lunch we reluctantly get back in the van to fight some serious traffic and make our way three hours north west to Kanchanaburi – home of the bridge (yes, that bridge) on the River Kwai.

The 12 hour time change is not making sleep come easy. It’s late / early as I am writing this. So with a 5:45 call time in the morning, I think I had better try to get a few winks in before my busy day tomorrow. Till then…