Tuesday, December 17, 2013

So, the Shared Journal, or my blog

Now that the question of what this effort should be called has been defined and clarified, the issue is somewhat resolved.  I have an application on the iPad called “Maxjournal” that I am using for first drafts, inner thoughts and experiences that many would consider private.  We all have private thoughts and experiences…….

The flights here were uneventful and suprisingly comfortable.  Flew from SEA to NRT on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  It has been about 15 years since I went to Europe and domestic planes are nothing like international planes.  My good friend Jerry asked me prior to departure about food on the flights…I said that the website said there were no meals.  So I went aboard prepared, with some nuts, an orange and some snack bars.  
The ALl Nippon flight to NRT (Tokyo) was a Japanese airline.  They served a choice of poached salmon or pork chop.  I had the poached salmon on a bed of noodles, brocolli, several slices of chicken breast, grilled yellow, green and red peppers, fresh fruit and free alcohol.  Declined the alcohol but enjoyed the meal.  3/4 of the way to NRT they served another meal which I declined.

Free movies, music and games in the headrest in the seat back…….I  watched Aston Kutcher in “Jobs” which made me feel like an old man.  As an Apple user going back to the original Macintosh 128 in 1984, I found the movie nostalgic.  Has it really been 29 years since the Mac was introduced?  In 1985 I paid $300.00 to get my 128 “upgraded”  – (which my handy dandy inflation calculator says is like $650.00 in today dollars)  from 128K to a whopping 1 megabite of memory…….   My current iPhone has 61,400 times that 1 megabite of memory and was about $850.00.   

11 hrs to Tokyo and then 7 hrs to Bangkok.  While waiting to board the flight to BKK, I noticed the boarding line getting longer….and longer….and longer.  Finally I jumped in the line and was astounded by the quantity and size of carryon bags that everyone had.  It was nothing like domestic US carryon.  Practically everyone had shopping bags from stores in the airport and they were big.  2 pieces of carryon?  NOOOO.   As much as you can carry, basically.  Got to my seat and this Japanese couple came down the aisle to sit next to me and I swear they had 3 times my total baggage as carryon.  Luggage, bags, backpacks, purses and then 2 stuffed full shopping bags. 

Flight was an Airbus 380 and it is a big plane.  10 seats wide, with 2 levels.  
The Japanese guy sitting next to me was as figity and restless as a two year old child and he was sitting next to me for 7 hours.  I had been awake almost 30 hours and wanted to sleep but I had a jitterbug sitting next to me.  A handheld game machine, a phone, the seat back games….he played them all…repeatedly moving from one device to the other.  Then he would root through his panoply of bags for something else to play with.  He never watched or read anything.  

Uneventful through baggage claim, immigration and customs.  Got some Bhat – 31 to the US $ then found the ride to the hotel easily.  Was told at the airport that the ride was free then was told at the hotel upon checkin that it was 200 Bhat – $6.20.  Arrived around midnight local time and called my friend Jerry.  Spoke 13 minutes ($.10 or $.20 a min) then had 2 beers from the hotel bar at 140 Baht each.

Nice room, new, free inet, flat screen, pool, bar, restaurant, brkfst buffet, room safe, AC for about $30 a night.  Inquired about visiting the floating market, but it was a 1.5 hour drive out and back and about $90.00 US.  I am sure I will see many markets in the weeks to come.  Would rather relax and sleep.   
81 degrees, sunny.

View from hotel window……
This afternoon walked down the gravel road that the hotel is on to a quick mart and bought a few beers to avoid the hotel prices.  55 baht for a 16 oz Heineken.  Sat around the pool and did some reading.  Am rereading Space by James Michener.

Will quaff a few more beers and get some rest then head back to BKK tomorrow at 11 AM for the 1.5 hour flight north to Chiang Rai and 3 nights at Bamboo Nest.

Here is a link you can click on to see a YouTube video another traveler put online:

Bamboo Nest de Chiang Rai – YouTube

► 4:00► 4:00www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH90_yPL_ugNov 2, 2012 – Uploaded by Christopher BThe following is a quick video I put together of Bamboo Nest deChiang Rai. It’s easily my …