I've got a guardian angel and at times, she works overtime. If our plans to come to Thailand had been on schedule, we would have been in Phuket as the devastating tsunami hit in 2004. Eight years later, we are discovering that good things are worth waiting for. But it's more than good. We arrived 24 hours ago, but we are already captivated by the culture, the people, the beauty... and all things Thai.
Bangkok airport is one of the easiest airports to get around and before we knew it, we were through Immigration, got our bags and found a funky looking limo to take us to our hotel. I booked a hotel near the airport based on the reviews, but as the driver took us about 300 yards down a sketchy alley, I was beginning to have my doubts. Fortunately, the Vismaya Suvarnabhumi was a beautiful, modern hotel and we were warmly welcomed.
We headed back to the airport the next morning for our flight to Koh Samui. It only took 30 minutes to get from the hotel, through a long queue, and checked in. Impressive.
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| Bangkok airport is clean, efficient and easy to navigate |
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| Orchids and poinsettias inside the airport |
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| A shrine inside the terminal |
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| Even Ronald McDonald does the "wai" which is the traditional Thai greeting |
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| Leaving Bangkok on our way to Koh Samui |
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| Coming in for the landing in Koh Samui |
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| Sign at the airport -- what? There might be knock offs? |
I found a place that combines Roger's love of boats and a great hotel -- the Imperial Boathouse Resort had both as we are staying in a 60 year old converted rice barge that is firmly on land!
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| Our two storey rice barge! |
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| The "bow" of the boat is our deck |
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| Lower level sitting room |
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| Master bedroom |
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| Upstairs living room - spiral staircase to the right |
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| Thai food is not only delicious -- it is art |
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| We're definitely going to eat well on this holiday! |
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| The beach |
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| Even the pool is shaped like a boat |
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| The grounds are beautiful in the day.... |
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| ....and at night |
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| Our first dinner in Koh Samui at a neat little restaurant down the beach |
We're here for 6 days and plan to go snorkeling, get a Thai massage, eat some great food, and do some exploring. The only thing that would make it better would be to have Brad and Anette with us....what luck....we'll be meeting them next week in Bangkok to celebrate Christmas!
Thai proverb that sums up how we adapt to new countries and cultures....
Kao muang dta lew hai lew dta dtam
Translation:
When you enter a town where people wink - wink as they do.
English meaning:
When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do! |
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