Oct 29 evening

Well it was a long flight from Bangkok to Seoul---well at least it seemed that way as we got to the airport at 5pm local time and didn't fly out until 3am the next day. We arrived in Seoul just before lunch and decided it was best just to stay a day here and leave on Sunday --getting into Toronto by 10 something Sunday morning.

There was a free city tour of Seoul so a new lady friend and I hopped on the bus and ........well it really wasn't a city tour but we did drive over a hour went over a bridge that was 23klm long and visited an old gold mine that has been taken over by the city and made into a historical/amusement area for the local children and tourist trap. We walked up the side of the mountain to walk thru this very interesting / comical old gold mine---but if you walk up you then descend only  walk up what seems even more stairs!!! Then we came home. The country side could of been any hilly tree covered area in Canada or the USA and the manly new apt complexes could of been a smaller  version of what we saw in China.

Rainbow of lights in one section of the "cave"

The "Lord of the Cave" was made by the same group of artists in New Zealand that did the set for the "Hobbit and Lord of the Rings"  must say they did do a great job.

Pete's last bowl of Noodle soup in Bangkok

Pete eating his last bowl of Bangkok Noodle soup

Banana crepe with honey-----yumy

Local beer

puppies for sale at the market

Our favorite restaurant for Noodle soup

Well stay tuned ---who knows what will happen tomorrow--but will sign in and  let you know if and when we get home-----the adventure continues  :)

Oct 29 afternoon

Well add Seoul Korea to the list of countries we visited as we are over nighting and catching the plane tomorrow. Otherwise we have to go to LA lay over and then pick up West Jet to Toronto and get in after midnight…..something we did not want to do. So they are putting us up at the Grand Hyatt, feeding us and shuttling us back to the airport which is 5 min away----

Our flight tomorrow is with Korean AIR flight  KE073 departing at 10:20 am arriving in Toronto at 10:20 am Sunday.

Pete is asleep right now…one of the ladies on our flight found a free city tour that we are taking at 3pm….Pete might not make it…. But I will be going---I’ll never be back here so might as well go.

If I get any good pics I will post later

Oct 28/29    when ever in the middle of the night. The plane we were suppose to take out of Bangkok broke.......so we have not left yet---the never ending vacation.....not sure when we will get home.

Oct 28 noonish

Well we start our trip home today.

We leave Bangkok at 1040 pm tonight and flight into Seoul at 4 am their time ( we lose 2 hrs as we start our journey east )

We then leave Seoul at 930 am their time ( Really only a 4 hr lay over and head for home on Korea Air. We are scheduled to land in Toronto at 0940 am Saturday morning. It will be good to get home even better to just get off the plane---taking gravol on the home---intend to sleep most of the way. 

Well we are off for our last bowel of Noodle Soup before we shower and change for our flight.

Pete finally found 2 t-shirts today and of course got them for a good price.......well seems both shirts have 1 arm hole bigger than the other now I can fix them both when we get home..... but they got him even know he pay a good price for them....  :):):)

Need to thank Katherine in advance for coming to Toronto and picking us up.

See you all soon.

Bye now until the next trip............

Oct 27--early evening

We have been out all day, so we just came back for a short rest and A/C to cool off before going out for supper.

We did a 2 hr long tail boat --canal tour today---nice but a lot of same, same. We were told we would see floating markets--which we thought was strange as they run only on the weekends-------- tourist trap little fishing boats selling beer, water and same same stuff as in the markets........so Pete bought a beer at 10am and off we went......not really a market at all.

But glad we went.

Went to our favourite soup restaurant and had soup for lunch then went for a walk down a ally way--and it started to rain---a lot!!! so we ducked into a restaurant and Pete had to order another beer and I a coke. Met some students a German, Polish lady and Thai man and talked with them for about an hour---good visit. Then off exploring until I realized we had been on this street again...we have been taking the long way home every night and just now we find we can do it in 5 min instead of 1 hr-----oh well that is why we explore in the day time. 

Buildings along the canal

We fed some catfish bread.

A Monk used a long pole with a bucket on the end to pass us a bag of bread pieces and in turn we placed 20 baht ( 80cents) in the bucket to pay for it. Got splashed a lot by the hungry fish

on board the long tail boat

One more sleep then we head home.

Oct 26- night time

Well we  had a wonderful dinner cruise. The boat was lovely, the dinner was out of this world and we  had the front table with great views of the river at night. Pete was able to download some of the information  from the web for you to see. The first picture shows one of the many temples lit up at night

This was our menu

Thai Seafood Degustation Menu

Hors D'oeuvres:
Plah Adt gap Mayonnaise baeb Thai (Composed Fish Stick in a shot of Thai style Mayonnaise)
Por Pia Pla Salmon(Wild Scottish Salmon Spring Rolls with a Rice Vinegar Coriander Sauce)
Miang Som Oh le Goong (Pomelo & Shrimp with fresh young coconut served on a Betel Leaf)
Pla Toonah gap Jaem Prik (Seared AAA Tuna with a slow-braised Capsicum Jam)
Pla Dip Thai Manaow (Marinated sea fish in lime, sugar, fish sauce with cilantro &onion)

Soup:
Dtom Yam Goong (mildly Hot & Spicy Shrimp Soup with young coconut)

Entrees:
Goong Gap Hoy Malaeng Poo Pow (Grilled Prawns & N.Z. Mussels with a mild white wine curry sauce & a spicy sauce)
Pla Dori Manaow (Mildly spiced & herbed John Dory with a Lime & Chili Sauce)
Tord Man Goong (Deep Fried Crispy Shrimp Cakes with a Palm sugar Sauce)
Salat Hoy Shell Num Som-King (Warm salad of wild Hokkaido Deep-sea scallops with an Orange-Ginger Vinaigrette)
Pat Pak Roo-am Mitr (Stir Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce)
Kao Horm Malee (Steamed Jasmine White Rice & Royal Project Organic Brown Natural Rice)

The boat was all lit up--looked great coming across the river.

The table was set and first course arrrived

Another sister boat passed us and was also  all lit up

The Bangkok Eye---large Ferris wheel

We were entertained by Thai Dancers

The costumes were really nice

My picture of the temple all lit up 

The Bangkok Eye

The Thai Dancers

The name plate on our boat

Great dinner and a great cruise--would recommend it to anyone.

Oct 26 mid afternoon

Well we walked ended up going through the university, down through some more street markets and walked by the palace

This is a just off the street store--point and they will get anything for you, at night they close the doors  and lock up--there is really no way in as it opens right on to the street.

So this is the outside of the King's Palace

This is the side view of the King's palace

This is the top of one of the buildings inside the King's Palace grounds

One of the few squirrels I was able to get a decent picture of. Sorry Timmy no Parrots or Tigers.

OK this place smelled just like it looks it might---poor Petey couldn't handle it so we turned around and walked back out.

More roof tops of the King's Palace

Another roof top picture

Sure wish the King had lived a little longer so that we could of sen more when just the outside wall and roof tops.

But as we walked along the Royal Navy Wives were putting on a free lunch for people outside of the palace, we were motioned to line up ----so we did. Fried rice with a scrambled egg on top, ice water and some other really good thing. It was really good.

We continued to walk and ended up at the flower market--again!! so knowing where we were we went to the pier and had ice coffees and teas waiting for the next water taxi to take us home.----Well seems all ferries going past the King's Palace were canceled until sometime tomorrow, as they were having community prayers for him.

So we took a Tuk Tuk home------it is an adventure in it self to ride in a Tuk Tuk as we weave in and out of traffic go the wrong way down one way streets and drive on the wrong side of the road. I really think they go out of their way to make the ride as interesting as possible.

So --now we get cleaned up and go  out for our dinner cruise. Talk to you later.

Oct 26 morning

Haven't decided what we are going to do today--until supper and then we'll go on our dinner cruise.

It is an interesting time in Thailand, since the king has died the whole country is in mourning. Everyone is wearing black, the stores are only displaying black clothing. and everyone is wearing black ribbons on their sleeves.  There is also a subdued feeling all around as it is against the law to party and be festive. So I do believe we would be seeing a totally different Thailand if the King had not died. We had planned on touring the palace---but it is closed---which is understandable.

Well off we go talk to you later.

Oct 25--late afternoon

Well today we took the water taxi and found where we have to go for our dinner cruise tomorrow--so we are all set there.

It rained a lot last night and threatened to again today--but our luck is holding and the skies only darken with a few drops--the overcast sky was GREAT the heat was bearable today.

This is just a river view from the pier as we waited for our taxi.

More river front homes---unbelievable how poor the poor are.

This is the reason you do not ever!!!!!! use a public pay phone!!!!!

and if you can't see the dirt and grim--believe me it is bad!

Amazing what you can do with a dolly.

Look real close at the pot with the yellow stuff---This is a sweet bun cart--and those are NOT raisins--wasps!!!

A well use wok

We went to China Town and the market there.

Dried shrimp of all different sizes and price ranges

More dried sea food

Dried fish

Dried squid

We are so hot and the locals are wearing hats, long sleeves and gloves while cooking in front of very hot cook tops

One really cool motorcycle Helmet 

road side garage

Better apts.

I really believe this one has not been lived in in a long while---trees are growing out of it.and roots are trialing to the ground

One of the nicer river front homes

So that is what we saw today--so far. Got to get dress and head out for our evening walk and supper.

Was just thinking if you have been following the blog you have 

seen all of our best pictures--which is great--takes the pressure off me to get the picture/photot book done :)


 See you tomorrow