Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

Marci's Bangkok to Chiang Mai We are at an age where finding the perfect style of travel is getting harder. We long ago left the world of backpacking, if indeed we ever truly had a place there. We long ago choose to bypass the Four Seasons/ Mercedes limo style. Our comfort zone was a nice four star hotel at a great price, days of fast paced touring on our own using our ingenuity, travels mags, and the internet to find hidden gems and undiscovered places. We were most excited being in places and discovering art, food, and people far different from our everyday lives. We ventured to Tulum well before most people ever heard of it, let alone it was discovered by the fashionistas. We are comfortable going off the beaten track in a rental car and stopping roadside for a cold beer and a cultural interaction, and even better if it is in a foreign language with lots of hand gestures and smiles. We tried to define our travels as just a tad ahead of the curve.  Most of you have follow...

Somehow, when I was planning to come to SE Asia, I just expected it to be hot and humid. I was naive; the humidity here is world-class….like walking-in-water humid. When I leave my air conditioned room to go to breakfast in my lovely boutique hotel, my eyeglasses immediately fog up to the point that I can’t walk….. By the end of an hour my hair is curly, sweat from my ass has soaked thru my pants, and I take at least 2 showers a day. But we are having fun. Most of the day was spent with our Bangkok guide, Sue…she is pleasant, prompt, and a great helper in getting around this confusing, traffic-chocked city. Sue & Marci at the Grand Palace  We used taxis, boats, tuk-tuks, the Sky Train, and more to get from place to place on the tour. Water Taxi We all had lunch together at a nice (air conditioned) restaurant that Sue has been going to since she was 9 years old (now 68)….she says all that has changed is some of the servers. Beautiful temples (here...

Time to catch up...we made it from HK to Bangkok with out much adventure. The best part of this trip was the fact that you can take a new train from downtown HK Island right to the airport (cheapest, fastest way) - and, you can check your luggage right there at the train station regardless of which airline and you won't see it again until you arrive at your destination....Fabulous. No Cold Water Available.... Arriving in Bangkok, greeted by our guide and driver and off to the hotel in the worst traffic I've seen in quite a while. I'm informed and find out the hard way that getting anywhere in this town will be an ordeal....what would be a 10 minute cab ride in NYC is 30 minutes plus in Bangkok...too many cars and not enough roads. We are rushing to get checked in because I have arranged in advance for great seats at one of Marci's favorite things --- a drag show. In Bangkok, the Calypso Cabaret is a world famous "ladyboy" extravaganza. It is not t...