We journeyed to Bangkok to hang out for a few days, primarily so that we could spend some time with our friends (Walter, Loren, and their amazingly adorable kids) and exploring a few sights before jumping over to Europe. We were able to stay at a nice hotel just a couple of blocks from where Walter and Loren live, so it was incredibly convenient to visit (i.e. barge in on their days to play with the kids and catch up) :)

As for sight-seeing - unbeknownst to us, we were in Thailand during a holiday so it took a couple of trips down to the grand palace before we could get in. These trips were a bit of an adventure because there were lots of protests clogging up the already congested streets. One attempt involved a walk that began with the phrase: "that doesn't look too far" and at the halfway point, dripping with sweat with no water vendor in sight, we reviewed the map and found that we were only about halfway there - we flagged down a ride... and then sat sweaty, but shaded in a tuc-tuc for 40 minutes in traffic before being delivered to the palace. Then we found out it was only open to Thais for the holiday. The next attempt was more successful though. When we finally managed to get in to the palace... Diana needed to rent some clothes because she dressed like a ho that day with her short-sleeved shirt and long pants before the guards would let us in to the grounds. And even though we had both been there before, all the effort was worth it because the grounds are up there with St Peters and Angkor Wat when it comes to religious monuments. It really must be seen to be believed. The amount of ornamentation and color on and in the temples and buildings is extraordinary.

We explored Bangkok primarily on foot, but we managed to get a few boat rides, sky-train rides, tuc-tuc rides, and even a couple of nice air-conditioned drives in a Subaru wagon (thanks Walter!). We checked out the Ancient City, the reclining Buddha, had sunset martinis at a breezy rooftop bar, saw Godzilla in 3D at the IMAX, and ate at some fantastic restaurants. We also indulged in the requisite Thai tourist activity and got Thai massages on the day of our long flight out. For $8 each.

It was a wonderful thing to be able to see Walter, Loren, Logan and to meet Kate and Ivy. They were amazingly accommodating with helping us get around, letting us crash family dinners, ordering in food, taking us out exploring, bringing us to great restaurants (including some much-craved Mexican food), letting us use their washing machine (woohoo!) and letting us feel the loveliness of a home while we were there. Many many thanks to them for their hospitality and availability while we were in town.

All in all, Bangkok was a perfect way to wrap up our time in SE Asia. Off to Europe!!