The trip, Part One

Greetings from Nang Rong

Thursday I left Chiang Rai by bus and switched to the train in Chiang Mai, arriving in Bangkok about 9:30 Friday morning. 

The train compartment was so cold my lens fogged when I went out to take a couple photo's.  The shot below was not a Photoshop trick.

Outside of the train

As soon as I arrived in Bangkok,  I immediately took the subway to Silom Road station (that’s where a lot of the demonstrations and political tension is located).  Walked a few blocks down Silom Road to Niks Camera where I retrieved my primary lens.  It’s pretty much business as usual but there is a certain tension on the streets.   Soldiers on one corner and police on the next; Thailand has a history of power struggles between the two armed elements of the government.   Gentle reader, it could get interesting in Bangkok before this is over.   

Silom Road 

The Army is prepared

                            The police, well judge for yourself

From Niks I grabbed a cab to the Opera Hotel where we used to stay when I was in the 46^th Special Forces Company 42 years ago. It’s located on Soi 11, Petchburi Road.  The neighborhood is much quieter than Sukumvit where I usually stay. The signage is a bit worn but the inside and the pool area are all in great shape and the coffee shop is great. Is it nostalgia or the fact that the room rates are THB 800 as opposed to THB 1,300 at the Federal, or is it both?  In any case, I think I’ll be going back to the Opera, unless I feel a real need to have Wi-Fi in my room. There are still a couple of staff who were there back in the day.  The old waitress remembers when we used to jump in the pool from the 2^nd story rooms. 

Petchburi Road, Soi 11

I came to Nang Rong on Saturday the 1^st.  It’s nice to be out of the big city.  Tomorrow we'll check out a couple of old ruins near Phanom Rung and maybe even return to that wonderful site for more photo's.  Yesterday, we were hanging out at Maliwan's home for a bit.  It was good.   We also went to see her good friend Noung in Burriram.

       She just popped up on the wall, the light was perfect!   

Gun, Maliwan & Noung