Vietnam: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

January 6, 2007


It’s a tough life at the old Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.  On the road again, it’s good to be on the road again.  After a 26-hour ride from San Fran to Bangkok (we left on time and arrived 30 minutes early) in a very comfortable business class 747-400 we arrived at the all-new Bangkok airport only to be met by the hotel limo.  There were no glitches except a long wait in Narita for our lay over and a big line at immigration.  By the time we hit the hotel, it was the next day and after midnight.  It doesn’t get much better and still the flights are very long and my body does not accept such treatment without a little stomach ache or headache or stiffness or whatever happens to the body at a certain age.  

As the driver whisked us into a quiet late night Bangkok, you could feel the 8 million souls who inhabit this place, restlessly waiting for dawn to begin another frantic day in this bustling, growing, relentless Southeast Asian capital.  The Oriental is an icon in the lore of the Hotel world.  Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, and many other famous early 20th Century writers made the Oriental their home away from home.  We first stayed here 17 years ago on our honeymoon and are excited to be back.  For some reason, the hotel thinks we are on our honeymoon now and has produced several amenities including floral bouquets, a free lunch and never ending bows.  We are delighted.  The truth is we are being totally spoiled and love it.  

Today we took an afternoon tour of several temples that are an important part of the Buddhist tradition and important to the country’s history.  The people in a way that the Queen of England could only hope for revere the King of Thailand.  He is on the top of the charts and the royal family is a special part of the country’s being.  There have been bomb explosions and a change of government in the last few weeks but nothing gets between the King and his people.  Kimbo, the great, loved the tour, looking at every Buddha and quickly picking up the history of the country.  She loves learning and always wants to be at the front row in every class - it sort of makes up for my attention span problem.  By hour number 3, I am ready to return to the hotel for a nap and a drink.  Still our guide is speaking excellent English and continues on with a command of the country’s history and customs.  The traffic is heavy, the heat warm but bearable, and the crowds in the street active.  We are delighted.  

Tomorrow, we move on all too quickly to our next stop in Siem Reap.  It is a surprise to me that we have done some shopping, eaten a very Western hotel Thai lunch, and taken a major city tour on our first day out.  We really respond to Bangkok, never staying long enough.  Maybe next time we will catch more of the vibe of this extraordinarily huge and vibrant place.