January 9, 2015
We're in Seoul, South Korea where we will change planes in an hour and begin the long haul (13 hours) across the Pacific. We are chasing the clock this time shaving off time and gaining a day. We left Bangkok this morning at 10 a.m. and will arrive home this evening, shaving 14 hours off the clock.
Yesterday, we said our goodbyes to Tommy and Pattarapan and flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok where we were met by friends and family of Pattarapan's, Rassarin Phimukuiaseth, her husband and a beautiful relative, who not only drove us the half hour into the main downtown area where our hotel was, but treated us to a sumptuous dinner along the banks of the Jow-Prah-Yay River. We had to take a bicycle cab the last part of the trip and as soon as we sat down I saw this dude:
The Thai 66 Kid: It's My Way Or The Thai Way
We got there just before dusk and soon the river and the skyline glowed from our table perched right on the river:
Our view at the River Tree Restaurant in downtown Bangkok
Our host, Rassarin, ordered a dozen dishes, including this platter of Thai shrimp:
Just one of the 15 platters of food we consumed last night.
The dishes came to fast and vanished so quickly, I had to take notes. Here is what I think we had: crab with fried rice, grilled shrimp, pork sauteed, chicken with lemon sauce, deep fried fish, snake fish with herp, morning glory with oyster sauce, pumpkins and green beans, pork curry, grill pork, fish soup, pork leg and another chicken dish that Football (yes, that is Rassarin's son's nickname) ordered. Top that all off with Singha beer (the ha is silent, Ha!).
"Somebody give me a cheeseburger!"
—A Classic Rock song, the title I can't remember because I've been out of the oountry too long
