Today is Buddhist Lent in Thailand, Laos and elsewhere, and it is probably the main reason I couldn’t get a train ticket to Nong Khai until today. At any rate, I leave this evening at 8:45 and arrive in Nong Khai at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
I forgot to mention that I left my big camera, the Digital Rebel, back in the States. I love the equipment, but it tends to get to be a bit much to haul around after awhile, since I hate leaving it in guesthouse rooms, susceptible to theft. So, while in Montana I bought a new Canon Powershot SD800 IS, a small point-and-shoot that’s very portable. I’m also able to upload photos to the blog because I purchased a memory card reader here in Bangkok (only about $4). Hopefully, I’ll put up photos as I go along. Unfortunately, they may not be as high quality as I like, but I think they’ll be acceptable. 🙂
So, here’s one of all the rain we had, taken while I was sitting on the veranda of the Suk11 guesthouse.
Speaking of the Suk11, I’ve mentioned how quirky and eccentric it is. Here are a couple of inside photos of its dark, mysterious interior.
Looking down the corridor to my room.
One of the nooks and crannies in the corridor.
Another interesting corner.
The day before yesterday, I did a lot of walking, mainly to go to the Panthip computer plaza to look for a card reader. Along the way, I stopped at Central World Plaza (aka World Trade Center), a huge, upscale shopping mall that I hadn’t visited before. This area of Bangkok is filled with shopping malls, including the previously mentioned MBK mall and the extremely upscale Siam Paragon. Here’s a shot of the outside of the Central World center, with the Amari Watergate Hotel and the Baiyoke Sky Hotel in the background.
Inside the mall, the Bangkok International Film Festival is running (ends today), and the central corridor is suitably decorated.
Also along the way is this interesting clock. What time is it, anyway?
Ok, I’ve had my fun for the day, uploading photos and killing some time before the train leaves in 6 hours. Hopefully, I’ll be able to show you more photos as I travel around over the next few months. Keep your eyes peeled. More later.