Partying Down With My Peeps

I arrived into Bangkok just in time to catch up with Amie and Todd who had a few days in Bangkok after their beach trip to Phuket.  Woo Hoo!  After a much appreciated hot shower I was off to meet them at the State Tower. 

Hi Amie and Todd!  How wonderful to see you again. 

The State Tower is famous for its stunning views of Bangkok.  The Sky Bar is on the 64th floor and has 2 bars….one on the inside and one outside.  We were outside to take in the views and it is fabulous…a must do in Bangkok in my opinion.  Lakisha, you definitely need to add this to your list of nighttime activities.  Wally and Tyler, you weren’t kidding when you said the view was magnificent.  Rob, we are going here before we leave Thailand.  Yes, folks, it’s that good! 

The dinner reservations fill up weeks in advance so we were unable to dine there, but we were able to get a seat at the restaurant on the 33rd floor.  It also offers gorgeous views.  Here is a view from our dinner table of the balconies around us.  What a great night! 

Amie and Todd, it was so wonderful to see you again and I hope that we continue to run into each other around Asia.  Safe travels back to Hanoi! 

I spent the next day pampering myself and attending to some much needed maintenance like a hair cut for my rat’s nest and a thorough eyebrow plucking that was long overdue.  I also went to the store to gather some treats for the arrival of Sandy and Lu.  Yippie!  I’m so thrilled to see some of my girls/neighbors.  I wish the entire posse could come, but I know they will be with us in spirit.  Here’s a huge shout out to my DC posse.  I love you all and adore hearing from you.  San, Lu and I will be sure to toast you all repeatedly throughout the trip.   

I headed out to the airport and saw that their flight had landed on time.  Bangkok airport is very well organized and even has these television screens of the international arrival gate exits so that it’s easy to see when your party has arrived.  I eagerly watched the screen to see their smiling little faces come around the corner….one hour passed, two hours passed and still no girls.  By about midnight when all the shops had closed and it was practically me and the cleaning crew in the airport, I hopped in a cab back to the hotel thinking that maybe I had missed them and they were waiting for me at the hotel or maybe they had missed their connection in Tokyo and had sent me an email with an update on their whereabouts.  Much to my dismay, they were not at the hotel and I had no communication from them indicating that their flight was messed up.  I was starting to get worried so I sent them some texts and emails to see if I could reach them.  I ended up falling asleep in my clothes with all of the lights on and I when I woke in the AM I was shocked to discover that they still had not arrived and I still had not heard from them.  Finally after breakfast I went back to most recent itinerary from Sandy (she had to delay her flight due to a last minute work trip) and realized that she actually was arriving tonight, not last night.  Wow!  Who is a big time loser?  

Bangkok Airport Round 2.  It’s like Groundhog Day, but this time they actually arrived.  Here they are on the screens.  Welcome to Bangkok, Sandy and Lu.

After yapping our faces off for a good part of the evening, we got a little sleep and then hopped in a cab and headed back to Bangkok airport to catch our flight to Phuket.  BKK airport 3 days in a row…..awesome! 

The flight to Phuket is very short so we arrived in time for lunch and a little beach action.  Here’s a picture of San and Lu at one of our fave restaurants right by our hotel, Lamai. 

Now it was time to hit the beach and catch some rays.  San and Lu were absolutely thrilled to be out of the psychotic DC winter and lounge on the beach. 

After the beach we showered and hit the town. 

We found this great place that had an awesome band that played sweet western jams like one of our all time faves, Careless Whisper.  What a great night! 

The next day we decided to hit the pool and then treat ourselves to a wonderful 2 hour massage.  Lu and I got a Thai massage and Sandy, who had injured her back a few weeks ago, got an oil massage.  It was bliss.  We then bathed and hit the town again.  Here’s a pic from the tuk tuk.  I always tell Sandy she should be hair commercials because of her fab hair.  Here’s Sandy in one of her many hair commercial moments. 

This time we headed to the mania that is Patong. 

Of course you know we were all about the Lady Boys.  They were awesome!  Some of the post op girls even treated us to a full frontal viewing of their womanhood.  Yeah, I’m serious and yes, we loved it! 

This was an exceptional evening!  Time to head back to the hotel, but not before we capture our enthusiasm with one of our all time favorite camera shots, the self portrait.  Frequently we chop off some one’s head or get a great shot of a nostril or earlobe, but we must be getting better because in these shots all 3 of us are actually featured. 

The next morning we were off to ride some elephants.  We had already decided that Sandy needed to pass on this activity to keep her back safe so she hung out with the staff while Lu and I took a trek through the woods. 

Yep, another one of our fave shots.  You are going to see a lot of these throughout this posting.  We just can’t get enough.   

Our mahout was cool and let us each take turns riding the elephant. 

This is our view as we came out of the woods.  Pretty alert! 

Here is our mahout, Jack. 

After the ride we are able to thank our elephant by giving her some treats.  She knows what’s coming and she is fired up! 

This elephant camp also had some gibbons on the property.  Here is a picture of Charlie who serenaded us with his beautiful song.  Charlie used to roam freely throughout the camp, but once he entered adolescence he became more aggressive and tried to bite a few of the visitors.  The owner put him and his partner in this enclosure until they find an organization that will help release them back into the wild.  Having just left jungle yoga, I was all about the gibbons and was thrilled that Sandy and Lu could hear their distinct song. 

Here is Charlie’s partner. 

Next we headed to this great spot on the cliff for a bite to eat.  Here’s a view from the restaurant. 

Now if that doesn’t say fun, vacation cocktail I don’t know what does.  Mai Thai mania…yummy!!!

Yep, it’s another one of our fave shots!  We really have gotten quite good if I do say so myself. 

Here’s a pic of my lunch.  Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads.  Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up….yum.  We sang that silly little tune as kids and it is clearly forever burned into my brain.  Wendy, that little ditty was for you! 

After lunch it was time for another massage, but we needed to digest first so we decided to try a natural exfoliant otherwise known as a flesh eating fish pedicure.  You put your feet into this pool containing hundreds of these little fish who immediately go to town on the dead skin on your feet.  It feels really weird and I was not a fan.  I kept ripping my feet out of the pool to take a little break.  San and Lu were hardcore and made it the entire 15 minutes.  No gracias! 

After the flesh eating pedicure we headed to another 2 hour massage.  Ahhhhhhhh…..We finished just in time to capture another lovely sunset. 

The next morning we set out for an island hopping tour.  I wanted San and Lu to see Pi Pi Ley.  We figured a nice boat ride would be OK for San’s back, but we were sorely mistaken.  Our boat ripped through the sea at top speed and crashed into every single wave head on.  I think having a WWE wrestler pile drive Sandy into the ground would have been better for her back than this boat ride.  Poor Sandy had to stand for most of the ride with soft knees to try to “ride the waves.”  It was less than ideal, but she was a little trooper and was rewarded with this stunning view! 

We also stopped at Monkey Island to see some monkeys.  These monkeys are fast and grab anything not nailed down.  This one managed to grab a soft drink away from a tourist.   

Here’s a pic of Lu with a monkey.  Just as I was getting ready to take this shot, a guide told me that this monkey was big, aggressive and very mean so we took this shot in about 5 seconds flat.  We don’t need to have any faces ripped off on this trip.  Let’s try to make this an injury free vacation….well, at least no new injuries, right San?  Poor little San.  Don’t worry, we’ll get you more massages. 

When we returned from the island hopping we of course got another massage.  I mean…..when in Thailand. 

The next day we hit the pool again for our last day in Phuket.  Last chance to soak up the rays, ladies. 

Ah, it’s so nice to chillax at the pool.  These are my feet.  Yes, I agree, they are good looking!  I think I could have a real future as a foot model.  If any of you readers happen to be in need of a foot model or know someone in the foot modeling industry, let me know.  My toes may not be perfectly aligned like Buddha’s, but they are pretty fabulous for a mere mortal.  My foot arrogance comes from years of random people complimenting my feet on the street, on the Metro, in the grocery store….not kidding!  Girls and boys…..yes, really. 

OK enough about my stunningly gorgeous feet.  It’s time to head back to Bangkok.  Of course we had to say farewell to Phuket with some cocktails. 

The girls only had one day in Bangkok so we decided that the Grand Palace was a must do.  It is beautiful and definitely worth seeing, but it’s also one of those sights that you don’t need to see a million times.  I got the girls to their destination and then headed over to Wat Pho to check out the reclining Buddha.  It’s pretty impressive! 

Ok, Ok Buddha’s toes are better than mine.

Here are some pics around the grounds of Wat Pho. 

I met the girls at the Grand Palace and then took them over to Wat Pho as well.  We then hit Khao San Road for some lunch and a quick perusal of the market before heading back to our hotel.  Sadly, I had to catch a bus up to Mae Sot that evening so I couldn’t join the girls for their mandatory visit to the State Tower, but we were able to have a final dinner together. 

Bye San and Lu.  I loved having you here in Thailand.  Safe travels back to the US and please give my love to the rest of our DC posse!  Hugs and kisses.

After a day in Mae Sot with Rob and a quick border run to renew my visa, I’m off to Chiang Mai for a week of volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park.  I am absolutely thrilled and cannot wait.  I’ll see you soon.