HomeBase for visits to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos

12 February - made it to Bangkok....Happy Chinese New Year!

Overnite at the Ambassador Transit Hotel at the Singapore Changai Airport on Monday.

Up early this morning as you pay for the room in six hour segments($63.46SGD at 1.8SGD to the 1USD) 6pm to 6am. Morning mocha at the Coffee Club to watch ESPN and some Olympics, internet then some breakfast before we leave at 11:55.....this airport is like a city withing a city! We finally got to check it for our flight at 9:55...very strict about the two hour before departure checkin! And then we were on a very old Airbus 320 with heaps of people (although not totally full) and I had a very hyperactive kid next to me....they finally moved elsewhere so I could get a snooze in after lunch....it was only a 2 hour plus flight.

We arrived at 1:10 pm into Bangkok, collected our bags and found Sanguien (Ken and Trixie's driver) to pick us up at the airport....we just looked for the young man with the Caterpillar sign with my name on the flip side! He drove us directly to the Tocker residence as noted below. Ken had already informed us that due to the Chinese New Year being a holiday that he would be playing golf so we rested a bit and watched the television as they have cable with many movie stations and cnn and cnbc and bbc etc....all that stuff that we have not seen much of recently....plus he has a pc with connectivity (which I am currently using)! Trixie is with their two daughters in Brisbane so we hope that she returns soon so that we might meet her before we depart for Cambodia on Sunday. They have a wonderful three bedroom flat on level 16 with a pool and fitness centre on level 3....hopefully we will have time to enjoy both as it is very hot and humid here and the air is very thick with smog.

(My cousin Yvonne's husband Brian works for Caterpillar and recommended friends in Bangkok who have invited us to stay with them!!! They are:

Ken and Trixie Tocker (daughters Kirstin and Philippa)

Unit 16A Jaspal Resident II

82 Sukhumet Soi 23

Klongtoey-Nua Wattana 10110

Bangkok THAILAND

kntocker@ksc.th.com

Home phone is 66 2 2041941

Work phone is 66 2 7139004

Mobile phone is 66 1 8433047

Also just found that Yvonne and Brian and Emma are moving to Johannesburg SA soon...Caterpillar sounds like IBM in moving folks all over the world).

13 February - A good night's sleep after almost none at the airport in Singapore as the hotel is right on the runway so you hear planes most of the evening! Spent the morning reviewing the maps and books on Bangkok and then just went out and walked the main road of Sukhumvit Road to Phloenchit Road to Rama I Road and Siam Square....and of course, stopped at Starbucks on the way....there are heaps of Starbucks in this city (there were none when I last visited in 1996). Visited bookshops and departments stores and had great sandwich on fresh french bread at Au Bon Pain. After some more walking we returned on the BTS (Bangkok Transit System) train for 25 Baht (about 44 baht = $1 US). We had a great Thai dinner with Ken across the street at the Baan Khanitha and then returned to watch DVD Enemy at the Gate (too late an evening for me!)>

14 February - Happy Valentines Day! Up early to depart at 6:30 am with Ken and his driver to have brekkie at La Boulange for wonderful pain au chocolat and cappucino....we then dropped Ken off at work and returned in the rush hour traffic to his home. Spent time repacking for our trip as we are only allowed 10kg (although it will probably end up being more than 20kg for me!). At noon we took a walk down to the Emporium shopping mall and stopped at another Starbucks(90 baht for a cafe mocha grande) on the way. Emporium is a very large modern mall with all the upmarket shops in addition to some great bookshops so bought:

Stalking the Elephant Kings/In Search of Laos by Christopher Kremmer.

Also purchased yesterday another book on travelling in Cambodia by Carol Livingston called Gecko Tails.

We had a tasty Caesar Salad and then walked back towards home. Stopped at another used book shop and finally found Graham Greene's A Quiet American although it looks like it has been copied from the original and rebound but much cheaper at 150 baht than the $100 original hardcopy that I found in Queensland(and did not purchase)! Also stopped to get a haircut and post my PFD (Permanent Fund for the State of Alaska from which we receive oil money every year) form....a day of getting last minute errands done!

A great Thai dinner smorgasboard at Cafe des Garcons with delicious watermelon drink!

15 February - Another warm and smoggy day in Bangkok! After a visit to Starbucks, spent some time by the pool (and in the pool). We then took the train to Siam Square for Baskin Robbins 31 Flavours ice cream and a wander around the Siam Centre shops. Vanilla Sky just started today at the cinema but decided to give it a miss until we return in April (or on video when I return home). It has been fun walking the streets of Bangkok as there are food stalls everywhere with the local food cooking, men and women with their Singer sewing machine on the sidewalk sewing with the foot pedal, heaps of electrical wires hanging from the poles (you wonder if they are still live ) that they appear to be near to falling down, many dogs here that are much better than Bali as they do not chase you with their barking but instead are always asleep on the side of the road or footpath. We also visited Soi Cowboy known to be the hangout of expats during the war days (and also now)....soi refers to a small street/road. Great dinner at Indian restaurant!

16 February - Up early to see Ken off at 5:30am to play golf. He returned at 1 to have his driver Sanguine take us to the Viengtai Hotel in downtown Bangkok(heaps of traffic on a Saturday) for the start of our overland journey tomorrow. Also had last Starbucks mocha grande for a few months til we return 21 April to Bangkok!

17 February - 2 March 2002 - On the road through Cambodia to Saigon so maybe not much Internet access!