Willie and Air Asia to Cambodia

Meeting William Yaryan (check his blogsite for the real deal... just google him) was good fun. It is always so nice to meet a "local"...even if a new local. We made our way to the end of the water taxi stops at Taxim Square and transferred to the always fantastic skytram. So modern and wonderful. Transfered to another skytram at Siam station and to the station where we agreed to meet Willie at (drum roll) ...Starbucks! No surprise as the skytram is a development magnet and the skyscrapers and modern cineplexes, shopping centers and the architecture in general are on par with any of the largest cities in the world... truly impressive and evidence of Thailand having just finished its latest economic quarter higher than the pundants predicted at a +5.7% ...compared to the weal .6% I just heard on CNN this morning for the U.S.

Willie studied theology, philosophy and was a jounralist for a newspaper in Pasadena back in the late 60's to mid 70's before moving to Santa Cruz. He now lives on his retirement from UC and is quite happy, it would seem, to be at this stage of his life in Bangkok... lots of other ex-pats for company... easy access to everything and no lack of activity and options. We discovered we knew several people in common and before we parted company after more than an hour, we agreed to meet again upon our return to Bangkok. He also turned us on to a Klong (canal) ride back to the district where we live. This was a treat as it is far less known by anyone other than locals and proof that the vast system of klongs that crisscross Bangkok are truly transportation arteries. Bangkok freeways put Los Angeles to shame... more modern and more extensive by far and very new... with more being constantly added.

The Klong ride is fast except for when we pass the mansion/grounds of one of the aged princesses where we slow way down for a minute or more while passing. As I said before, the Thai royalty are held in very high esteem.

The weather here has been hot but quite tolerable... not oppressive unless you are walking for an hour or more through town. A problem easily solved by heading down any number of soi (avenues) along cool breezeways and sitting oneself down at a table drinking the very large and delicious local, COLD, beers. We do this whenever needed.

Dinner is as good as any at the restaurant... we street grunt, something I have missed and want to indulge in more regularly. A great shrimp Pad Thai with the always available fresh fruit drinks or beer to wash it down. Street tables, the cool evening breeze, good food while the world walks by "ain't" a bad way to go. This ended with another good night of sleep.

Morning was a frustrating second round of trying to post photos to this website... something I had no trouble doing at home. I'll see if it is computer specific or a blog compatibility problem.
With no success, we took the 45 min cab ride out to the airport to grab an Asia Air flight (one hour) to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. I have been here back in '04 but can't believe the amount of improvement to this very poor country. Perhaps just in this city, but life is clearly prospering for some... yet begging and homelessness are still obvious. I have a great room on the forth floor overlooking a park and the palace a block away. Traffic is like a mini Saigon... more cars than I remember and every known sort of transportation concocted by people-kind. We find a nice dinner place along the river (Lonely Planet got this one right) and after a bit of a walk around, back to the room for an early retreat.

Today is Friday the 29th... leap day (I think). I was up and showered by 6 am and out to find no internet cafes open. On my way back to the hotel, I see a young woman let out a startled shreak in front of her shop. I notice she is responding to a very large and dead rat by a planter in front of her store. I offer to grab her dustpan and broom and dispose of the rat. She is very grateful and her store turns out to be another "closed"internet cafe. She opens it for me and I have been on-line among a bank of 20 nice computer stations ...all by myself for the past hour. One good turn... ying-yang... you know the rest.

Thanks to Stewart and Steven for email suggestions. I'll try them later today after we come back