The SSSS tour of celebrations.

[KitKat]

The chocolate dipped potato chips are great
Try it!
Am off to Hokkaido next week to sample them again

PS great seeing you both at the Flounge, Happy NY and great travels (and TRs) for 2017

 

[drron]

I think I will let you corner the chocolate dipped chips market KitKat.
There is a restaurant at the front door of the Marriott apartments so one day we went there for an early dinner.It is a steak and frites restaurant.A small steak in their one secret Swiss sauce with a walnut saladand unlimited frites is 690 baht ~$27.They do have an extensive appetiser and dessert menu though.It was pretty good value but as usual the drinks bill was higher than the food.

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Those are the 2 steaks.One medium,one medium rare.cooked correctly.I enjoyed my frites-

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Mrsdrron had a crème brulee and I their delicious,low calorie version of a Mont Blanc.

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[drron]

The email came for us to pick up Mrsdrron's new pieces from her jeweller.So a short walk to Ratchadamri BTS station.A majestic house getting some major work at the station-

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Down to Saphin Taksin station and the Sheraton shuttle-the jeweller is next door to the ROS.Nice orchids as we walked through-

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Once again mrsdrron is a very happy lady-

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So the River City Mall and the new Mandarin-Oriental residences next to the Millenium Hilton-

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And back to Ratchadamri-

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[drron]

[SUB]So my birthday arrived and it was off to Nabezo in Central Embassy for suikiyaki.We have been here before and love it.First the view over Her Majesty's Embassy

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A set meal and this is the appetiser-

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I may have physically been in Bangkok but I am being transported to Tokyo-

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It is all you can eat veggies so a few helpings of mushrooms,yum.And if you are not exploding at this point they give you some pork over rice or ramen-

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Then some ice cream.All that remains-

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If you like shabu shabu or suikiyaki this is the place in Bangkok to go.
So I was very full.The next morning I woke with colicky epigastric pain which continued on and off all day.Now with medical training all possibilities are considered.by evening I was concerned because for the first time I can remember I went all day without a fahrt.I went to bed worried.....[/SUB]

 

[Pushka]

Three words. Proton pump inhibitor.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

[SUB]QUOTE ...........So I was very full.The next morning I woke with colicky epigastric pain which continued on and off all day.Now with medical training all possibilities are considered.by evening I was concerned because for the first time I can remember I went all day without a fahrt.I went to bed worried.....[/SUB] QUOTE


This is too much information !!!!! :shock:

 

[Pushka]

This is too much information !!!!! :shock:

You hadn't noticed?

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

You hadn't noticed?

I did know what was going on ! but (A) I was either too busy looking at my new jewels OR (B) I was ignoring the fact that he thought he was going to explode !!!

Take your pick !!!

 

[Pushka]

I did know what was going on ! but (A) I was either too busy looking at my new jewels OR (B) I was ignoring the fact that he thought he was going to explode !!!

Take your pick !!!

I'm not sure I want to read his next post then....

 

[drron]

But I was more worried by the prospect of surgery in Bangkok for bowel obstruction as the pain came on more than 12 hours after the meal.However I woke the next morning with no pain and made beautiful music.However I had another easy day as far as eating went so a few pics of around Bangkok.No comment-

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The other BTS station we are near is Chit Lom.Some shots as we leave-

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Lang Suan street.Near the end on the right is the Marriott.Now some shopping.Mrsdrron wanted me to get a pair of shoes-

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I declined them all.The next morning at breakfast though I thought there were some I could have used the silver ones....:shock:
Not to be outdone she declined my choice of bag that I thought was appropriate-

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[drron]

New years Eve and we wan dered around the MBK mall and surrounding area.Street shows along Sukhumvit.At this one Taiko drumming.Amateurs at first then the professionals.I enjoy watching Taiko-

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And a 2 for 1 Accor property-

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[LadyC]

That sukiyaki looks delicious!
Glad the gut issue wasn't anything serious.

 

[amaroo]

We saw this last night and thought of you drron



Remember - let the wind be free, no matter where you might be!

 

[drron]

In Laos the woman think I resemble the Happy Buddha and just love to rub my stomach.I don't mind it either!

 

[drron]

New years day and back to the Central Embassy for a very early dinner.This one features in a best of Bangkok guide.The Water Library Brasserie.Part of a group-
Welcome to Water Library
And the guide-
Top Tables 2016: Bangkok’s 116 best restaurants | BK Magazine Online

I like this guide as goes deeper than just the best and you can separate into neighbourhoods.So here is the restaurant-

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So to the food.Mrsdrron started with the foie gros and beetroot-so good she wouldn't let me even have a taste.I started with the foie gros pate and mushroom jam-delicious.

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I then had the mushroom and truffle oil soup.Mmmm.

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This is on the other side of the mall to Nabezo so the view is toward Lumpini Park-

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Mains and mrsdrron had the Mushroom risotto and I rack of lamb with lemongrass jus.The jus lacked a bit of lemongrass but both dishes very enjoyable.

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dessert was a crème brulee with 2 spoons-

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Service was very good and we recommend this restaurant.

The next night was dinner with the Amaroos at the Peninsula.So dinner with 2 fellows who both do TRs with lots of food pictures.As we finished dessert we realised no one had taken any pics.A great night and we got back to the Marriott at midnight.

 

[drron]

So the last of Bangkok.Leaving the Central Embassy-

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We decided to walk back down the road we looked out on from the Water Library.Totally unlike Bangkok-tree lined,no people,no traffic-

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Then coming back from the Peninsula-lights at the Oriental-

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Our last meal out-Nara.A thai restaurant at most of the major malls-

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Pomelo salad,PAD Thai and Moo Larb.

Finally nearly 10pm on our last night and still working on the building across the road-

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So a few final words.First money exchange.Cant go too wrong using Super Rich which have outlets in most malls + on some BTS stations.Invariably 0.4 baht above the bank outlets.A few one of places slightly better but more out of the way.
Dining-Bangkok has blossomed.Lots of very good eating at reasonable prices and a great variety of cuisines.
Finally the reason we love Bangkok is the people.Really lovely and such smiles.But that just doesn't happen.treat them all equally and you will be rewarded.Two examples on the morning we left the Marriott.At breakfast I had a mixture of curries as probably not going to get that next week.As I was getting my coffee the egg cook came over knowing I had not had eggs that morning and she thanked me for being nice-she did get a lot of grief from other guests.
Then when checking out one of the door staff came over to mrsdrron to say goodbye because every day that he saw her she always said hello and thank you.

Next-off to Chiang Mai

 

[drron]

So the time came to leave Bangkok.Cant believe we had been here a month.Totally relaxed.Must have needed the break from continual travel + work.Definitely will do it again.
We had arranged to go back to the airport with Oriental Escapes.Yes much more expensive than a taxi but cheaper than hotel cars.This was our fifth trip with them and on each occasion the car has been early,spotless and with a driver who is competent and doesn't treat Thai roads as racetracks-an unusual quality in Thai drivers.
For a change we are leaving from the domestic terminal of BKK.An F checkin but no obvious J checkin.No problems about 6 agents with no pax.Checkin goes smoothly and soon through security.A rather offhand secondary screening just wanding my Right knee so believes me and off I go beating my bags for the first time in a long time.

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Love their orchids.Also amazing what one football trophy can do-

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Off to the lounge.OK but limited and a little unusual food offerings.Then to gate.Priority boarding sort of worked but then all on to a bus.But not to a remote stand but an airbridge in the International section.Have to climb the stairs into The Y leg of the airbridge.But fortunately we turn left.This is a revenue ticket.When looking there was a sale on webjet so 2 J tickets on TG were only $50 more than 2 Y tickets.Our plane was an A333.So the leg shot-

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TG110. BKK-CNX. ETD-1315. Push back-1326. Take off-1338. Seats 12 J,K.
ETA-1430. Landed-1439. At gate-1446.
A meal was served but no choice-beef with chilli and a fried egg over rice.So nothing for Mrsdrron-

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Accompanied by a square of sticky rice with icing.So sticky it could be described as a rice brick with icing-

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Take off and landing on the runways were rough-it was like riding in a car with 2 flat tyres.A rather long walk from gate to baggage claim.The belt was already in use from a Thai Smile flight.A little wait for our flight's bags.Quite a few in front of ours but all with priority tags.Then straight out to get an airport taxi.Pick up a slip of paper at the office in the baggage claim area,go outside and give it to the supervisor-it has your hotel name,and she gives it to a driver.Flat fee of baht 160 to the central area.
So soon in the Le Meridien.One hold up as I walked inside without paying the driver.That fixed to the desk and we are taken to the lounge for checkin.It has a nice view over the Old Town-

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[love_the_life]

Oriental Escapes did our transfers from the port into the IC in Feb. The transfer in was a nightmare - young buck driver, jeans and leather jacket, not what I expected at all - and I was seriously considering cancelling if I got the same guy but thankfully we had a very professional and careful driver turn up. I think they were overwhelmed by the bookings from the ship we were on and dragged in a few dodgy friends to drive.

 

[drron]

I am sure the problem was the demand from a cruise ship overwhelming their capacity LTL.
Back to Le Meridien.This was a Points booking.Only upgrade to the club floor just a short walk to the lounge-

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Not a fan of looking into the bathroom from the bed.

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A large bathroom but needs a powere point and more light over the mirror.Now our view-

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Some macaroons and fruit for a welcome-

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[drron]

That night a drink in the lounge then off to one of the night markets-the biggest which is right beside the LM.This restaurant we can see from our window-the ground floor is a huge market and food court-there are several food areas.

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A better collection of stalls here.We presume it is the OTOP market-

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One of the food areas-

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I grazed a bit and mrsdrron had some of the BBQ meats-

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That selection was 100 baht and definitely sub par quality.The rest sampled was carp-the only spice was chilli.