Destiny

Hi,
We're back from Bangkok and home with our predictable surroundings. By that, I mean the internet, our connection with the big wide world. Our hotel was very nice. Probably the nicest room we stayed in, so far. The fact that you have to buy your connection is a bit of a pain to manage. One would expect that when you pay for 'high speed', you'd get more than a slow boat to 'fill in the blank'. Aside from that, it was quite an experience. There were aquariums all over the place, a huge aviary with exotic birds from many countries. I have mixed emotions about that. While it's neat to see parrots from the Amazon and the African jungle, it's also sad that they cannot fly freely.
I got lots of mail about the weekend song. Many of you got the title, which was "Que Serra, Serra (What Ever Will Be Will Be)". The original artist was Doris Day. The cover I was looking for was by Sly and the Family Stone. If you've never heard that version, it was featured in the film "Take The Lead" and can be found on iTunes. Anyway, it was fun, wasn't it? Maybe you remember this oldie:
"Never met a girl could make me feel the way that you do, you're alright..." Hint: This group from the Motor City had many hits, including one about sunshine on a cloudy day. (what a clue) The song has a two word title.
Sunday we took the Skytrain, an elevated rail that was a real adventure. Our destination was a huge marketplace that's held on the weekends. We climbed about two stories worth of stairs to the platform. There we bought our tickets from a machine, put them in a turn-style and waited for the train. We had to stand for the 15 minute trip to the north of town. Actually standing was cool because we could look down and see the city. When we got to the end of the line we saw what looked like a little city within a city. Once we got to street level, we were met by a mass of humanity that was almost overwhelming. Added to that, it was very hot and humid. We marched on and dove into the whole thing. There was so much to see that it was hard to focus, at first. The whole place is divided into areas of interest. We spent a lot of time in the art and furniture sections getting ideas. Then we came upon an inside, mall type building, with air. More looking. I guess we're a little spoiled by the prices in Chiang Rai. Things were higher in some areas, but we did pick up a few things. At one stall, outside, we saw a young woman with a little squirrel on her arm, complete with collar and leash. Hmm. On one of the walkways, there was a guy (westerner) painted up in silver, with a silver suit and hat doing the 'human mannequin' thing. A direct rip off of the guy at Venice Beach. After about three hours of the market we were done. On the way back we were able to sit down and relax.
There was something I forgot to tell you about Bali. On our way to the airport, our cab driver told us about the Bali calendar. It came up because that particular day was some kind of Bali birthday, but on a Hindu calendar where each month has 35 days. That way, it's the same day every year. Each year has 420 days. So, they run on a two calendar system. Very interesting.
This is a short week for us here in Chiang Rai. Thursday we take off again, this time for New Zealand. We'll be there until number 28. We'll get to get used to different money, different time (relative to where you are) and a whole new culture. Of course, there will be pictures of all our travels.
Have a Wonderful Week.

Peace,
Danny


"Destiny is not a matter of chance,
it is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for;
it is a thing to be achieved."
~William Jennings Bryan

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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