Bangkok Week 107 July 15, 2010 Taking the Airport Link... to Trad? View fullsize Finally had the opportunity to ride the Airport Link! Very unofficial signs are posted at the BTS station pointing riders in the right direction. View fullsize The airport link is elevated, and built on top of the existing Eastern Line service of the State Railway of Thailand. View fullsize The terminal station at Phayathai is extremely spacious, and still quite clean. Actually, it's not finished yet. View fullsize They are test-running trains at a frequency of one every 10 minutes. It takes 23 minutes end-to-end. View fullsize Inside, the trains are lined with benches on either side, with plenty of standing room in between. View fullsize There are button-activated doors separating the cars, which passengers can walk through while the train is in motion. View fullsize The seats are extremely shallow and have received much criticism. Here, I'm sitting with my bum all the way back! View fullsize A view from the train. A huge green patch of property owned by the State Railway of Thailand is home to rotting old trains... prime real estate! View fullsize Passing over a canal as we head further from the main city. View fullsize Another canal, now out in the suburbs. One of many mosques in the area stands in the background. View fullsize And approaching the airport! Great views of planes as they descend. View fullsize The airport link terminates at an underground station at the airport. I didn't go up, just turned around and rode back into town. View fullsize Based on the English model, buttons to open and close doors as needed- although all doors opened automatically, anyway. View fullsize Many, many new housing developments line the route - and new ones are going up daily. Like this one. View fullsize Soon, the view will be more like this! View fullsize A beautiful, lush property that's not a golf course. I think it's someone's private estate!! View fullsize Back approaching the downtown area, a more typical view. View fullsize Passing over Ratchadapisek Road - one of the city's major north-south arteries. View fullsize The abandoned buildings in Pratunam. A familiar site, but not usually from this angle. View fullsize Baiyoke Towers I and II. This link will make it much more convenient to access them now. View fullsize Back at the station, the uber-secure metal detector does its job. View fullsize An apartment complex that stands right next to the terminal station affords its residents a bustling new view. View fullsize A massive new condo that just opened down the road from us. It's dizzying just to look at. View fullsize I guess this guy refused to let the new developers tear down his building. View fullsize It's been 7 long weeks since the last home-cooked meal! View fullsize A "kiddie" dish of meat and boiled peanuts. It's sweet -- that's why they say it's for kids. View fullsize Digging in! View fullsize Don't the desserts on the left look like a Japanese dorayaki dessert? View fullsize Lots of colourful, traditional hand-made cloths. View fullsize Long time no see, my buddy in crime! View fullsize Fresh and slightly old coconuts from a tree that just fell down. (Termites ate through its trunk.) View fullsize Not a mosquito, but this guy (or his relatives) kept paying me a visit throughout the weekend. View fullsize Pay attention and listen up! And hello. View fullsize Protective of his new favourite chew toy. View fullsize Taking a break from chewing to clean up its shell a bit. View fullsize Tired from all that (attempted) destruction. View fullsize The new tables for all the desserts at the store! Beautiful! View fullsize Dragon-like plants grow out of a hanging planter. View fullsize Hello. What's up there? View fullsize Sporting his new summer 'do! View fullsize Refreshingly juicy watermelon slices. Refreshing even at room temperature. View fullsize Enjoying one Mozart's Balls brought back from Vienna. View fullsize Really tasty - and really vegetarian - larb for dinner. View fullsize Granny Shorts! (Uh oh, I'm entering a new phase in my life.) View fullsize Exhausted after his Sunday Morning Bath. View fullsize Enjoying photos from the Eastern Europe trip. View fullsize Marveling at the elaborate architecture that you don't see too often in this neck of the woods! View fullsize Can I see the photos, too? View fullsize Sleepy again, after remembering his taxing Sunday Morning Bath. View fullsize At his makeshift autobody shop, crafting the housing for a pickup's new sound system. View fullsize I've got my coconut again! Wanna play? View fullsize Let me just come over here and chew my coconut on top of you, Mika. View fullsize And now, I'll stand here and keep eating it. View fullsize Smackdown!
