Bangkok Week 515 May 10, 2018 A busy and beautiful weekend away in Hua Hin (and surrounding areas) ... and then our house guests leave us! View fullsize Dad finally gets his annual 'Seven Spoons' fix. View fullsize And the next morning, it's off to the races! This Cha-am local knows how to keep cool. View fullsize The Platinum treatment while waiting to check in at Sheraton Hua Hin. View fullsize Dramatic skies and beautiful landscapes as we approach Kuiburi National Park. View fullsize Low-lying clouds. View fullsize "Kui Buri Elephants" - that's who we're here to see! View fullsize After the rains, we're off on our personal safari. View fullsize A lady elephant! (How lady-like.) View fullsize Yes - that's much more polite. View fullsize Kuiburi National Park is just shy of 1000 sq. km. Really scenic! View fullsize One lone Gaur. Apparently, the park is home to one of the largest populations of Gaur in Thailand: ~100 of them. View fullsize Local flora -- doesn't look like Thailand. View fullsize Selfie on our 'safari truck.' View fullsize The shiniest tree in the Kingdom. View fullsize Really very scenic! View fullsize Long shadows - the day is almost up! View fullsize Scenery befitting of Apple wallpaper? View fullsize Explorers on a mission. View fullsize On our way out of the park, we happened upon a beautiful female waiting in the bushes for the rest of her family to cross. View fullsize Enjoying the twigs. View fullsize Here's the rest of the family - coming to meet Mum. View fullsize Everyone in unison now. View fullsize A little further down the road, this family of 5 is really interested in something! View fullsize Great vantage point. View fullsize They weren't eating it - just poking at it. View fullsize "Okay, enough. Let's go!" View fullsize One-by-one, they head on their way. View fullsize Off into the sunset. View fullsize And finally, it's time for our dinner... on the beach! View fullsize Enjoying our suite - and the 4 macaroons the hotel left us. View fullsize Our towel art - before I accidentally decapitated her. View fullsize Pointing out our balconies, the next morning. View fullsize Investigating the hermit crabs. View fullsize Walking on water. View fullsize Still investigating the hermit crabs. View fullsize "Ooh! It's warmer than a bath!" View fullsize After a long walk, finally reaching the hotel lobby. View fullsize Breakfast buffet - yum yum! View fullsize Overlooking the almost-infinite pool. View fullsize Mum finally figures out what the banana flower has to do with the banana fruit. View fullsize An orb of flowers. View fullsize Eye on the prize: a lizard bathing in the sun. View fullsize Time to enjoy the hotel's giant pool. View fullsize Under-water group shot! View fullsize Just relaxing, at the very end of the pool. View fullsize Here comes the serious swimmer! Zoom! View fullsize All together now! View fullsize Enjoying the bubble beds! View fullsize Here comes the monster! View fullsize We even went into the ocean! (It was all fun and games, until we saw a jelly!) View fullsize Back to Bangkok! Check out this monster lime we bought! View fullsize Mum cuts in to see what's inside. (Indeed, it's basically a giant lime - slightly dry.) View fullsize The Last Supper! At Spicy by Nature - whoo, dad's excited! View fullsize Good-bye, house! View fullsize Enjoying the 'special assistance' seats. View fullsize Off they go. Farewell! View fullsize Oh wait. Found them again, and they're enjoying Magnum ice cream. View fullsize What service! The farewell committee escorts them all the way to their gate! View fullsize Farewell, for real this time! Good-bye, Bangkok. View fullsize Their A330. View fullsize I continue my lounge-hopping: this is the couch in the *bathroom* of the TG First Class lounge!! View fullsize And this is what each of the toilet stalls looks like! View fullsize We did a lovely tour of Manila as we held for 45 minutes before landing - what fun. View fullsize Meanwhile, back in Bangkok: the AC technicians slice the house apart. What happens next? You'll have to wait and see...
