Bangkok Week 60 August 20, 2009 A grand ol' potpourri of a week. Some marriage, some sight-seeing, some cold treats, some new feetz. View fullsize A mango too sour for words. View fullsize More tastes of the new food court: the noodles in the rear claim to be "pho". View fullsize Preparing for another wedding -- this one during flu season. View fullsize Petch and Fu -- both fellow Boston alums. View fullsize Luckily, the chopsticks they used at the wedding were sanitary! View fullsize A stare-down with your dinner. View fullsize More wedding attendees. View fullsize The bride chats with a friend back in Boston. View fullsize Three colorful doctors from MIT. View fullsize The wedding venue. Not big at all. View fullsize Hugging dolphin salt + pepper shakers: the door prize. View fullsize The men pose with the couple. View fullsize A first-timer to the good ol' Golden Mount. View fullsize Taking a good-luck swing at the gong. View fullsize Ringing the smaller bells is also good luck. But you gotta do 'em all. View fullsize Which pair shall I wear home? View fullsize Gazing dreamily down on Old Bangkok. View fullsize The mount, decorated for Mother's Day? View fullsize Get me down from here! It's a big gold mount! View fullsize Another Good Luck Gong. View fullsize This sign points to the "Belly Button" of Bangkok. The button itself is under all those coins. View fullsize (Requisite) group shot over the old city. Sunny day = squinty eyes. View fullsize A series of old wooden doors. View fullsize More colorful wooden windows! View fullsize "Democracy Monument"... or another big traffic circle. View fullsize Said traffic. How did we end up in the middle of it? View fullsize Festive flags hanging over a soi in the old city. View fullsize "Khao San" street -- Bangkok's backpacker haven. View fullsize It was filled with signs, souvenirs, western food and farang! View fullsize A European-style sidewalk restaurant that you wouldn't see anywhere else in the city. View fullsize Lunch at a more down-to-earth mom and pop shop behind the main street. (But they still see tourists!) View fullsize The restaurant's bug-eyed pup. View fullsize Could've been Pattaya! View fullsize An old European-style building. Now... Starbucks. View fullsize Browsing used books. (The red signboard in the background advertises IDs, US drivers' licenses and University Diplomas.) View fullsize The street had lots of Pad Thai carts, like this red one. Also, typical tourist clothing shops abound! View fullsize We followed these instructions to a tee. View fullsize A surprise evening treat! Ice cream-in-a-bun! How spoiled I am. View fullsize Sent on the 14th, arrived on the 18th. Ain't too shabby. View fullsize My snazzy new gear. Aren't I spoiled? View fullsize The Day the Dryer Died! View fullsize A swanky Japanese ice cube tray... View fullsize ... made specifically for small-necked water bottles! View fullsize Before and after... took no more than 4 hours. View fullsize Casting pillars ... presumably for an awning?
