Getting there.

 

It was second trip this year inspired by arrival of other members. In July spoon with news of him coming to Bangkok soon made me  packing my meagre belongings and flying there.

This time it was 18past19 with the same inspiration. I couldn’t deprive myself of pleasure of seeing old friend and boy hunting with him so I bought my ticket, send the news of arrival to Jason 1975 who after few days announced his another weekend trip and soon was on my way.

This trip was evenly split between Thailand and Cambodia  with 9 nights in either country. It did not start well but old saying ‘all is well what finishes well” applied this time too. 

My flight out was past midnight and around 8 p.m.  I went to the pharmacy across the street to pick up some prescription, returned home only to notice that my wallet  is missing. Promptly went back to pharmacy thinking that I must left it on the counter  but no, nobody found it , nobody returned it. 

.All I could do was to call three banks to cancel 2 credit and 2 debit cards, check again for possible places wallet could be in the home to no avail and praise the Lord for my three trip saving habits: 

1/ I never carry cash in the wallet, so cards and driving licence was lost but no   money changed hands 

2/ out of 3 credit cards I always carry 2 and one is sitting in my desk. I rotate them every month.

That way I preserved at least an  access to some funds and means of payment, even if cash advance is costly at least  it was possible in my hour of need 

3/ I’m cash person so have enough cash to tidy me over for most if not all trip. Can’t even envision what position I would be if I rely on more modern means of payment in such situation.

 

So my last few hour before setting for the airport were not exactly fun filled as one can imagine. 

Flight was delayed as captain announced that aircraft is too heavy and some cargo must be removed so we took off apparently about 1.5 hr later than scheduled. “Apparently” because I fell asleep before we took off – prescription I went to fill in order to lose wallet was for sleeping pills. I decided to try those  and it worked, out of 14 hrs flight I had two 4-5 spells of uninterrupted sleep. 

We landed in Taipei 2.5 hrs later than scheduled , while landing I could see my Thai flight taxing for take off but Eva Air was prepared for that delay and people in transit gates had ready boarding pass for the next flight in 1 hr or so.  So instead of landing at Swampy at 10.20 am  I landed at 1 pm . Not a bad time considering thar check in time at Raya was 3 pm. 

Since I qualify I was planning to use new automatic gates but was deprived that chance . They just opened few booths and I was directed to one of them earing only passport stamp this whole trip. 

Immigration was breeze but getting luggage was not  after waiting and waiting staff lady came and told us that luggage originating in my city did not even leave that airport . Cargo they removed  to ease load was container in which , among others, my luggage was. What I liked she sounded reassuring that luggage will be delivered to my hotel tomorrow around 4 pm. Lets see thought I . went to the basement to  exchange some money and buy SIM card and That is how my day 1 started.

 

Day 1 

Train from airport was quite crowded, actually left airport already very crowded. Weather was good so it looks week of heavy rains which submerged big part of Bangkok was over  but indeed water could be seen everywhere. 

Room at Raya was ready. I let Jason1975 know I arrived, he stays in the same hotel , we agreed to meet for lunch at Sarika  in 1 hr . 

In meantime I went to 7/11 across from Raya to buy some toiletries as my luggage is in transit and  it was shocking to see how empty shelves were . Obviously rains ruined logistics and made re-stocking difficult. 

Sarika after renovations looks very classy and modern  lots of young people dining or just spending time there  but can’t say their after renovation version of chicken with cashew nuts was ‘new, improved formula “ . Too salty and too oily for my taste so sadly while new furniture worked , new cooks not necessarily. 

After lunch we made a walk through the area, I exchanged more money in XOne, bought shirt and undies in stalls on Silom ( luggage lost !!!) and the we parted ways. I went to the rom to catch some sleep , set alarm clock for 7.45 pm. as we agreed to meet in soi 4 at 8.30. 

Off I went there and spotted jason1975 sitting with somebody at front of Banana Club. Somebody turned out to be Aaroninatl, our new member. Our first meeting and it looks we hit it on from the spot. 

I treated one of barkers with drink, exchanged latest gossip with Aaron and Jason , spotted few Jupiter boys going to work including one who I call “Boy of interest”, short BOI and since we were already in soi 4 we decided to check Jupiter. We arrived  bit too early , bar was emptyish but as time  went it was filling  up . At show time it was 2/3 full . Poppy the singer recognized me from July which nicely surprised me and earned him well deserved 100 tip. 

BOI planted himself beside for a moment but I told him that I’m not planning offs tonight , stressing ‘ tonight’ , he got his 100 tip as well. Third 100 went to Cambodian guy I offed in July  who surprised me pointing out where in the bar we were sitting that night . Wow, what a memory ! I know it’s only 2 months but still… 

Last number in the show was rare one at Jupiter. Thay made BOI lying flat , placed some marshmallows on him in various strategic places and invited spectators to pick those with mouth only. My friends in a  bout of senior abuse pushed me to go there – not that I resisted. My job was easy since I offed BOI in the past on more than one occasion so kind of knew importance of those strategic places and how to deal with them.

At midnight we went to Foodland to eat something. After that we parted ways , I went to Midnight bar, bought drinks for P and another host. P was already nicely drunk so I made him drunk bit more.

Another guy was quite clingy and kissy so I suggested we will go to check my stamp collection and soon we were in my room for night of philatelistic ( or is it phallic? ) romance .  

Must be good to be semi retired

2 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Must be good to be semi retired

Fully retired - especially as a baby boomer- is even better!