Christmas in Bangkok

My brother Greg, his wife Brooke and their children Jacob and Kathryn came to Bangkok this year over Christmas. They were here for just under two weeks, and we crammed so much into their visit that it will be hard for me to put it all in one blog entry.

You can get their side of the story on Greg's blog- http://dadsrule-wa.blogspot.com

They arrived on Monday and Tuesday we headed back to the airport to go to the beach. We went to Khao Lak, a town about 45 minutes north of Phuket. Khao Lak is where the 2004 Tsunami hit Thailand the worst. From what I understand the town was utterly devastated. They've done a lot to rebuild in the past 4 years, but there are still reminders of the Tsunami throughout. We were there on the 26th, the four year anniversary of the wave. There were several families at the hotel and on the beach who were there remembering loved ones who died. It was powerful to be there with them.

Besides playing on the beach at our resort, we rode elephants, rafted on bamboo rafts down a river, swam in a (freezing cold) waterfall in the jungle, took a boat to the Similan Islands for snorkeling, ate, drank, and ate some more. Santa even managed to find us at the beach and everyone woke up Christmas morning with a stocking stuffed to the rim with candy and all sorts of good treats.

I must admit that the highlight of our time in Khao Lak was the hotel's gala Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. There was a wondeful buffet set up outside by the beach and we were treated to an entertainment lineup that included an Australian pop singer, traditional Thai dancing, a Katoey (transvestite) cabaret show, games for the kids, and a beer chugging contest (for the adults). Yes- nothing says Christmas like men in drag lipsyncing to Whitney Houston, followed by chugging copious amounts of beer!

We came back to Bangkok and spent a week "doing the town"- the Grand Palace and Wat Po, a longtail boat ride through the canals, afternoon tea at the Oriental, the Jim Thompson House, trips to Ayutthaya and the Tiger Temple, Chatuchak market, Lumpini Park, foot massages, etc.

It was fun for me to experience Bangkok as a tourist again. It's so easy to get caught up in daily life and work and to forget that this is quite an amazing city to live in.