A Taste of the Far East

So nice to sleep in!   I just catch the end of sunrise and have a slow-moving morning.   Ginger gets up and has another swim in the pool, enjoying the bubbles and jets and swimming laps.   We have breakfast, greeting all our new friends, return to the room to pack and blog and are downstairs at just the right time to turn over our suitcases, turn in our keys, and board the bus. It is about three hours back to Bangkok and we should get there just about in time to check into our rooms.   During the trip, Rio asks about our flight plans and he arranges for a van to pick us up around 8:30 in the evening on the 29 th .   That should get us to the airport in plenty of time for our 12:35 flight to Nagoya.   He also suggests that when we get to the hotel today we ask for a late check out and confirm that they will hold on to our luggage during the day. Interesting sights from the bus The second tallest hotel in Bangkok.  But Rio says it's not

We’re on our own today!   Some people are going to the beach (if you’ve lived in Florida, this is not an appealing choice!).   Some are going to relax around the pool;   some are going to explore Walking Street, which is filled with many bars, some restaurants, and a few shops.   This is Pattaya’s red light district and is especially “colorful” at night.   We are going to have a leisurely breakfast, meet Helen, and take a taxi to the Sanctuary of Truth.  Thank you, Trip Advisor!!   This wooden structure was begun in 1981 (an auspicious year!) by a millionaire, who made his money in insurance and a Mercedes-Benz dealership.   He wanted to leave a legacy that would promote world peace and unity.   He invited artists from across Asia to contribute their concepts which include many religions and philosophies, like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, and others.   The concierge calls our taxi and he comes quite quickly.   When we arr