This morning things were very still—even a bird joined us for breakfast at the infinity pool!

Today’s treat was Japanese breakfast custard with mushrooms—yummy.

…followed by a nice dessert of tofu and egg salad sandwich!

After a leisurely morning it was time to take a cab back to the Novotel Hotel near the airport. And this sign on the cab window is the widely recognized international sign for _________????  The traffic was not bad, as many of the 18 million residents of Bangkok have not yet returned from their holiday vacation.

Back at the Novotel we had lunch. MJ loved her refreshing salad with chicken, barley, greens, avocado and orange slices,

Getting ready to leave our room, after reassembling our bikes,  to meet the gang for our opening day meeting.

A shiny hallway looks like water! MJ walks across the reflecting pool.

Tour organizer Tom and biking guide Woody share important background information with the group.

Then we break bread together at the Novotel restaurant. These two tables make up our group.

We had attentive waitstaff who kept our wineglasses full!

Dinner was a big smorgasbord, with sushi, fresh oysters, entrees . . .

. . .  including a delicious red curry with salmon.

. . .  and best of all, delicious desserts. Had to have three; there were so many choices!

The ever-full glasses of vino totaled nine bottles! Eight white and one red. Have to cut back after this!

Good morning Bangkok! Rick gets up early, and here is what he sees in the Bangkok dawn from the breakfast area next to the infinity pool.

As usual he sends MJ enticing photos of breakfast options, which today features one of her faves, okra!

The special of the day was these cute little pork bundles with a sweet and sour sauce!

Now MJ is getting up, and here is what she sees from the hotel room window.

Looking up Sukhumvit Road from our room. Big city!

Also from our room, looking down from the balcony to the pool on Floor 9. Where Rick is enjoying breakfast nearby!

Our day’s adventure is going to the Chatuchak Market. We get there via the BTS –Bangkok Mass Transit System, which is an elevated train built in 1999. Smooth and nice! The low roofs you see in the foreground are the Market.

Lay’s Potato Chips have prominent marketing here in Bangkok!

While we are waiting to meet our Spice Roads cycling friends, we are approached by a group of high school students who ask to interview us. “What do you think of Thai food? Do you like it? Why?” and “Do you like the Thai people? Why?” Later we learn that this is a common project to help young people improve their English skills.

We meet up with Bow who guides us through the busy market. She has warned us about possible pickpockets, so MJ ceases to be a hipster and wears her backpack backwards for safety.

MJ makes friends with a lovely shopkeeper and buys a few items!

There are some 15,000 booths at Chatuchak Market. Everything you can imagine and more. Narrow aisles go between rows of booths.

MJ reviews her options for fabric-covered journals.

Bow does a great job of explaining what we are seeing. The blue shirts are typical garb for men in parts of northern Thailand.

Here is a unique item—you could have a home for roosting hens, right on your countertop!

These bright plaid cottons are also typical of the north. We bought some scarves at this nice booth!

Oh, and there are lots of food booths.

Octopus. Always sad to see them because they are intelligent creatures. Maybe the species is becoming smarter as the less-bright ones are harvested for snacks?

We stop for lunch. MJ enjoys a mango smoothie, and Rick chooses lemon grass tea. Beautiful presentation!

Back in our Thonglor neighborhood, we check out the sights. This Staybridge Suites building was just under construction last year!

Funny/creative architecture. What is this thing? Pool? Party room?

This motorbike has seen better days! Looks like it has been here for a long time.

Here is the Somerset Hotel, our home, with our room circled.

Having had a long day, we decide to go just across the road to the Old English Pub. At 5:30pm, we were the only ones there and still could take advantage of happy hour. We asked when it gets busy? 9:00 p.m.!

MJ admires her new elephant purse while enjoying a Japanese beer!

After a leisurely morning of breakfast and packing up, we took a cab from the Novotel Hotel by the airport, into the city. We had a friendly and helpful cab driver who spoke good English, answered our many questions, and got us to our downtown hotel in 25 minutes!

We are staying at the Somerset Thonglor Hotel, the tall one in the middle of this photo. On the lower right of the building you can see the outdoor pool and its surrounding oasis! The Thonglor neighborhood is described as “hipster” so we fit right in. It is also called “Japanese Town” due to the many Japanese businesses in the area.

MJ rolls right into our “studio deluxe” room.

Spacious,  with even a tiny balcony looking down on the pool.

And fully equipped kitchen with dishes, pots and pans, refrigerator, sink, and washing machine!

We will be using it soon. It is an Electrolux washer-dryer all in one!

And the bathroom features a Toto….

And its got a sprayer operation just like a carwash…except that you have to get out of the car.

Detailed instructions for the eco-washer!

Down on the 9th floor is the lovely infinity pool.

So we stopped for afternoon snacks of edamame, fried fish platter, and beer!

We walked down the avenue prior to dinner. Here we see evidence that a global brand is trying to be culturally sensitive as Ronald McDonald emulates the polite Thai bow.

We found our dinner at an interesting development called “The Commons.” The idea was to build a community; upper floors have outdoor areas. We were in the cool, yes, hipster eating area featuring many different small vendors.

We bought a few beers at The Beer Cap…

…and MJ seemed quite happy with her barbeque from Meat and Bones! Yummy, pork, cornbread and slaw.

After celebrating the arrival of the New Year somewhere over China during our flight, we awoke to New Year’s Day at the Novotel Hotel.

After getting to our room around 1:30 a.m., we fell fast asleep. In the morning, Rick followed his usual routine, getting up at 5:30 a.m. Off he went to the expansive buffet breakfast. He texted MJ this photo to help wake her up…but then he had to go to the room to roust her. She made it to the breakfast before it closed at 10:30 thank goodness!

Flashback to our arrival at the airport, where the Novotel staff provided shuttle service to the hotel. This  hotel is extremely convenient: close to the airport so you can walk through an underground tunnel  or shuttle back and forth; five restaurants to choose from; pool ; spa; fitness center; shopping; what more could you want?!

Our day today was composed of exploring the hotel; napping; and eating. Here is the pool, with the swim-up bar tiki hut.

We weren’t suited up for a swim, but it is always time to enjoy a refreshing brew! Singha, a Thai beer, on tap!

We ordered appetizers, wonton-wrapped shrimp, all neatly tied up with a seaweed strip!

Rick insisted that we dine at the sports bar, aptly named “Touchdown.” We sat outdoors, and enjoyed beers that were much larger than we had anticipated! 

 

All day in the hotel we had noticed ads for Touchdown’s blackened salmon burger. And we wondered, why is the bun so dark? Is it burned? Not to worry; it was dark due to squid ink used in the bread dough! And it was tasty, served along with curly fries. Yum! We were back in bed by 9:00 p.m, exhausted.

And we are off!! With a server at home, plus two laptops and two cellphones and a tablet on this trip, we should be covered for all our technological needs!

It was verrry early at the bus stop. Our driver is behind MJ loading our bike cases into the bus. They are surprisingly easy to move.

An otherwise tedious bus ride was brightened by this early morning disco laser show and accompanying music. We were waiting for John Travolta to make a surprise entrance!!!!

After a two and half hour bus ride, we were at O’Hare. Soon we would be on this big rig. Watching for our bikes to be loaded.

Korean Air is a classy airline, including “refreshing towels” as a nice touch!

Rick dove right in with an Asian inspired lunch.

. . . including a tube of spicy hot sauce, enough  to last the whole trip!

A short 14 hours later, we found ourselves in the beautiful  Incheon airport just outside of Seoul, South Korea.

A young lady representing the 5G company took this photo of us by their corporate mascot.  Here Kitty Kitty Kitty! I think we will be having nightmares now.

MJ enjoys the holiday decorations, complete with snow, birch trees and tepees. Think they might be catering to western tourists, eh?

A white tail deer seems to dwarf the reindeer (caribou) in size. Now is that right?!

Past the giant cat and holiday decorations, we headed up to the Incheon Airport Transfer Lounge to relax as we waited for our final flight to Bangkok.

It offered many amenities, including this quiet nap zone with individual settees with charging stations and muted lighting.

For the livelier western travelers,  please feel right at home with a Blue Moon pale ale!

After 30 plus hours of travel, MJ wheels her bike box and luggage up to our room at the Novetel Hotel in Bangkok.

Finally, sleep in a real bed with pillows! Ahhh.

After a three day bike ride to celebrate her birthday and riding RAGBRAI this summer, emJay was jazzed about her new bike and taking more trips, like I have in the past. With her retirement in November  from The Nature Conservancy, after a 38 year career, that dream became a reality!!!

Hitching a ride on RAGBRAI on the way across Iowa???

I spent much of last winter riding in Thailand  and had such a great time we decided to head back there this year. The mild temps have afforded us training ride weather through November and December . . . in fact the  photo above was take on a training ride on Christmas day . . . 50 degrees . . . unlike the –50 degree wind chill the folks in the Midwest experience last January when the first of several ‘Polar Vortexes’ descended across Wisconsin. Not going to be a problem for us this year. . .

. . . as we start pedaling in the mountain region of northern Thailand . . .

. . . and end on the beaches of the Andaman Sea!!!