Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
And greetings again from a nice cool ACed room. We’re staying as cool as poss for the next few days, travelling permitting.
We did have a brief foray to the bridge, along with what felt like a few thousand tourists. It should be a lot quieter tomorrow. Shouldn’t be surprised as this is one of the busy holiday seasons and it’s a Sunday.
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POW themed restaurant and retail park. Seriously?
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The most sensible chap on this bridge is shown below.
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[rant mode = on ]He found a nice cool spot and was nicely asleep, paws twitching as he was probably dreaming about chasing a cat a la Tom & Jerry. That was until a bunch of western tourists arrived. Not saying which country they were from as not all peeps from that country are that thick. Firstly there was a loud proclamation that there was a dog, louder advice to not touch him and stay well clear of him, sound advice indeed. Then there we’re lots of questions re whether he was ok, whether the fact that he had a collar was significant, was he hungry, was he thirsty, etc. I was getting told off by SWMBO as I was answering the questions in what I thought was a whisper, ending up muttering “the dog is fine, leave him alone”. Well obviously I didn’t say that loud enough as what is officially the thickest of the bunch then poured water over the dog’s nose. Seriously, how stupid can peeps be? If the dog was thirsty there’s a honking great river several meters away for a drink. Or, could do what a clever dog did yesterday, drink from the container for the melt water from the ice bed for some fruit. Now that is a clever dog!! Now dog was woken up, shaking off the water, wondering why the weather forecast didn’t say rain. Anyway, the thick tourists headed off to see the crass POW retail opportunities and the dog returned to his fave spot and fell asleep again. No doubt until the tourists passed again, what next, mouth to mouth? [rant mode = off]
When the peeps from BKK piled back on their train, it headed our way but there were loads of little platforms to move into.
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Luckily I didn’t wait until I could see the whites of the train driver’s eyes, with those Cool Dude Shades I’d have been flattened!
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It was good to see the historic bridge in action, train wise. Will go out earlier tomorrow, it should be a lot quieter and cooler. But we’re limiting heading out of AC coolness to try and get on top of SWMBO’s PH, which isn’t proving easy.
Oh, and it looks like SWMBO’s Thai cousins are here in force.
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15th Dec 2019 6:46 am
stew 46
Member Since: 01 Dec 2011
Location: cornwall
Posts: 10146
Interesting story about the bridge and great pics as usual Del -------------------------------------------------
if you cant hold on dont let go , it ill come in handy for something even if you never use it.
D3 SE 05,
110 s wagon 300 tdi SOLD
h top transit
crew cab transit
transit connect
ausa dumper, muck truck .
peljob 2.5 digger
06 L 200 crew cab
15th Dec 2019 7:24 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
Last train pic, well from here anyway. Sun was setting and the last train of the day heading cross the bridge.
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We’re heading back to BKK on the early train tomorrow, night in a hotel there then sleeper train to the southern end of Thailand. Singapore here we come.
16th Dec 2019 3:17 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Getting a bit "arty" in your photographs now??
Name and shame muppets from your rant Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
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17th Dec 2019 2:00 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
Arty, moi?
OK, more arty pics then. Breakfast was at dawn as we were getting the early train back to BKK. Only peeps there and were in & out before it officially opened at 06:30.
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Someone was getting arty on the wall of this building, as seen from the river ferry. Cross between elephants and the baddies in Prometheus.
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Different view, still from the river, of the Nannite Building. Very strange. Even stranger a couple of business dudes in last hotel wondering how they took the bits out of the building.
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And finally, view from room at sunset(ish) from Holiday Inn in Bangkok. Very arty.
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Not going to say what nationality, it’s not fair to lump the rest of that county’s peeps in with them.
17th Dec 2019 4:37 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
And greetings from Bangkok’s main railway station. Just 2 hours until our train to Hat Yai heads off, who had the brainwave of heading out from the hotel early.
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18th Dec 2019 6:39 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
And home for the next 17 hours. Far end of the carriage, second last window.
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They’ve now attached the engine, thankfully, but there is no way I’m walking all the way down to the pointy end again. Just imagine an engine on the front.
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One of the few 1st class sleepers on Thai railways. Waaaaaaaaaay more comfy than the Chinese so called 1st class compartments.
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The difference between 1st & 2nd class is 2 per compartment and the compartments have doors. Good for keeping SWMBO’s my snoring confined.
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There is a buffet car but it’s in the middle of the train, the train is looking pretty busy so space will be non existent, however they deliver food to compartments so will not waste away. Unfortunately Thai trains are totally dry so couldn’t even smuggle in a cheeky bottle of VinCol.
18th Dec 2019 8:19 am
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
1st class AC sleeper looks very comfy
Buffet service - is that a high speed service? Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
18th Dec 2019 12:25 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
Not sure anything Thai Railways is high speed, well for now. Lots of new high speed rail stuff going in. Note the AC chimney thingies, it’s going to be Baltic in the mahoooooooooosive new Bang Sue station.
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The neglected old & the new together.
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And the not neglected old getting a little tlc.
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Re buffet, pretty good and delivered to our compartment. Pricey by Thai standards, ~£4, but beats trying to get down to the restaurant car or living off crisps & biscuits from the station shops.
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Final pic, it’s now pitch black outside but we had a rather nice sunset.
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18th Dec 2019 12:40 pm
loanrangie
Member Since: 18 Jun 2017
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 668
Bangkok to Suritthani ? did that in reverse years ago when coming across from Koh Phangan .
A bit of mekong whiskey and coke made the trip easier.
20th Dec 2019 3:58 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
We missed Surathanni and parts around there on this trip, it’s on the list for next time, possibly. Depends if we want to go to the south as will really only be looking at N Thailand, Laos & Myanmar. We did pass it but at stupid o’clock on the train.
And we’re back to travelling. A long freeeeeeeeeezing overnight train down to Hat Yai to catch the train to Malaysia. Absolutely Baltic level of AC, plus the thinnest “blanket” out. That’s the last overnight train for a very, very long time, will stick to Air Asia and the likes.
Then the “fast” electric train from the border to Kuala Lumpur, and overnight in a nice hotel. That train was delayed by ~80 minutes due to a lightning storm. I’m not to rant about the brat from hell in the seat behind, suffice to say it made it a long train ride.
Only pics from KL, bit of a boring view from breakie after looooooovely comfy night’s sleep at the InterCont.
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And breakie, well part of it. Will get back to running in Singapore so need to stock up on fuel first.
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Now at KLIA2 waiting our flight. We got here nice and early, got boarding passes and through all the queues in about 30 minutes. So much for having to get here 3 hours before the flight leaves coz it’s Friday before Chrimbo. There’s not even any aircraft to watch.
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I know we were going to go all the way from Oxshott Station to Singapore by rail & bus but the combo to get to Singapore was a PITA, plus if anything went wrong we’d be well stuck. Oxshott to KL Sentral by train & bus is not too bad.
Only a couple of hours until we’re off.
20th Dec 2019 4:35 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
And Greetings from Singapore, one short flight from KL and were here. The flight was so short MrsDSL had to shovel down the pre-ordered lunch as as soon as we got up we started to go down. I’d finished mine by then.
Pic of said plane, again note not a lot of aircraft around for what should be a busy time.
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And from the bus, which was a hop & a skip from where we got in, a couple of minutes later we were seeing if our transit cards from last trip worked (they did) and we were off into Singapore.
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And once off the bus we felt the heat, it was Robbin Williams hot!!
It’s the same temp as in KL but the sun is a big chunk stronger. SWMBO had her fleece on for the AC in the train, airports and the flight but kept it on for the few hundred metres walk to the hotel from the bus stop as it was instant sunblock.
It’s great to be back in SG, the public transport is brilliant, motorists don’t use you as target practise and everywhere is spotless. Love this place. Talking of spotless, virtually every item of clothing we have is presently going round and round and round in a washing machine as this hotel has a laundry room. The population of SG is rejoicing in the fact that Holiday Inn Expresses have laundry rooms.
20th Dec 2019 9:44 am
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Glad to hear normality has returned as I sit here in Hertfordshire where it is cold, raining and miserable.
Moi jealous? Of course not Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
20th Dec 2019 3:47 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72966
A few pics from not so sunny Singapore. It was chucking it down this afternoon but luckily I was soaking in the tub. Even more luckily, no pics.
Cable car to Sentosa Island. Just like in Jan we took the wrong lift and just like last year we went across the long way. But the annual pass we bought last stay was still in effect so all free.
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Just a few ships out there. Ship finder app most useful, SWMBO’s eyes glazing over after another “that ship is the ....... ........“ announcement.
And today, Gardens by the Bay time. Always vertigo inducing looking up, but I’ve conquered that as we’ve stayed a lot higher. Room on the 44th floor sir? Pah, positively low, higher please! What, no 72nd floor?
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Godzilla’s been here on hollibobs!!
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Larry the lizard showing a bit of attitude.
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And a bit of a plug for Singapore Airlines/bit of F1 track. Or both as seen from the bus to the beach.
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And graphics on a van as seen from the bus from the airport, just not sure if animal, mineral or veggie. Suspect the first. Luckily not delivering to our hotel.
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And an update on DrsMSL’s prickly heat, the doc here thinks it’s an allergic reaction to something strange, ie fabric, detergent, food, insect bite or me (being strange), it’s much better now and we’re back out in the heat. It’s been a freeeeezing last couple of weeks, staying in the AC, now enjoying the toastieness. A new combo of antihistamines and various lotions and potions (topical steroids) are doing their thing and it’s almost all gone.
23rd Dec 2019 12:46 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Glad to hear Mrs Del is on the mend and the factor 30 is out in force - after all, you have to look after that temple of a body Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
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