31st March 2011 Lazy Day in the City

Looked at some of the older buildings in the city. I am amazed at how much land reclamation has taken place since I was here last. Found a place on Orchard Road, Masters Rooke, that served an all day breakfast courtesey of the Ex Pat Forum. They have these cravings for UK missing pieces from time to time as well! Did the compulsory retail theraphy and bought some more missing pieces from M&S and a Supermarket but I did resist the bakery ! The Singapore Flyer was shut so will do that tomorrow along with the night Zoo, no tigers promise!

30th March 2011 Singapore - Botanic Gardens River Cruise

The tour of the Botanical Gardens proved to be quite a hit with Linda as you can imagine. One of the interesting features was the Cool House which was steamy but airconditioned glasshouse, no expense spared. What a tremendous advantage the weather brings to places like this!

The ship straddling the three building s was most impressive. All built on reclaimed land which was sea when I was here last ! Quite a fun day but hot as you can imagine. Well doing the Flyer tomorrow but no Bungy Jumping. Since the big Tiger fancied me for lunch the other day I have become more timid again.

Tuesday 29th March - Arrive in Singapore

Our Hotel is so small, our bathroom at the last one in Bangkok was bigger than this ! But no matter we are downtown and it is not raining or flooding nor are we sourounded by bandits as we might have been !! Waiting to get a place with high speed internet, I think my mobiles are faster!

Monday 28th March The Grand Palace, Highest open air meal in Thailand

We had the most expensive dinner ever on the roof of our Hotel , s

ee Dome above. I had to walk with my eyes shut to the table (scared of heights) 65 story heights ! The bill for the dinner ran to fivefigures excluding the those behind the decimal point !

Went shopping Downtown Bangkok, tried the Skytrain, Taxi and River Taxi. The River Taxi was the cheapest and fastest for the chosen route, The Skytrain has limited stations ,does not go where we want to go! Taxi best for door to door but most expensive.

Sunday 27th March - Floating Market, River Kwai, More Tigers

I now realise that I am spoilt at home with 20MB down and 1M UP and will now have to wait until I get a good connection before I carry on.

On to Bangkok 26th March 2011

View of the Hotel from the Red Light District. Views from our Hotel Room window, scary for me ! Leaving Richard and Feai behind at Chaing Mai Airport. We had such a good time thanks to both of them. They did not go to Burger King as soon as we left ha ha !

Elephants and Tigers

Richard seems the most relaxed out of all of us. The keeper assured me they were good for another hour and then it was supper time

I am in the ready to bolt postion, the secret is to approach from behind and be bold with the stroking and show who is boss if though one does not believe it !

Feai and Richard

Don't we all look the part!!

Linda in all her glory non of us would join her !

Richard has just fed this chap with bananas !

EARTHQUAKE tonight

The four of us Feai, Richard, Linda and I went out to eat in a Market near Richard's place. The others were just sitting down to start and I was waiting for my ommlettes to be cooked to order when the old shopping centre started to shake and the lights began to swing. Richard did not feel too good and suggested we move away but my ommlettes were almost ready.

Whoops here we go again the whole building is moving (I am back at my Hotel) !!!!!Everybody appears to be OK . Linda just talked to a New Zealander who said that most people who were hurt there were hit by falling buildings !

The Epicentre is north of Chaing Rai in Myanmar

I am signing off now cannot type as the keyboard keeps moving around the Desk.



Two Magnitude 7.0 Quakes Hit Northern Thailand
Published: Thursday, 24 Mar 2011 10:57 AM ET Text Size By: Reuters

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Two large quakes with a magnitude of 7.0 struck near north Thailand's border with Myanmar and Laos, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Witnesses said the tremors were felt in Bangkok, Myanmar and as far away as the Vietnam capital of Hanoi where people were evacuated from tall buildings.

The quakes struck seconds apart at 1355 GMT and were centered 69 miles (111 km) north of the Thai town of Chiang Rai.

The first one was very shallow, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), while the second one was deeper at 142.5 miles (230 km).

It is a sparsely populated, hilly area best known as the Golden Triangle, which is a traditional source of illicit opium.

There was no immediate word on any casualties or damage.

The White Temple Chaing Rai

This is not a Temple but the poshest convenience I have ever seen. Local UK County Councils watch out !

Dazzling !

Richard Feai and Linda at the Entrance

Buddest Monks posed for photos literally at their convenience !