Christmas in Bangkok.

[drron]

Wednesday and again a Thai curry at breakfast. A chicken mussuman curry which I combined with a Punjabi Chole. The only problem was I could only find one piece of chicken.


After a rest Mrsdrron and I went for another walk. This time to Ramchadiri road to Lumpini Park and back to the apartment.
The American University Alumni Association building.


On the other side of the road a Red Cross building.


Across Lumpini Park another new building.


We came across a murder of crows.



They were here because of this.

 

[drron]

Friday and the Massuman chicken curry is on again for breakfast but with lots of chicken and no potatoes.


My birthday and staff wished me a happy birthday as well as the cleaner later on. In the afternoon a piece of birthday cake delivered.

Basically the first time this has happened at any hotel even though I have been in many on my birthday.

My birthday wine was one I had tasted before when we stayed at the winery earlier this year.

 

[drron]

Mrsdrron was feeling quite listless on Thursday and didn’t feel like going out. So I went on a long walk to Chulalongkorn University from here on just called the uni.
Checked out the route on google maps and as usual changes needed to be made. First the walk to Ratchmadamri road. Not a name I would call a bar.


A new building going up next to the St Regis. Went to take a photo from the open gate and told in no uncertain terms it was forbidden. Why on earth I have no idea but it encouraged me when crossing the road on the elevated walkway to just point and shoot.



Also you get a view over the large block of land completely enclosed by a high white wall. Turns out it’s a compound owned by the US Government.

 

[drron]

So I set off down the road with the Racecourse and private golf course on my right. There was one open gate so I went to try and take a photo.


I wasn't stopped but there was a fellow pushing that yellow sign in front of me and a second fellow closing the Green gate. Paranoid.
But at least with the fence they made way for existing trees.


Across the road was the main gate for the US compound.


Next came to the building we saw when I was with Mrsdrron. It is the Red Cross HIV research centre.

 

[drron]

Then I passed the medical school and the hospital with the same name as the Uni.



The rooms facing the street have a good view over Lumphini Park.


The spirit house for the hospital.


And nice gardens.



A little in front of me was a changing of the guard. Eight men in uniform marchioness in single file with an officer and 2 more in yellow shirts.



They almost certainly here to guard the Princess who is in this hospital. She was admitted just over two weeks ago after collapsing due to a heart passed. Just before Christmas a Palace report said she needed medication and machines to support her heart , lungs and kidneys.
Signs up everywhere with her picture.

 

[drron]

I kept walking through the hospital. In the middle of it a really nice food hall with larger stalls in the middle with a good variety including western cuisine and all with English as well as Thai used.



Along the back wall loc stalls but very few with English names for the food though some didn't need a name.



This one had a famous cook.


And what sort of sea weed do you want.


Soon I was at the other side of the hospital and another busy road.

 

[drron]

There was a pedestrian crossing but they mean little in Bangkok. Cars and bikes rarely stop. There were already 4 Thais waiting to cross but when I arrived a policeman walked out and stopped the traffic .
This reminded me of an earlier incident that morning. Walking down Ratchamadiri road there were 6 police stopping vehicles. I have seen this a few times and always 6 police. Usually though at an intersection and pulling up bikes running the red lights.
On this occasion it was on a straight stretch of road. Basically a road block as they funnelled most traffic into one lane. I noticed a middle aged western fellow on a bike talking to two police. As I came level he took out his wallet and handed something over. The police immediately let him go. I continued walking and noticed a policeman with a walkie-talkie. He began using it as a young western couple on a bike went past so I stopped and looked back. Sure enough the couple were pulled over. They were not speeding, both had helmets and masks on so no obvious reason for being pulled over .
But a good warning. It is required to have ID on you in Thailand so a copy of your passport is a good idea. Do also have my DL n me but unsure if that would be sufficient.

 

[drron]

Over the road and its the major Red Cross property. The obligatory spirit house.


I had come for this.


But first you pass this place.


I didn't think snakes got rabies. Soon there. 200 baht entry or 400 if you want to go to the show at 1600. I certainly wasn't staying that long.


The python was watching me. Probably just wanted to give me a hug.


Where the show takes place.

 

[RooFlyer]

Some of the suggested words are not vaguely related to the word you typed.

Not just words - but whole phrases. It takes what you have typed, goes away, tries to interpret the 'sense' of it and replaces what you have typed with what it thinks you were trying to say! Sometimes not until you finish - which is why you get substitutions even when you think you've checked as you type. Sorry OT but I think we share these tech challenges.

 

[drron]

Most of the snakes are in a building and in the dark. Some are hard to see but some just stand out.


The banded kraft.


And you couldn't miss the black cobra.

 

[drron]

So a selection of the collection.





And the long headed version of the gliding snake.




But the fellow wasn't going to show his teeth.

 

[drron]

The last of the snakes.









The last was an Anaconda. Must have been a new born as it is so small. The last Anaconda I saw was when we were canoeing in the Ecuadorian jungle. The Anaconda popped its head out of the water about a foot away from my head. It 's head was larger than mine but fortunately it was as scared as me so disappeared quickly.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Is anything deadly in that lot?

 

[Hvr]

Is anything deadly in that lot?

Probably easier to ask: what isn't deadly in that lot.

Now I know where it is I may never return to Bangkok.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Probably easier to ask: what isn't deadly in that lot.

Now I know where it is I may never return to Bangkok.

Haha, I've never really seen snakes as dangerous in Asia. I could be totally wrong here (I've had snake soup in China - I prefer Neil Perry, TBH).

If you want a real problem, take on a Black Mumba; now that is one serious snake.

 

[drron]

Haha, I've never really seen snakes as dangerous in Asia. I could be totally wrong here (I've had snake soup in China - I prefer Neil Perry, TBH).

If you want a real problem, take on a Black Mumba; now that is one serious snake.

Though in most lists of the most venomous snakes our own inland taipan, eastern tiger or eastern brown snakes usually come before the black mamba.
Just why the lists can vary so much is a little bit hard to understand.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Though in most lists of the most venomous snakes our own inland taipan, eastern tiger or eastern brown snakes usually come before the black mamba.
Just why the lists can vary so much is a little bit hard to understand.

Not a theory one wants to test!

 

[Quickstatus]

hospital. In the middle of it a really nice food hall

Wow, I wish some of our own bigger hospitals have food halls like that.
Hospital food is just so boring for patients, staff and visitors alike.

As I came level he took out his wallet and handed something over

Often in that part of the world the ID will have some $$$ accidentally attached to it when it is handed over
Of course both parties deny seeing anything extraneous

 

[drron]

Wow, I wish some of our own bigger hospitals have food halls like that.
Hospital food is just so boring for patients, staff and visitors alike.


Often in that part of the world the ID will have some $$$ accidentally attached to it when it is handed over
Of course both parties deny seeing anything extraneous

I didn't see any ID attached to what was handed over. I was about 1 metre from the transaction but I felt taking a photo would have been a huge mistake.

 

[Quickstatus]

huge mistake.

Yes there is no such thing as "1st amendment Youtube auditors" in Thailand