We get up on Monday and do our final, thorough packing check and Bethie’s mom drops us off at the airport. Bethie has on her “Just Married” shirt, but we quickly realized our dreams of being upgraded were pretty far-fetched. Not to worry, it’s only a 20 hour plane ride. We get bagels from the Great American Bagelry, because we would be leaving the country for an extended amount of time and needed something distinctly American as a sendoff.

We board the plane and find ourselves in a panic, as we are seated right next to a “person of size.” We approached the flight attendant, who acted like it was no big deal. We wound up with some nice seats in an exit row across from the bathroom.

We are roped into United’s frequent flyer program, which pays some dividends, but you have to put up with United’s poor service and not that nice of planes. This particular one didn’t even have TV’s in the back of the seats. You had to watch the overhead ones. But we passed the time with crazy airplane food, in-flight movies, books, mags and cocktails. I think the airplane bloody mary has got to be one of the best drinks going out there. So tiny, so simple.

Bethie sleeps a lot because she’s a good sleeper. I hardly sleep at all, because I am not. Bethie is not embarassed to wear one of them travel pillows. I am.

It’s 11 hours to Tokyo, and then 7 hours to Bangkok.

We get to Bangkok around 1 AM and take a taxi to the Hilton by the river. Bangkok is quiet and sleeping. The airport is really, really nice.

At the hotel, Bethie has a meltdown during check-in, on account of her travel exhaustion. the hotel is very nice. We get a high up room with crazy views of the city. We sleep.

True to my incredibly thorough travel itinerary, we get up around 6-7 every day. We eat the fantastic Hilton breakfast every day. I’d typically have one bowl of Asian breakfast, one plate American, and then waffles.

Day one found us taking a cab to the tailors, so I could order a suit. Victor helped us and everything was great. Bethie and I were both really excited. They recommended a women’s tailor that could duplicate a pair of pants for Bethie. We went there and that was great too.

We then, following the itinerary, took the train a couple of stops to a ferry landing, where we rode a canal boat for a while and then took a taxi to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. He’s real big all tucked up in there with a huge building built around him to shelter him. It looked cozy. Thai folks are crazy for their Buddha’s, their temples and their king. I guess I should have realized that going in, but that stuff is EVERYWHERE and it’s brightly decorated and big.

After the Reclining Buddha, we were meant to take the river ferry back to the hotel, but I got confused as to where the ferry pick up was. (One of probably the only times that I got confused on this trip. Otherwise, I had this thing running like clockwork.) I had Bethie wandering with me through this vast and dirty produce market, and she didn’t like that. We wound up taking a taxi back to the hotel.

Spent the rest of the afternoon poolside, and had a club sandwich around 4. Went to the happy hour thing at the rooftop bar for free drinks and appetizers for dinner. In bed, probably by 7.

Up early the next day. Figured out the ferry’s better. Went to the grand palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha. Bethie complains because they always make women dress modest and cover their legs and shoulders when visiting a temple. I don’t complain, because I’ve been telling Bethie all along she needs to dress modest in her life. Went to the Amulet Market. Had a bowl of soup in a tiny storefront. Meant to eat lots of street food, but it’s super-intimidating, not knowing what anything is and whether it’s good or bad or whatever. I should have tried to hire some sort of food tour guide to show me all the things there are to eat.

We then took the river ferry to the train and arrived early for our cooking class. Cooking class was fun and thorough, but also arduous. We made five different dishes.

We were exhausted after, so we made our way back to the ferry to the hotel. Went to bed.

Thursday, we spent the morning by the pool. Then we went to the Wat Arun, which is really steep and you get to climb on it. Then we went to the National Museum, which was more of the same stuff about buddhas and kings. Bethie was being a good sport, but she was really not into this. Then we tried to find Khao Sahn Road, but couldn’t. Took a cab to the train and the train to the tailors for the suit fitting. Everything was coming together perfectly, which is an incredibly weird feeling. But I guess that’s obviously what happens when the clothes are tailor-made.

Went back to the hotel and had room service while packing to leave the next day.

Left for Phuket early Friday morning.