Worra Scorcher!

"Phew, worra scorcher !" was always used by the magazine Private Eye to describe hot and inclement weather.... in the way only Private Eye could do for its stories were always linked to 'sex scandals' of that period. I am not sure they are still doing it. But a classic of its time!

That is what I thought as I emerged into my part of Bangkok early afternoon. It was 30+°C and with high humidity. It was like walking through a steam bath that didn't stop steaming. It is many decades since I experienced such weather and that was in north India.

I started the day by trying to merge my time period in Sydney with Bangkok = by waking early. I got a call from reception at 8.00am = midday Sydney time. I had not slept very well but galloped through the shower. I later emerged at level B1 on the lift sign. It was reserved for Breakfast level 1. What an array of food.

I marched around the displays and worked out that if I started on water/juice and worked my way through everything on offer I would need about 2 hours to eat/drink my way through breakfast.  I noted a couple of 'over large' guests and decided not to try the two hour breakfast test!

After that I retired to my room to call the tourist company and book tours for tomorrow and Wednesday. I prepared photos for the blog post I did this morning. Then I girded my loins and set out to explore my bit of the city.

I walked 5 minutes to a local bank and enjoyed half an hour in the company of an employee who changed money and wanted to know about life in Germany/Berlin. What a pleasant young lady and I said I would certainly return to her should I need more money. That was the start of a nice afternoon.

I worked out how to use the underground system and it seemed to have been designed by the person responsible for the Beijing underground. In fact I wondered if I were in Beijing as I travelled to my destination. It was not far away and after a short walk I arrived at a 'Shopping Mall'. It was also exactly like the ones in Beijing!

I had a great time finding things including real McVities Digestive Biscuits. What a surprise. I can't buy them in Berlin. But I had a problem to find Schweppes Tonic Water to thin down my bottle of Gordon's Dry Gin. I succeeded, but only available in small cans and not in large bottles. Must talk to Schweppes about this on my return!

I also bought different kinds of bread/rolls/cakes and got into interesting conversations with the ladies selling these wares. A coffee break, walk into the park, enjoy the lake and trees then slowly back to the hotel as it got dark.

I had a free drink of fruit juice on my return and saw a few people enjoying the swimming pool on the 9th floor. I didn't know we had one. I may check it out later tomorrow and see what I remember from my last swimming lessons in Shirley's pool in Florida a few years ago = sink or swim!

Here are a few more photos of the area I am in. One shows the river I mentioned earlier which flows slowly into the sea south of Bangkok. More of that in my next post.