The view is spectacular.
We are 64 floors above the sprawling and seemingly endless Bangkok streets. It feels like a different world, with its own climate and norms. The setting is a hotel bar on top of Bangkok, and we are among the many travelers that have made our way here for the sunset. This specific hotel and bar were prominently featured in Hangover II, if anyone is interested in recalling that disappointment of a movie.
Once we settle into our table, glad to have accidentally dressed well enough to meet the dress code, the vastness of the city comes into focus. For example, the Chao Phraya river that bisects the city is almost directly below us, and can be seen to head east a few miles south of our location. A few hours ago, we were on that river in a ferry, right at water level. Then the river seemed a bit ominous, with haphazard waves and long tail boats frittering all about with their enormous rooster tails. I got splashed a couple of times, even. Now, from on high it looks calm, quaint and cute.
Our drinks come and a second bowl of pistachios, making up for our skipped lunch today. The latter reminds me of Christmases back in Maine, as these nuts were prominently involved in the holiday throughout my youth. The pistachios were part of our holiday tradition, a big bowl to be munched on through the multi-day extravagance of opening presents. Overall, Christmas here in Thailand has been a mixed bag for us, with much to be thankful for and reflect on in the last year. Still, the tropical weather doesn't match up with the season of our memories and distance to our loved ones feels vast. I have noticed a little melancholy from both of us over the last couple of days and think that it can be traced to this dislocation.
Back to those drinks, which are much fancier than any we have had in months. Mu opts for an Australian Shiraz that has me thinking fondly of wine tasting in the Yarra Valley outside of Melbourne so many years ago. I went even fancier, with an aged bourbon drink that is served chilled in a ice cylinder glass that keeps the drink cold and delicious. This upscale experience is nice, i could sure get used to it. But, it does come at a price that really messes up our budget. For example, my drink costs about as much as our hotel room for the night. Another example is the night bus that we took last night from the Laos border to Bangkok, sleeping in our clothes as the countryside rolled along. Two tickets for the 10 hour bus ride cost about the same as our tab for these sunset drinks.
But no matter, it is the price of being in this amazing atmosphere and well worth it. As we are gawking about with our drinks and stuffing our face with more pistachios, Mu overhears a neighboring table talking about Tahoe, one of my most loved spots in the world. She professes our love of there and our plans to ski there this February and March and soon we are deep in conversation with a a lovely couple, the Brissendens, from Hope Valley, CA. They own a hot springs resort halfway between South Lake and Kirkwood Resort (a resort with some of the the best terrain in the country and an average of 600 inches of snowfall per year).
In short, they are in a great spot. Mu and I have never been to the hot springs resort, but we will in a few months. As the sun sets, we have a great conversation, ranging from schooling to skiing to traveling to climate change. They have lived a very interesting life and we are doing our best to pick their brains about living up in tahoe. How does it work? Is it as wonderful as it seems? They have just flown in from Krabi, where we are heading the next day and have been in thailand for about 3 weeks, enjoying a bit of respite before the heart of the ski season.
Every 15 minutes, one of us peels off to document the setting sun and take a few pictures. The sun seems to hang on the horizon for much longer than usual, lighting up the city for a quite a bit more minutes than seemed likely when we first walked onto the veranda. This is about as pleasant a way to take in a sunset in a huge city as i can imagine. The moments of diminishing light casually reaches and then exceeds its inflection point, we are now in more darkness than light. The temperature starts to drop and it is time to head back down the 64 floors and onto the teaming streets.
We get our bill and the Brissendens shock us by offering, nigh insisting, to pick it up for us. We are so touched by their unexpected offer and generosity. The bill is the largest we have had for drinks in 500+ days, and this sweet, cute couple is going to pick it up for us? We are touched and grateful for the unexpected generosity.
As we make our way to leave, the city below has changed as dramatically as the now empty terrace bar. The streets and their multitude of cars pop into the night with their head and tail lights. The biggest skyscrapers take on outsized importance with their bright lights and massive electronic billboards. The river that was so central to the urban built environment in daylight has blended into landscape, noticed, as if by chance, more for the absence of light and a sticky blackness than any distinguishing landmark.
We feel lucky to have this time on top of the world, and amongst this world. We wish we could be so many places at once, with our family and friends through the holiday season. The kindness in Bangkok touches us and recalls the many, many acts of kindness we have received throughout our travels. Our kindness and charity bank is at a deficit from 2014 and we will work hard to get back in the black in 2015 and beyond. The holidays are such a special time and we hope yours are amazing wherever in the world they find you.
Be kind, be present and be on top of the world.
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