The Diamond Princess (DP) has been our home away from home for 21 nights. While we enjoyed the friendly personal service of the Vollendam on our first cruise, the DP is real luxury. It’s just so big and smooth most evenings it doesn’t even seem to be moving as we head for bed.
On our last morning we arrive at Laem Chabang, Thailand. It is a busy working port lots of container ships and cranes. I won’t bother to church it up other than we disembarked smoothly and found our shuttle ride to Bangkok. It’s about a 90 minute drive from the port to downtown Bangkok. We shared the shuttle with a couple from Brisbane who we met on board, they were well organised having organised a shuttle for half the price the ship charge. They kindly offered to share it with us.
Little did we know our shuttle, a Mercedes Benz was being driven by a formula 1 racer was going to make the journey in 75 minutes. The freeway into downtown Bangkok was surprising good but as soon as we left the off ramp we were surrounded by scooters, tuk tuk’s and taxis. We found our hotel in the heart of the shopping district without difficulty and settled into our suite.
Over the next few days we discovered that all of Bangkok is one big shopping district. Anyway we were a short walk from the MDK and the Paragon shopping complexes. With lots of small bars and restaurants with a few blocks, which given the heat and humidity is about as far as you want to walk.
Other than shopping, wandering about the local area, ducking back to the hotel for a swim and a nap our only real adventure was our visit to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is actually a series of Palaces on an expansive area adjoining the river. It seems that each successive King of Siam (Rami) would build a new Palace on the grounds. Anyway we had a wonderful day visiting each Palace building and the surrounding gardens.
As our 2010 trip draws to a close we head for the airport and beautiful Sydney.