Bangkok, Day 3

Not much happened today except for a little bit of shopping and eating. Our dive bags are checked at the hostel luggage room and the purchased items will hopefully be there when we get back. I locked them closed and packed the shirts and things inside. By traveling as light as we are for the next few weeks, there is no way to carry extra stuff with you, so the lightly packed dive bags have some room to load stuff for the return to the USA.

Right next to the hostel is a tailor shop. We had been in the adjoining convenience mart and noticed that it was a family run operation. I asked inside the hostel about the guys next door and if they made good shirts and suits. They mentioned that quite a few guests had clothes made there and they were quite reputable. My situation is a little weird. I don't wear suits to teach and don't really need more dress shirts, but a tuxedo would be amazing. So, that it what I went for. These guys took 50 measurements and I will be getting a classic look tux to fit in with the symphony. The tux will be a cotton cashmere blend with a satin stripe and the two shirts will be silk. I wanted a lighter weight set up compared to my all wool one I wear now. This should make those hot nights playing outside much easier. They took the initial fitting and when we come back in a few weeks they will do a few more. 3 days is normally than enough, but I just want to be sure.

As I write this entry, we are on the overnight train to Chiang Mai. There was no problem getting back to the station and reading the schedule was simple. Eating was a little different. We had to buy coupons with cash and then pay for your food at the vendors with the coupons. There was a nice Thai lady sitting next to us with her son that asked if we needed help ordering. Gee, I guess that we looked like we needed help. Actually what it was is she heard us speaking English and she told us that she was from Georgia. Her husband was back in the states and she comes to visit Thailand once a year with the son. We thought that was pretty cool and it was nice to meet another friendly person.

We are riding in the second class section of the train which is pretty nice. Compared to the first class ride from Chumphon to Bangkok, it's not really less desirable. Except, you can hear and are in the business of people around you. The large seats fold down to sleep for the night and have plenty of room. Earplugs are a must! There is no such thing as welded rail in Thailand thus far, so the clang clang of the track is loud! The trains in Germany ran almost silent which seems hard to believe right now. The train air conditioner works like a champ though, so we should be rested and ready to explore Northern Thailand.