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Part I: Getting there, return to Thailand |
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When our friend, Ellie Leinaweaver, approached us about traveling to Sri
Lanka, we knew at least where it was located. That's more than many of our friends could say.
Known as Ceylon during Colonialism and as the Pearl of India in
other times, Sri Lanka is a small independent country that has been caught
in civil strife for the past 18 years.
Most of the violence has taken place in the northern part of the
country, which we did not visit, but efforts toward the peace process are
now taking place. Because Sri Lanka is so far away from the United States, few Americans
choose to travel there. Karl
Brevik of Brevik Travel International is trying to change that. So it was that Jim and I decided to join Ellie and members of
the Focus Travel Club on an introductory trip with Karl. It takes longer to get to Sri Lanka than it did to get to
Thailand! Feb.
15-18: Flight to Los Angeles from Denver was uneventful, just the way we like
them. But we were totally
unprepared for the absolute chaos that reigned in the international
terminal at LAX! Teeming
hoards of travelers, some with massive amounts of luggage jammed the
terminal and spilled outside for two blocks in either direction!
We finally made it to the Cathay Pacific counter wondering all the
while about the huge line of people snaking through the middle of the
terminal. Well, we soon found
out about that line. After we
finally worked our way to check-in, we were directed to the end of the
line which was outside the building.
It was the security check line and we stood in it for over two
hours! Finally making it to
our gate, we were the last to board the flight to Hong Kong.
The 747 was packed to the gills but we did manage to sleep a
little. Arrival in Hong Kong occurred just at sunrise with a two-hour layover
for our flight on to Bangkok. In
Los Angeles, Cathay Pacific would not issue boarding passes for this leg
of the journey so we had no idea what was going to happen to us. Fortunately there was an airline employee waiting with our
boarding passes, which was helpful. Another
helpful thing was, because three of our group have health problems and
needed wheelchairs, we walked along with the chairs and got to the gate
easily. Otherwise,
deciphering the signs and directions would have taken us much longer. By this time, it was Monday, Feb. 18, because we had crossed
the International Date Line. Compared to the trans-Pacific flight, the journey to Bangkok was a piece
of cake! We were met by Roy
who was to be our guide for the 30 hours we had in Bangkok.
Our hotel, The Montien Riverside, was quite upscale for us.
I could have just relaxed in the room, but we had a mission to
accomplish. When we were in
Bangkok three months ago there had not been time to see the Jim Thompson
House ( http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com) which is now a museum. Roy
was taking a group to a silk business to have clothing made and told us to
that he would have one of the drivers attached to the silk business take
us to the Jim Thompson House. Furthermore,
he said, the driver would wait for us and then bring us back to the hotel
and all we had to do was tip him! That
suited us just fine so off we went with the silk shoppers. Jim Thompson was an American born in Delaware in 1906.
A practicing architect prior to World War II, he volunteered for
service and was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),
forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a move which offered
him an opportunity to see more of the world. Thompson, as a member of an OSS group, was assigned to work with French
forces in North Africa. His assignments also took him into Italy, France
and Asia. To prepare for his
mission, Thompson undertook rigorous training in jungle survival. He
completed the course successfully.
However the war ended abruptly as Thompson and the other OSS men
were en route to Bangkok. A few weeks later, he assumed the duties of OSS
station chief. In late 1946, he received orders to return to the States to
receive his military discharge. After
leaving the service, he decided to return and live in Thailand
permanently. The hand weaving of silk, a long-neglected cottage industry in northeast
Thailand, captured Jim Thompson's attention, and he devoted himself to
reviving the craft. Highly
gifted as a designer and textile colorist, he contributed substantially to
the industry's growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai
silk. He gained further renown through the construction of the house that is
now the museum, combining six teak buildings, from various parts of
Thailand, which represented the best in traditional Thai architecture.
Most of the houses were at least two centuries old.
Each was dismantled and brought to the present site.
In his quest for authenticity, Jim Thompson adhered to the customs
of the early builders. The
houses were elevated a full story above the ground, a practical Thai
precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season, and the roof tiles
were fired in the ancient capital of Ayudhya employing a design that was
common centuries ago but rarely used today.
All the traditional religious rituals were followed during
construction of the house, and on a spring day in 1959, decreed as being
auspicious by astrologers, Jim Thompson moved in.
The house and his art collection soon became such a point of
interest that he decided to open his home to the public with proceeds
donated to Thai charities and to projects which would preserve Thailand's
rich cultural heritage. On March 27, 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to the
Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Not
a single valid clue has turned up in the ensuing years as to what might
have happened to him. His
famous Thai house, however, remains as a lasting reminder of his creative
ability and his deep love of Thailand.
The two hours we spent in the house and on the grounds were
enchanting. It is definitely
a must-see for those with free time in Bangkok. Our evening meal was taken with the rest of our group at a venue
designed just for tourists. We
were served a traditional Thai dinner along with ethnic music and dance.
It was enjoyable but we were tired and most of us fell asleep in
the coach on the drive back to the hotel.
Feb.
19: Early breakfast at the
hotel. Typical buffet with
many delicious items. I
concentrated on papaya and pad Thai along with many cups of coffee. We were on the boat dock at 8:30 a.m. to head into the canals for
sightseeing on our way to the Royal Temple and Palace complex.
It is always a delight to be on the Chao Phraya River.
The complex was not as crowded as it had been last November, which
gave us a better chance to see some of the items on display.
Afterwards we headed to lunch.
We were absolutely amazed when we pulled into the parking lot of a
restaurant we had visited last November with OAT!!!
We didn’t
mind returning because it was a very good place to eat. |
Click thumbnails for larger versions
Beautiful hillsides abound in Sri Lanka. And you never know what else you might see ...
a beetlenut salesman ...
colorful farm produce ...
even a snake charmer.
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